Your Travel Charger 🔌 Choose Wisely

Hello from Veena World!

In today’s newsletter (which also has an audio version 🎧 btw), we decided to talk about that one thing, that we can’t go on a holiday without! It’s the Charger 🔌! Without it, our phones and other electronic devices would run out of power, and in today’s day and age, that would go a long way in deciding the fate of our holiday. So let’s jump in!

As the world continues making advancements in technology, one that has really caught on is our world moving increasingly towards USB-C ports instead of the traditional USB-A ports which are the bigger ones. This has meant that even the phone📱we buy now comes with a USB-C cable. This gives a feeling, that the old USB-A ports, which are the big rectangular ones will not be in use anymore!

But wait! before you go chuck out all those old wires, hear me out! Yes, the world 🌎 shifting to USB-C of course has many advantages:

Compact size: USB-C connectors are much smaller than previous USB connectors, which makes them more portable and easier to use with devices that have limited space.

There’s Faster charging ⚡️. Smaller ports which have meant thinner phones or tablets or laptops. Better data transfer speeds and a whole lot.

Reversible design: One of the biggest advantages of USB-C is that it is reversible, which means it can be plugged in either way up.

Versatility: USB-C is increasingly being used as a universal connector for a wide range of devices. This makes it easier to use and reduces the need for multiple types of connectors.

Overall, USB-C is generally considered to be the superior connector. And at the drop of a hat, in our pursuit to be smart travellers, we are running to get our travel kits organised and go shopping for charging cables. Now here is where today’s travel tip comes in handy. USB-A is still widely used and is likely to be around for a while longer.

So I’ll tell you what happened to me. I got all excited and bought all these USB C adapters for my phone📱, laptop 💻 and my iPad! And I really decided to ditch my old rectangular USB A adapters for two of my trips in Europe:
1. A 21 day trip across France 🇫🇷 and Spain 🇪🇸
2. A 9 day trip in the European summer to Finland 🇫🇮

And as you must have guessed, I had a super difficult time as I soon realised that flights ✈️ (most of them) still use the old USB port widely. So nowadays, in-flight entertainment systems are becoming more common that offer USB charging ports to the passengers, where you can charge your device while watching your favourite movies and shows. Imagine all of the passengers around me were smartly charging their phones using the USB ports, but because I left all my old cables at home, I was just like a sitting duck 🦆. In recent years, many new planes have been built with USB-C ports, but some older planes may still have USB-A ports.

Similarly, take cars 🚗 or buses 🚌 which have charging ports. These too mostly have the old USB ports. Then hotels. Hotels too have charging jacks in the switchboard! These too, are the old USB ports.

I’m sure you get the point! Yes, you can take USB-C products with you when you travel. USB-C is a popular and widely used technology, so you should be able to use your USB-C devices in most places around the world. However, it is always a good idea to check if the devices you are planning to bring are compatible with the power outlets and voltages in the countries you will be visiting. And my tip then is this! For a year at least, carry both cables, because we find ourselves in a transitionary phase right now! Let’s give hotels, cars and airlines sometime before we move to this standard, but until then, you still need to charge your phone. So carry your old USB wire too along with your new one!

So to sum up, while traveling, it’s always a good idea to bring a USB-C charging cable as well as a USB-A charging cable. It is also a good idea to carry a universal travel adapter that can be used to plug your charging cable into different wall sockets. This will allow you to charge your devices in any country you visit.

That’s it from me this week! Thank you for reading the Veena World newsletter. we would love to hear from you about anything and everything travel! So do keep writing ✍️ to us about your feedback, suggestions and the topics that you would like us to cover on this newsletter or podcast or video. Have a super weekend! ✌️

Neil Patil

Veena World