Power Supply

Several USB charging bricks plugged into a power strip.

USB Charging and Cables Explained: Safe and Simple

With USB-A and USB-C, things have gotten simpler, but not always obvious. I’ll walk you through what cables really do, how devices and chargers “talk,” and why missing charger blocks isn’t a big deal.

A simple and clean thumbnail about understanding charger specifications. The image features a variety of chargers and power supplies with different connector styles in the background, subtly blurred to focus on the main subject: a magnifying glass in the foreground, highlighting the tiny, hard-to-read text on a charger label. The text on the charger is just visible enough to show numbers and symbols representing input and output power specs. The title 'Decoding Charger Specs' is prominently displayed in bold, easy-to-read font at the top of the image.

How to Read Phone Charger Voltage Specs

Power supply labels can be difficult to read and interpret. I’ll review what matters.

Can I Use a Charger With the Same Voltage but Different Amperage Rating?

It’s much less of an issue now that USB-based chargers are commonplace, but if you’re wondering if that old “almost right” charger will work for your device I’ll walk you through what needs to match, what can vary, and the risks if you get it wrong so you can power up safely without frying your gear.

Can I Use a Higher Wattage Power Supply With My Laptop?

The voltage and polarity of the power supply must match. Amps and watts have some flexibility.