Introduction
As people carry more electronic devices, the number of accompanying charging cables has also increased—often resulting in tangled wires, cluttered desktops, and inconvenient portability. To address these issues, thinkplus has introduced a dual USB-C retractable cable. This product integrates a retractable mechanism into a compact housing, offering excellent portability and easy cable management. It supports the PD 3.1 EPR standard with up to 240W charging power, as well as Lenovo and Moto’s proprietary fast charging protocols alongside universal protocols. Let’s take a closer look at its design and features.
Product Appearance
The front of the packaging features the Lenovo and thinkplus logos, the product name, and a visual representation of the cable.
The packaging adopts a book-style design. The inside of the front cover features another illustration of the product, while the opposite side includes a transparent window that reveals the actual cable inside.
The back of the packaging displays the specifications.
The package includes the cable and some documents.
The casing is made of flame-retardant PC material, featuring smooth, rounded edges. It is compact and slim.
The center of the top surface is printed with the thinkplus logo.
Both ends feature magnetic designs that can securely attach to the USB-C connectors.
It is marked with the model number CBQX240A.
The USB-C connectors feature metal housings. The cable features a flat design with a dual-color braided exterior and meets VM-1 fire resistance standards.
The braided exterior is crafted using a high-density 48-strand weaving technique, enhancing its resistance to pulling, abrasion, and bending.
The length of the casing is about 72.17 mm (2.84 inches).
The width is about 63.14 mm (2.49 inches).
The thickness is about 16.58 mm (0.65 inches).
The length of the cable is about 120 cm (47.24 inches).
The thickness of the cable is 1.39 mm (0.055 inches).
That's how big it is in the hand.
The weight is about 64 g (2.26 oz).
ChargerLAB POWER-Z KM003C shows that it has an E-Marker chip. It supports power delivery up to 50V/5A (240W) and data transfer at USB 2.0 speeds.
When paired with the Apple 140W charger to charge the Aohi 240W PD 3.1 power bank, the cable successfully triggered PD 3.1 fast charging at 28V/5A, delivering about 133.7W of power.
Teardown
Next, let's take it apart to see its internal components and structure.
Open the casing and take out the retractable cable.
Both ends of the casing are secured with magnetic plates.
At the center of the cable is an alloy pivot with a bi-directional turbine mechanism, ensuring smooth retraction and quick storage.
After disassembling the metal housing of the USB-C connector, the interior is revealed to be filled with injection-molded material for added durability and structural integrity.
After removing the black plastic, the PCB is sealed with a hard potting compound and encased in a steel sleeve for protection.
After removing the metal housing and potting compound, the connector pins are treated with injection molding for insulation and stability.
The PCB has an E-Marker chip mounted on one side.
The other side of the PCB is soldered with the wires.
The E-Marker chip is the Hynetek HUSB332E, a USB Type-C eMarker chip used for cable identification. It supports USB Type-C specification 2.2, USB4, and USB PD 3.1 standards. This chip is USB-IF certified with TID number 10226.
The HUSB332E can be powered via VCONN1 or VCONN2 and supports SOP communication. It features a built-in OTP programmable through the CC line or I2C bus. The chip’s enhanced ESD protection on its pins significantly improves overall system reliability.
The HUSB332E operates within a power supply range of 2.7V to 5.75V and features a low power consumption of just 0.6mA. It is available in two package types: DFN2x2-6L and DFN1.6x1.6-4L. The chip is designed to function reliably across a wide temperature range, from -40°C to +85°C.
The connector pins are gold-plated at the tips.
Remove the metal housing on the other end, which features the same design as the first.
The PCB is also protected with a hard potting compound and encased in a steel sleeve.
Except for the absence of the E-Marker chip, it is otherwise identical to the previous PCB.
After cutting the cable, nine individual wire cores were found inside.
The cable cores include reinforcement fibers for tensile strength. The positive and negative wires are coated with insulating varnish, while the three middle wires are coated with colored varnish.
All nine wire cores are enamel-coated wires. Among them, five are positive power conductors, each reinforced with tensile-strengthening fibers.。
Close-up of the negative power core.
The wire core used for USB 2.0 transmission has a red-colored core representing the D+ line.
The green wire represents the D- line.
Close-up of the blue CC wire core.
The outer sheath uses an ultra-thin 3D dual-color braided design with 48 strands tightly interwoven, providing stronger tensile strength. This makes the cable more resistant to unraveling, breakage, and wear, enhancing its durability.
Well, those are all components of the Lenovo thinkplus 240W Qlex Dual USB-C Retractable Cable.
Summary of ChargerLAB
The Lenovo thinkplus 240W Qlex Dual USB-C Retractable Cable innovatively combines a retractable cable with a compact housing, keeping your setup neat and clutter-free. The casing is designed to be exceptionally small and lightweight, measuring just 16.4mm thick and weighing only 65g, making it highly portable. The cable itself is flat with a braided outer jacket, providing tangle resistance and excellent durability against pulling and everyday wear.
It has also passed over 10,000 bending tests and more than 20,000 plug-and-unplug cycles, ensuring durability for frequent use. With 240W power delivery and 480Mbps data transfer speeds, it meets everyday charging and office file transfer needs.
After taking it apart, we found that it uses the Hynetek HUSB332E E-Marker chip, which enables intelligent identification of fast-charging devices and controls voltage and current for safe, low-temperature fast charging that protects the device. The connector is reinforced with hard potting compound, injection molding, and steel sleeves for protection. The cable cores are enamel-coated wires reinforced with tensile-strength fibers to enhance durability.
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