@katbyter@PooltoyWolf You just compared a manufacturer to a connection standard. If you want to make a fair comparison, I’m hoping you meant “lightning” as opposed to “Apple”. And if that’s the case, then you’re wrong… lightning cables are dirt cheap from various manufacturers. Furthermore, the bricks have always been some sort of USB standard, so the initial argument is moot.
@katbyter@TBoneZeOriginal In the case of Apple, the connection standard is owned by the manufacturer. My point was that the average Apple connector cable, over the years, whether it be 30-pin, Lightning, or really any Apple-branded cable, has been consistently more expensive than the micro USB equivalent for Android devices, regardless of who actually produces the cable (though the first party Apple ones are always the most pricy). I have been pricing them in stores for long enough to know this.
@katbyter@PooltoyWolf I understand your point - it’s just a weird one. There are expensive micro-USB cables out there and there are cheap lightning cables out there. Neither of which have to do with USB-C.
You’re comparing a “cheap” 3rd party brick to an “expensive” first party cord.
@katbyter@TBoneZeOriginal Allow me to clarify further. My statement was referring to cables exclusively, not power supplies. I assumed Kat was talking about cables, as that’s what most people mean when they talk about Apple stuff being pricier.
There’s a two pack of Amazon basics 6ft USB c cables over at woot for another 55 minutes. I bought those earlier thinking I’d find a deal on these chargers. Win win for me.
@jaybird Amazon Basics used to have a great reputation for price/quality ratio. Sadly, that rep seems to have dropped over the years. (No idea how good/bad these are though.)
Gallium Nitride is the new small form factor if you want to be a size weenie, but these are good power from a good company at a good price if you don’t mind the chunk
@bobogobo At walmart the same length is 20 bucks for one so that would make this a good bargain if having apple branded stuff is important to you.
The problem I have is stupid cat (aka backyard bird feeder dinner bait kitty - he was a stray - aka Tigger) bits the lightening end and ruins them so I am better off with cheap shit USB on one end and not a C end. He finally figured out how to open the drawer I put then in when not in use. Sigh. I am going to have to hang them from the sprinkler or something. I bet he’d finally figure out how to get at those too. Goat cat could get them (although she doesn’t ruin phone cords, she prefers to ruin fleece kneading it) as she hangs out on top of the door (and then makes a flying leap to the bed to get down). Stupid cat has not figured out how to get up there. Yet.
I dislike how the writeup seems to imply that USB-C is a primarily Apple standard. It is not, and Apple was actually forced into using it. Notice how it’s still not on the iPhone?
@PooltoyWolf yes, it’s a very confusing write-up, the title says USB-C then the write-up is saying this is for your “Apple stuff” and says that “non-Apple stuff” uses (I guess) micro-USB, when most “non-apple stuff” from the last several years in fact needs this USB-C plug. Poor effort by the usually excellent Meh pitch writer.
@mikemarko@PooltoyWolf I agree with everything you said, except that last sentence. The write ups have been bad and lazy for years. But yes, these are not “Apple” products.
I have more than enough chargers for our family’s phones. I could maybe make use of these when I take my DJI drone on a trip, but for that purpose I’d rather get two ports on a single plug and save space. This is the 2x18W charger I’m using at home and it’s $2 cheaper than today’s deal.
I just can’t think of any good reason to grab two more separate 18W chargers.
Usb c costs more than micro because there is a license cost to use it that much higher than usb micro. So super cheap electronics stick with micro even though it’s just the same for charging since it’s just a power connection.
@funkindrum yeah… but at $47 per 100 pounds of potatoes (not to mention the leads you’d need), these are much more affordable and they don’t rot. Plus, they fit in your pocket or bag much better!
@laspic a docked switch needs 39watts although it doesn’t draw that much power. The old chargers “trickle” were 5 watt chargers. This is a little more than 3x as fast. // The higher the watts the more heat it will generate too which can impact a battery and/or be a fire hazard.
