How to charge an android smartphone from USB hub?

My wife wants a USB hub for her 5 year old desktop PC (running Win 10). She also has a Samsung A70 phone which I understand has a ‘C-port’ and would like to occasionally charge it from the PC. I’m reasonably knowledgeable about iOS but certainly not Android or C-ports etc, so would appreciate advice on what we need to order please.

Is there a simple hub with a few USB ports but also an extra C- port? Or a cable with a standard USB plug at one end and a C-port plug at the other end? If so a link or two would be much appreciated please, ideally to amazon.co.uk.

Terry

Thanks both, appreciate those fast and helpful replies.

Bobkn: That looks just what we need, thanks. Definitely no C-type port on her PC.

Anibor: Good point. ‘Convenience’ was the apparent motivator but I’ll challenge!

Terry

Terry,

I think the other responses have already said this but, to help avoid misunderstandings -
1 The USB-C socket is on her phone.
2 Her computer almost certainly has USB-A sockets i.e. 'normal' USB sockets. They might be USB-A v3/v3.1 or v2.0 - it is not critical for charging but affects data transfer rates later on.
3.1 Her phone charger might be a plug with a built in transformer & a 'normal' USB socket. And her charging cable would therefore be a 'normal' USB-A male to a USB-C male that you could connect straight to the computer.
3.2 Anibor reports another possibility below. Her phone charger might be a plug with a built in transformer & a USB-C socket. And her charging cable would therefore be a USB-C male to a USB-C male.
3.3 But her phone charger might be a plug with a built in transformer and an integral cable that ends with a USB-C male.

If #3.1 is true then you do not have to buy anything. You simply plug the phone's charging cable into the computer's 'normal' USB socket. This cable looks like the one in my photo.
If #3.2 is true then you may or may not need to buy a cable to connect the phone with the computer.
- If her computer already has a USB-C socket then you can just connect the existing USB-C to USB-C cable between the computer and the phone. I don't have one of those to photograph.
- If her computer only has 'normal' [USB-A] sockets then you need to buy a cable that is USB-A male at one end and USB-C male at the other end. Just like the one in my photo.
If #3.3 is true then you need to buy a cable to connect the phone with the computer. You need a cable that is USB-A male at one end and USB-C male at the other end. Such a cable also looks like this photo.

4 You need to decide what length cable to select. There is no correct answer.
- - If you get one that is too long for the circumstances then it will keep getting in the way and be annoying.
- - If you get one that is too short for the circumstances then it won't reach without shifting things about to suit the cable rather than keeping things where they are most easily used.
- - I have some 8inch / 23cm** ones [such as in the photo] for charging at my desk or in the bedroom and some 2 metre ones for charging in hotel rooms from a multi-socket charger {hotel power sockets always seem to be at least a yard away from anywhere you'd want things}.
- - I was also tempted by some tiddly 10cm** cables but I thought it would be difficult, within that short distance, to keep the phone the right way up for me to see the screen properly at a distance.
- If the computer has USB-A v3/v3.1 sockets then consider paying a bit extra for a cable that explicitly states that it has a USB-A v3/v3.1 plug because the same cable is used to transfer data so you might as well get the speed advantage in case you ever start to use that feature.
- My 23cm** cables were USB-A to USB-C. I bought a set of 5 from this Amazon product page They all perform well. There is a bewildering range of choice with unfathomable price differences.
- {** Lengths are normally stated from the tip of one plug to the tip of the other plug but they are always 'nominal'. So, for example, my 23cm cables are indeed about 23cm long from tip to tip and the cable between the plugs is 17cm. Had I got those tiddly 10cm cables they might well have only had had 7cm of cable and that's not much to play with when arranging things on the desk.}

I hope this was helpful,
Denis

Try3 said:

If #3 is true then you do not have to buy anything. You simply plug the phone's charging cable into the computer's 'normal' USB socket.

Yes, #3 is true. It´s common to all Samsung phones (except perhaps in very low-end phones, which the A70 is not).

The cable can also be used to transfer files from the phone to the PC, or vice-versa. When it´s connected for this purpose, it will also charge the phone, at USB 3.0 speed.

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Sorry, It seems I was wrong.

Just checked an A70 review (in gsmarena.com), and found this:

"The retail box contains everything your new Galaxy A70 may need but a case. Inside, you will find a 25W-rated USB-PD charger and a USB-C to C cable - this is the first time Samsung uses this combo, but we get the feeling we will continue seeing it onwards."

That means, the cable does not have a USB-A terminal, but two USB-C terminals. There is a new model, the A71, also with this type of cable.

Denis: Excellent, thanks so much for taking the time to prepare such a clear and comprehensive reply. Exactly the sort of detail I needed as a newcomer to C-ports.

Terry

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SIW2 said:

Here is a pack of 5 with differing lengths:

USB Type C Cable,5Pack Nylon Braided USB C Fast: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

Thanks, that looks terrific value for money!

Terry

Terry,

Do consider what length[s] you will need.
- Any that do not suit the circumstances are wasted.
- Packs of variable lengths probably therefore contain some that will be wasted.

Denis