There are subtle differences in the efficacy and characteristics of different mobile phone chargers. As phones get more powerful, companies like Apple offer older, slower USB chargers. With its tiny connector, a USB-C charger is capable of delivering high-speed data and high-voltage power.

A new phone charger with a new USB-C charging port is now available for general use. They're reliable, affordable, and best of all, fast. If your phone supports fast charging, the new Android charger charges three times faster than the old one. Additionally, USB-C chargers are becoming a broader charging standard.

Here's why and how you should switch to USB-C.

USB Type A

Your phone's old USB-A port can charge your phone with up to 12 V, that's why your phone supports fast charging, but with the USB-A type, it won't charge your phone any faster.

Micro USB

Micro-USB can be used as a normal charger. Even if the Type-C interface is used to connect, it does not support fast charging.

USB Type-C

The USB Type-C port can be used as both an input and an output, so you don't have to worry about which one to plug into.

Lightning

It charges your iPhone normally when you use the Lightning port, but it supports fast charging if you connect using the USB Type-C connector.

What makes USB-C different?

First, some basics. USB-A is the USB port you've been using for the last 20 years or so. The ports are rectangular, and if you're anything like me, putting the multi phone cable right side up takes at least two tries. USB-B (the square type you put in your printer), Mini-USB (popular a few years ago for plugging into digital cameras), Micro-USB (found in everything from wireless headphones to smartphones to e-readers) , or Apple-specific (such as the current Lightning port on the iPhone). USB Type-C, or USB-C for short, is the port that will eventually replace all of them.

The real beauty of the new USB-C ports is that they can do so much more. USB-C is no longer limited to 12 watts of charging power, but can deliver up to 100 watts of power to devices. Additionally, improved data transfer speeds boost the performance of accessories such as external hard drives and video equipment, in some cases up to 20 times faster. USB-C can also be used for visual connections, such as computer monitors. Charging speed, however, is where most people will see the most immediate benefit right now without breaking the bank.