Almost every time I go back to Lebanon and try to use my Pixel phone with the auxiliary cable in my car, I curse under my breath because I realize I forgot to pack the Pixel’s special 3.5mm USB-C adapter and there’s a slim chance I’ll find a replacement. This is only one of countless examples of how USB-C has gone wrong as a universal cable standard.
But despite how messy USB-C is, I can’t help but notice how much it’s simplified my digital life, especially when it comes to charging. My story with phones started with my dad’s Ericsson SH888 in 1998 and I’ve seen all kinds of weird and confusing proprietary charging ports. Believe it or not, DC ports were a welcome improvement when they started showing up on phones, not to mention mini-USB and micro-USB.