Third-party USB cables and chargers have come under fire recently, especially those of the USB Type-C variety as they can fry devices if they aren’t properly manufactured. While Apple has their certified MFi program for third-party Apple accessories, nothing has existed for USB-C — until now. The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has announced a Certified USB Charger Compliance and Logo Program to establish USB chargers for compliant USB Type-C devices.
“USB-IF understands consumers want to carry less equipment without sacrificing battery life or flexibility,” said Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF President and COO. “Guided by the USB brand promise of ‘it just works,’ the Certified USB Charger Program will make it easier to share device chargers across the compliant USB Type-C landscape, whether consumers are at home, in the office or anywhere in between.”
As more laptops, tablets, smartphones, displays, and other devices adopt USB Type-C and USB Power Delivery, it becomes increasingly important to protect consumers from products that don’t meet the necessary specifications.
USB-IF compliance means that products have met the highest standards in the industry, were certified to be compliant to the specification and have been tested for interoperability with other USB products.
“The future of consumer tech is mobility and letting technology disappear into the background,” said Rahman Ismail, USB-IF CTO. “Certified USB Chargers will give users an interoperable power source and a seamless experience. From displays, to smartphones and docking stations, the industry is aligning behind USB Type-C and USB Power Delivery as the last wire you’ll ever need for faster charging.”
Companies wishing to have their products USB Certified — and they should want to — can submit them for testing by the USB-IF Compliance Program.
Hopefully this will ease the load on Benson Leung and others testing various cables and chargers, and end the “is it Benson approved?” questions while giving consumers peace of mind.
What do you think of the newly announced USB Charger Compliance and Logo Program from USB-IF? Let us know in the comments below or on Google+, Twitter, or Facebook.
[button link=”http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160816005385/en/USB-IF-Announces-Certified-USB-Charger-Logo-Compliance” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: BusinessWire[/button]