This amazon review sums it up:
“Why does this exist? Anker has a Nano line of USB C chargers, some of which have identical or better stats than this one, at half the size! So, like I said, this charger is about twice the size of the Nano. The Nano is 20w, while this one is only 18w. This charger outputs 5V 3A; 9V 2A, while the Nano is only slightly different at 5V 3A; 9V 2.22A, for what that’s worth. The only other differences of note are that this charger specifies as a PD charger, whereas the Nano uses Anker’s own technology/terminology, IQ3. They both, so far, seem to charge the same stuff in the same way (including a Nintendo Switch). The only other difference is the price, where the Nano is actually cheaper! So, again, like I said, I don’t get it. Why does this exist?”
WTF at the writeup. AFAIK, USB-C is the non-proprietary alternative that everyone except Apple has been happily using, and the writeup calls it an Apple charger that doesn’t work for non-Apple??? Might have bought, but since I’m not getting it for Apple products, why risk getting this. (And might as well look for higher-wattage chargers too.)
Specs
Product Name: Anker 18W PowerPort PD 1 USB-C Wall Chargers
Model: A2019J12
Condition: New
What’s Included?
Price Comparison
$33.98 for 2 at Walmart
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Wednesday, Mar 9 - Monday, Mar 14
No mehrethon. Sads. All Around
Why is USB-C so much more expensive than previous generations?
@katbyter It’s still cheaper than Apple connectors and cables, though not as cheap as Micro USB.
@katbyter @PooltoyWolf You just compared a manufacturer to a connection standard. If you want to make a fair comparison, I’m hoping you meant “lightning” as opposed to “Apple”. And if that’s the case, then you’re wrong… lightning cables are dirt cheap from various manufacturers. Furthermore, the bricks have always been some sort of USB standard, so the initial argument is moot.
@katbyter @TBoneZeOriginal In the case of Apple, the connection standard is owned by the manufacturer. My point was that the average Apple connector cable, over the years, whether it be 30-pin, Lightning, or really any Apple-branded cable, has been consistently more expensive than the micro USB equivalent for Android devices, regardless of who actually produces the cable (though the first party Apple ones are always the most pricy). I have been pricing them in stores for long enough to know this.
@katbyter @PooltoyWolf I understand your point - it’s just a weird one. There are expensive micro-USB cables out there and there are cheap lightning cables out there. Neither of which have to do with USB-C.
You’re comparing a “cheap” 3rd party brick to an “expensive” first party cord.
@katbyter @TBoneZeOriginal Allow me to clarify further. My statement was referring to cables exclusively, not power supplies. I assumed Kat was talking about cables, as that’s what most people mean when they talk about Apple stuff being pricier.
@katbyter, It’s Simple,… Greed & Money!!
There’s a two pack of Amazon basics 6ft USB c cables over at woot for another 55 minutes. I bought those earlier thinking I’d find a deal on these chargers. Win win for me.
$6
@jaybird Amazon Basics used to have a great reputation for price/quality ratio. Sadly, that rep seems to have dropped over the years. (No idea how good/bad these are though.)
@haydesigner I have a few bought recentlyish and they are pretty good so far
These are not usb-c, but I did buy them 5 months ago and they’ve been absolutely great so far.
@haydesigner good call, I need a couple of those too
@haydesigner oh well, won’t let me add to cart. Must be sold out. Thanks for looking out.
Does this do super fast charging?
@mexicantacos i think 18w is the low end for fast charging
Gallium Nitride is the new small form factor if you want to be a size weenie, but these are good power from a good company at a good price if you don’t mind the chunk
Affiliated site has 2 apple usb to lightning cables for $25.
Not sure if that is a good deal or not?
@bobogobo At walmart the same length is 20 bucks for one so that would make this a good bargain if having apple branded stuff is important to you.
The problem I have is stupid cat (aka backyard bird feeder dinner bait kitty - he was a stray - aka Tigger) bits the lightening end and ruins them so I am better off with cheap shit USB on one end and not a C end. He finally figured out how to open the drawer I put then in when not in use. Sigh. I am going to have to hang them from the sprinkler or something. I bet he’d finally figure out how to get at those too. Goat cat could get them (although she doesn’t ruin phone cords, she prefers to ruin fleece kneading it) as she hangs out on top of the door (and then makes a flying leap to the bed to get down). Stupid cat has not figured out how to get up there. Yet.
I dislike how the writeup seems to imply that USB-C is a primarily Apple standard. It is not, and Apple was actually forced into using it. Notice how it’s still not on the iPhone?
