10 decoder pages
Every number on the box, decoded
One page per figure or term. Each opens with the number itself, states what it promises and what it does not, then works through where it misleads people who are standing in a shop holding two boxes.
- The wattage on the box is a budget, not a promise99W — That any one port, or your phone, will ever be handed that number.
- mAh counts charge, watt-hours count energy10,000 mAh — That your phone receives anything close to that number, or that the figure is the one a carrier cares about.
- Magnets that stick are not the same as MagSafeMagSafe compatible — Certification by Apple, a particular charging speed, or any specific holding strength.
- Noise canceling, transparency, and what neither one isANC — Silence, protection from loud environments, or any hearing-related function beyond what the manufacturer states.
- Power Delivery is a negotiation, not a speedPD 3.0 · PPS — A specific charging speed, or that your phone speaks the same dialect.
- The connector changed and the cable drawer did notUSB-C — Any particular speed, data rate, or that the other end of the cable is the one you need.
- The cable decides more of this than the charger does240W — That anything in the chain will ever ask it to, or that it moves data at any particular rate.
- An IPX number is a lab test, not a swimming licenseIPX5 — Protection against immersion, salt water, pressure, soap, or the same performance after a year of wear.
- Playtime hours usually count the case60H — That the buds run that long on one charge, or that your usage matches the test.
- GaN is about size and heat, not extra speedGaN — Faster charging, a bigger wattage figure, or any change to what your phone will accept.
Then check the phone
A number only matters once you know which phone is on the other end of the cable.
Or match a charger
Phone, device count and location, and what a shared total comes to at that count.