Cables and power supply units from Digitec: Quickly charged and well connected
14.12.2023
Translation: machine translated
Support: Yannick Cejka
Laptops, smartphones, controllers - gadgets need power on a regular basis. With the newly developed power supply units and cables in Digitec design, we are expanding our range in this area.
Batteries with the Digitec logo have already been available for a short time. We are now expanding the range to include USB chargers and cables. Here too, our experts from Trade Brand Management have analysed what the market demands and how we can offer products with good value for money.
Chargers with USB-C
This type of charging plug is likely to be found several times in every household. You plug it into the socket, connect a suitable cable and use it to supply your smartphone, smartwatch or Bluetooth mouse with fresh power. The USB-C chargers from Digitec are available in black or white and have either 20 or 30 watts of power and a USB-C connection. This is easily enough power for most gadgets and almost all smartphones, whether from Apple, Samsung, Google or others. Because they can't charge any faster anyway. Smartphones that boast a higher charging speed, for example from Xiaomi or Oppo, need special chargers and cables for this.
Chargers with GaN technology
Unlike the USB-C chargers, the chargers with GaN technology are only available in black. Why is that? A decision by the design teams. But as we all know, it's the inner values that count. And this is where the Digitec chargers can score points.
All GaN chargers have three or four ports, one of which is still USB-A, while the others are modern USB-C. In terms of power, the "weakest" charger has 65 watts to offer, which is enough to charge most notebooks. The two more powerful chargers deliver 130 and even 240 watts of total power respectively. One port can provide a maximum power of 140 watts - we actually achieved the theoretical value for a MacBook during the test.
How fast your devices charge is not only determined by the wattage. Smartphone manufacturers have installed chips that control the charging power so that the batteries not only charge quickly, but also as gently as possible. This is important for the lifetime of your device.
Cable
What use is a charger without a cable? Nothing. That's why the new Digitec cables are the logical addition. The own-brand team has thought of all combinations - whether USB-C, Lightning or USB-A. In the selection below you will find the right cable to plug in your Android phone or iPhone. The USB-C connection prescribed by the EU ensures that headphones, tablets and power banks are now also compatible with the same cable.
The Digitec cables are all black. Although they usually look very nice in white straight out of the box, they do get dirty after a short time. This is how Osman Erdogan, Head of our Own Brand Development, explains the focus on black Digitec cables in the range.
USB-C to USB-C
The USB-C cable is equipped with a plastic sheath and an aluminium housing. It fulfils the USB standard 3.2 Gen1 and offers transfer speeds of up to 5 Gbit/s. This makes it equally suitable for charging and data transfer. The good performance data in both areas - charging and data transfer - make the Digitec cables somewhat thicker than those from other manufacturers, which are only good in one discipline.
USB cables
Quantity discount
CHF8.95 per piece for 3 units
Digitec USB Type C - USB Type C
1 m, USB 3.2 Gen 1
Apropos data transmission. The shortest cable in the range, at 25 centimetres, is best suited for this. This avoids cable clutter on the desk.
USB-C to USB-A
In this version, you get a USB cable that is equipped with a durable nylon sheath and an aluminium housing. It also fulfils the USB 3.2 Gen1 standard and offers transfer speeds of up to 5 Gbit/s.
Lightning to USB-A and to USB-C
Here's the right cable for you if you haven't yet upgraded to the latest iPhone model, which now finally has a USB-C port. You can charge older models - or Apple accessories such as mice, keyboards or AirPod cases - with the Lightning port.
Why does Digitec make cables and power adapters?
The new USB chargers and cables from Digitec were developed by a team in Zurich. However, as with most other products in this area, they are manufactured in China for cost reasons. For the Digitec gadgets, to be precise, in a factory in Changzhou, a city of over a million inhabitants on the Yangtze River in China. When selecting a partner for production, attention was paid to compliance with standards in the area of corporate social responsibility, or CSR for short.
For products bearing the Digitec logo, we ensure that working conditions and environmental protection play an important role. Compliance with the defined standards (here for more information) is regularly checked by Migros - the parent company of Digitec Galaxus AG - in the Far East. It maintains its own offices for this purpose.
And of course it is also legitimate to ask why Digitec still needs cables and chargers at all. Here we occupy the middle ground between possibly overpriced branded products and no-name parts with unclear performance data and of dubious origin.
It should also come as no surprise that the aim is to earn money. After all, Digitec is not a charity organisation. The company needs to make a profit in order to continue to grow - and ultimately to continue to finance attractive ranges and prices, good service and innovative ideas.
With USB chargers and cables, the private label team saw an opportunity to counter manufacturers with well-known names. This is because they often offer products at very high prices, even though they have nothing special about them. Except perhaps the logo.
Note: The charger on the cover picture will be available in the shop at the beginning of January.
Cover photo: Christian Walker
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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