@PooltoyWolf yes, it’s a very confusing write-up, the title says USB-C then the write-up is saying this is for your “Apple stuff” and says that “non-Apple stuff” uses (I guess) micro-USB, when most “non-apple stuff” from the last several years in fact needs this USB-C plug. Poor effort by the usually excellent Meh pitch writer.
@mikemarko @PooltoyWolf I agree with everything you said, except that last sentence. The write ups have been bad and lazy for years. But yes, these are not “Apple” products.
I have more than enough chargers for our family’s phones. I could maybe make use of these when I take my DJI drone on a trip, but for that purpose I’d rather get two ports on a single plug and save space. This is the 2x18W charger I’m using at home and it’s $2 cheaper than today’s deal.
I just can’t think of any good reason to grab two more separate 18W chargers.
More and more USB-C shit in my life, so yeah I’ll take these. Perfect for the last Anker great I bought on here (ear buds, which I love)
2 for 28 is a more accurate comparison, but still pretty good
https://www.amazon.com/Delivery-Anker-PowerPort-Foldable-Nintendo/dp/B08BCCVM3P/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2ISIITFSVEFWF&keywords=anker+18w+usb-c+charger&qid=1646114120&sprefix=anker+18w%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-3
“18 friggin’ watts”
/giphy Doc Brown 1.21 gigawatts!
Usb c costs more than micro because there is a license cost to use it that much higher than usb micro. So super cheap electronics stick with micro even though it’s just the same for charging since it’s just a power connection.
@stick100 USB c negotiates voltage and current. There’s a frikkin nanocomputer crammed into these chargers.
@nottooloud @stick100 not wrong, but there ARE non-USB-c PD devices too. Not sure I have ever seen them in micro rather than USB-A though.
Another option is to just get USBc female to USB male adapters and use your existing chargers:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092JNHDSB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_JGNPR9PC9X2F6ZWW786G?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
@qwurpy USB type-A to USB-C
@qwurpy Or you could use 110 pounds of potatoes. Would prolly charge as fast.
@funkindrum yeah… but at $47 per 100 pounds of potatoes (not to mention the leads you’d need), these are much more affordable and they don’t rot. Plus, they fit in your pocket or bag much better!
Will these work with Nintendo switch and charge more than a trickle?
@laspic I use an Aukey brand 18W charger that looks identical to these and it works great for the Switch.
@laspic a docked switch needs 39watts although it doesn’t draw that much power. The old chargers “trickle” were 5 watt chargers. This is a little more than 3x as fast. // The higher the watts the more heat it will generate too which can impact a battery and/or be a fire hazard.
Meanwhile, Morningsave.com’s daily deal is a 2-pack of USB-to-Lightning cables for $25.
I used to look for products that made the life of a frequent traveler easier.
This amazon review sums it up:
“Why does this exist? Anker has a Nano line of USB C chargers, some of which have identical or better stats than this one, at half the size! So, like I said, this charger is about twice the size of the Nano. The Nano is 20w, while this one is only 18w. This charger outputs 5V 3A; 9V 2A, while the Nano is only slightly different at 5V 3A; 9V 2.22A, for what that’s worth. The only other differences of note are that this charger specifies as a PD charger, whereas the Nano uses Anker’s own technology/terminology, IQ3. They both, so far, seem to charge the same stuff in the same way (including a Nintendo Switch). The only other difference is the price, where the Nano is actually cheaper! So, again, like I said, I don’t get it. Why does this exist?”
@Zingledot except it’s cheaper here, no?
WTF at the writeup. AFAIK, USB-C is the non-proprietary alternative that everyone except Apple has been happily using, and the writeup calls it an Apple charger that doesn’t work for non-Apple??? Might have bought, but since I’m not getting it for Apple products, why risk getting this. (And might as well look for higher-wattage chargers too.)
I keep thinking you have pencil sharpeners for sale today.
It’s been ages, but you have something I can use. Gotta encourage that, so in for 2x2
/image ecstatic-alleged-platypus
/giphy ecstatic-alleged-platypus
/giphy abiding-youthful-fly
/giphy illiterate-abashed-beetle
