A Google engineer recently claimed that the HTC 10 and LG G5, two of the hottest Android flagships around, do not comply with the USB Type-C specification.
While USB Type-C is designed to make things easier and faster, it also raises some compatibility concerns because faulty cables can end up frying devices.
The same Google engineer who called out on the non-compliant USB-C cables, prompting Amazon to ban them, has now raised concerns about the LG G5 and HTC 10's compliance in this department.
According to Google's Benson Leung, Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0 technology, gracing both the HTC 10 and the LG G5, violates the USB Type-C spec. The two handsets are just examples, but are not the only devices in this situation.
The USB Type-C 3.1 spec states that the Vbus line of the port should range between 4.45 and 5.25 volts. However, Qualcomm's Quick Charge increases the voltage to 9 or 12 volts, thus breaching the specifications of the port.
"I don't recommend any Qualcomm QC 3.0 USB type-C charger, because any of them that claim to support QC 3.0 on a Type-C port violates the Type-C specification," warns Leung. "The Type-C spec specifically forbids proprietary charging methods that try to change Vbus beyond 5V."
Android Central reached out to Qualcomm to learn more about this issue, and the chipmaker offered an official statement to address USB Type-C and Quick Charge 3.0 concerns.
"Qualcomm Quick Charge is designed to be connector-independent. It can be implemented in a device that supports a variety of connectors, including USB Type-A, USB micro, USB Type-C, and others," says Qualcomm. "When an OEM chooses to implement Quick Charge into their device, they can configure the voltage to fit within the specifications of the USB Type-C standards."
The company further states that it has not received any complaints or reports of issues related to device malfunction or user experience.
In other words, the statement suggests that there are no safety concerns, and no issues have surfaced so far. At the same time, Qualcomm does not deny that voltage might negatively affect the device or user experience, it just says that OEMs can adjust it based on their specific devices.
