Help Are all USB charging cables the same?

[Kookas]

I recall plugging a car charger for a BlackBerry into my Nexus and getting no response, despite them both being microUSB. They should just go the full hog and create entirely proprietary connectors if they're going to do that.

 

[mr fred]

When out and about, I don't really want to carry chargers for all my items.
My Toshiba video camera is USB charging but uses a mini USB. A small, cheap converter lead makes that into a micro USB for my phone. Bonus - it'll charge the portable battery charger as well.
One charger does three jobs.

Watch out for cheap and crappy chargers. In expensive phone can be transformed into a smoking pile of useless circuits in a few seconds.
Saving money can be very expensive.

 

[HarryCallahan]

There is a kernel patch floating around to force the phone into AC charging mode no matter what power source it is connected to. Most custom kernels include the patch. Of course you need to root your phone in order to install a kernel.

 

[umataro42]

Can I use the charge cables I have leftover from the OG Droid and X2 in car and home?

I was able to use the cable that came with my OG Droid for charging, but not for connecting to my computer with USB, for that I had to use the cable that came with the Galaxy Nexus.

It also seems like the charger for the OG Droid takes a little longer, but I haven't actually tested that.

Then there's this charger which is definitely different. I saw it on a SkyMall catalog but also found it on Amazon (no shipping).
Andru
I know its more expensive, but I like it.

 

[davey110]

Because the regular charging cables are only 3 feet long, I like to use a USB extension cable from the charger to the device (so that it will reach the wall plug from my chair). But for some reason, some extension cables will not work with some devices, while others will work fine. Some extension cables give a message "Not charging". This is particularly true with newer devices, such as iPod 6 or iPad. Most work fine with iPod 5, although sometimes give a message "This device is not certified and may not work properly". ("Device" here is referring to the attached cord or charger). What is the reason for this? Are the USB extension cables not the same? (Even a regular iPod cable will not necessarily work properly with an iPad.)

On a slightly different note, I have found that the voltage output of "good" chargers is as high as 5.14 V, while the output of chargers that were very slow charging or would not charge were as low as 4.95 V. I would return one to the store if it were not over 5V.