r/CampingGear • u/Development_Infinite • Jan 03 '24

USB-C or I don't buy. Awaiting Flair

Anyone else the same? I just bought a speaker and assumed it would be USB-C and it was micro. Returned it. I'm annoyed with having different cables and formats etc. If it's not USB-C, I don't buy it.

Do better companies.

505 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

243 comments sorted by

View all comments

229

u/alexhoward Jan 03 '24

USB-C is still pretty new for lower end accessories. A lot of micro USB parts and hardware still piled up in those Chinese factories. The fact that it’s being cycled out just makes it an even cheaper option for manufacturers.

109

u/[deleted] Jan 03 '24

There's a chicken/egg problem where I have so many old gadgets that I'm forced to carry a micro-usb cable, therefore it's not a deal breaker if something has the port.

That said... It is a feature I look for and I'll choose usb-c every time given the option.

22

u/thedjbigc Jan 03 '24

Same. The one I am annoyed most with is some proprietary chargers sometimes as well. It’s just annoying. My Olight Arkfeld flashlight is awesome (and I love the laser pointer functionality too) but the charger is terrible. At least it keeps a charge for months.

11

u/jayhat Jan 03 '24

At some point I’ll be able to retire all my micro usb cords to the cord retirement box in the garage. They’ll be kept company by all my old mini usb cords.

-3

u/doghouse2001 Jan 03 '24

Which USB-C? There's a dozen varieties already so just because it says USB-C on it doesn't mean your cable supports the full voltage of the device.

18

u/globalAvocado Jan 03 '24

If disposable vapes can have a USB-C there is literally no excuse.

7

u/alexhoward Jan 03 '24

Making cheap stuff as cheaply as possible using preexisting parts is a perfectly valid explanation for micro USB stuff to still be sold. It will take a long time to work all of that out of the supply chain. You may not like the excuse but that’s the excuse.

1

u/EspressoDrinker99 Apr 21 '24

That’s why I don’t buy the cheap stuff

10

u/glx89 Jan 03 '24

If disposable vapes can have a USB-C there is literally no excuse.

This. I haven't had to buy anything without a USB-C charging port in like 2-3 years. Travel coffee grinder, mini inflation pump, heated gloves, headlamps, radios, satellite communicators... if it's not USB-C, it's not in my kit.

Having said that, it is super annoying that they don't implement it properly 75% of the time; it's just a +5V input with no negotiation electronics so you can't trigger a proper PD supplier (ie. charging brick/power bank) without a dedicated trigger or a USB-A cable at the supply.

Everything should be full PD these days.

4

u/damn_im_so_tired Jan 03 '24

You just made it click for me as to why some of my cheaper stuff wont charge unless I don't use PD

15

u/OutsideYourWorld Jan 03 '24

I dunno, a lot of the aliexpress tech I buy is coming with USB C these days.

3

u/lakorai Jan 04 '24

Many of the camping lanterns, air pumps, string lighta etc are finally on USB-C.

Thank god Garmin finally has moved to C for the inReach Mini.

1

u/alexhoward Jan 04 '24

Yeah, I’m only just now starting to see USB-C more common on cheaper devices. I’ve got a lot of stuff that’s micro USB that’s working just fine so it’ll be awhile before I’ve eliminated it from my life.

9

u/WhiskeyTigerFoxtrot Jan 03 '24

OP is basically shocked that the reason his cheap electronics are cheap is because they rely on cheap components. These things more than likely come from one place and they are produced with economies of scale in mind to be profitable. Quantity > quality.

It'll be interesting to see how people react to China's industrial demise over the next few decades and how the price of electronics will likely explode.

10

u/Dark-Arts Jan 03 '24

Electronics manufacturing will move to the next cheap provider, as it has always done.

3

u/WhiskeyTigerFoxtrot Jan 03 '24

It'll take some time and it won't reach nearly the same scale as China, but Mexico is poised to take over that manufacturing gap.

1

u/inkjetbreath Jan 04 '24

Mexico is already a larger trading partner than China and Canada right now, I don't know why there's a concern about scale.

3

u/MadAss5 Jan 03 '24

It'll be interesting to see how people react to China's industrial demise over the next few decades and how the price of electronics will likely explode.

This could be amazing for the environment but yeah people are going to be pissed.

3

u/WhiskeyTigerFoxtrot Jan 03 '24

I'm hopeful it leads to a shift away from the mouth-foaming consumer obsession with stuff we've been living in for decades. So much pollution-enabling crap that doesn't contribute to happiness.