Awhile back, OnePlus came under fire from critics and the tech community in general when it was discovered that their USB Type-C cables were not spec compliant. This could possibly lead to damage if used with any device other than the OnePlus 2. Leading the charge was Google employee Benson Leung who had embarked on a crusade to purge the world of non-compliant USB Type-C cables.
His method involved ordering cables off Amazon then testing them to see if they met the USB standards. When he arrived at the OnePlus cable, he found that even a cable manufactured by a proper smartphone manufacturer did not meet proper USB Type-C standards. Needless to say, the Caped Cable Crusader rained sweet justice down on the Chinese manufacturer, bringing them to their knees (metaphorically speaking, of course).
Yesterday, OnePlus finally caved and admitted that their cables were indeed non-compliant, but it seems the USB Vigilante still isn’t entirely satisfied.
OnePlus graciously accepted Benson and the community’s criticism, openly admitting on their official forum that their USB Type-C cables and adapters were using a 10kΩ resistor instead of the 56kΩ resistor detailed in version 1.1 of the USB Type-C port standard. This message came straight from the top, no less. According to the post, the issue with resistors was that the cables and adapter were only designed for a maximum of 2 amps of power, which is how much the OnePlus 2’s charger supports.
However, when used on other devices that allow fast-charging, the resistor will let the devices try to draw more power than a power source may allow. Ultimately, this could result in damage to said power source (such as 3rd-party cables, USB ports, etc.) if they do not have an internal mechanism to self-regulate the amount of power flowing to or from them. OnePlus added that typically, if a charger has the CE, UL, or CCC markings, it should be certified and safe to use.
The OEM also compiled their findings into a simple and easy-to-understand table detailed below:
Unfortunately for OnePlus though, it appears that they didn’t get everything right.
(ps. Click the read more button in the widget for the full post)
Ah Benson, do keep up the good work!
In any case, OnePlus is offering a refund on the affected products purchased through the OnePlus website. Do note though that the cables that came bundled in the box with your OnePlus 2 will not be eligible for a refund. This is simply because OnePlus remains firm in saying that the cables and adaptors are entirely safe to use with the OnePlus 2 and that the problem was compatibility with other devices.
Based on the post, the refund appears to only be available for customers in North America, Europe, India and China, and will only be offered by OnePlus until the end of December this year. For those of you thinking of cashing in to get some cables at discounted Black Friday prices and then getting a full priced refund for them, tough luck, because it appears that both the cable and the adapter are out-of-stock on the OnePlus website.
