Buying guides, reviews & how-tos

Explainers

Not All USB-C Cables Are Equal: Wattage, E-Markers and Data Speeds

They all have the same connector, and they are not the same cable. Why a 120W rating exists, what an e-marker chip does, and how to avoid the cable that quietly halves your charging speed.

Explainers

ANC vs ENC: What Noise Cancelling Actually Does (and What It Does Not)

ANC and ENC sound similar and solve opposite problems. One helps what you hear; the other helps what your caller hears. Knowing which is which saves disappointment.

Explainers

Fast Charging Explained: PD, QC, and Why Your 40W Charger Feels Slow

Charging standards are a mess of acronyms. Here is what PD and QC actually do, why the charger, cable and phone all have a say, and how to stop wasting money on watts you cannot use.