We have only seen a relatively small number of Android devices launched with the newer USB-C port and accompanying charger and cable. So far we’ve seen three devices from Google, the Pixel C, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P. Other big name devices include the OnePlus Two, LG G5 and HTC 10. And unfortunately, the new standard is generating a fair amount of confusion between customers and manufacturers respectively. Today’s story concerns the HTC 10, HTC’s flagship device for 2016. The HTC 10 is based around a 5.2-inch, QHD display, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset with 4 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage and a 12MP rear camera. The device comes with a 3,000 mAh battery and has Qualcomm QuickCharge technology used over that USB-C port. This particular combination has given one Android Central editor quite the scare.
The story Jerry Hildenbrand tells is straightforward. Jerry went out for the evening and left a number of devices on charge, one being the HTC 10, which he had inadvertently plugged into the Google Pixel C charger. At the time the device did not give a warning about the charger being incompatible, but upon his return the HTC 10 was extremely hot. Worse, it appears that the thermal cut out had triggered: the charge LED was not illuminated and the device would not power up. Jerry explains he put the device into the freezer and contacted another editor, who explained that earlier in the day he had received an incompatible charger warning and the HTC 10 explained that the charger circuit was being disabled. Of course, with the Google Pixel C charger, this warning did not appear (at least, not at first). And now it appears that the safest way to recharge the HTC 10 is using the HTC-provided charger infrastructure.
This is not the first incompatibility story we have covered with the newer USB-C standard. We’ve seen USB-C cables not working with the OnePlus Two, or the OnePlus USB-C cables not working with a number of other devices. We’ve seen USB-C cables only supporting the USB 2.0 transfer speed and a confusing array of specifications, such as maximum current draws, produced. USB, Universal Serial Bus, is supposed to be a standard connection for a whole range of devices, but having to use one manufacturers’ charger for only a particular device flies in the face of this. It’s all very well and good that HTC explains to customers to only use their charger – most instruction manuals say something similar – but USB C is supposed to be a standard.