PSA: Nexus 5X doesn’t ship with a USB-C to USB cable, but there are simple, affordable solutions

The next generation of I/O technology is slowly making its way across categories and — as with any evolution — there’s a period of transition. With USB Type-C we a have a fast, reversible and small connector that does virtually anything you can imagine. Whether it’s powering a laptop, external hard drive or a flagship smartphone, USB Type-C can do it all.

Eventually, all tech will ship with USB Type-C ports, but until that’s a reality we’re still left in a position where we need to plug-in our USB Type-C equipped gadget in to something. That ‘something’ normally has a USB Type-A port…

If you’ve ordered a Nexus 5X, or are planning to, you may be disappointed to know that the phone ships with a Type-C to Type-C cable. So, you can’t plug it in to your existing desktop, laptop or wall adapter… unless they have a Type-C port (as spotted by Phandroid). You’ll notice if you head over to Google’s Nexus 5X store page, among the suggested accessories are several Type-C cables and adapters. They range from $13 up to more than $30, but there are cheaper alternatives, and this doesn’t have to be the transitional nightmare it looks like.

If you’re looking for a bog-standard cable to go from the USB Type-C to Type-A, you can pick those up for as little as $8. One of those will ensure you can still plug your phone in to any of your existing equipment. If you don’t want an entire cable, and would rather use a small adapter, you can grab a Type-C to micro USB adapter for $9.99.

It’s worth noting that although your new Nexus will charge and transfer data perfectly well using a Type-C to Type-A or Micro USB cable/adapter, it won’t be able to take advantage of the speeds that come with Type-C to Type-C. That’s definitely worth bearing in mind if you’re envisaging using your existing chargers with the Nexus 5X or 6P. They’ll charge, just not at the speeds attainable with pure Type-C.

EDIT: An earlier version of this article stated that Quick-Charge 2.0 would work with the new Nexus 5X. That was incorrect. Although the new Nexus phones charge really quickly using USB Type-C, they don’t use Qualcomm’s Quick-Charge technology. We’ve removed mention of that, along with all the QC2.0 charging accessories.