USB-C promised a single port to rule them all, and succeding in making it impossible to tell Apple's $130 Thunderbolt 4 cable (20 conductors, 100W power delivery) from the $3 charging cable (2 conductors, 5-10MW peak heat release as your house burns down) found on the checkout counter at Sheetz. Industrial design company Lumafield x-rayed a few of them to show exactly how they differ under the sheathing.
Ultimately, we buy cables that meet our needs for data and power transmission, form factor, and longevity. Industrial CT provides a window into the design thinking behind these everyday accessories and shows that even in products as standardized as USB-C cables, there's plenty of room for clever engineering and efficient manufacturing.
Looking forward to USB 4.3 Gen 2 UltraSpeed [U]III with Assymetric Encabulation, that'll clear everything up.
