German computer magazine ct' did some USB 3(.1) cable testing a few months ago, and their verdict, too, was: Some USB cables don't meet specs, not depending on their price. And unluckuly, even some cables coming packaged with external enclosures failed the tests, again regardless of brands.

So you can only buy, try, and return when failing :-(

You can get anything now, but wrong wired cables are quite rare. And I do not know how this can overheat the phone.

It is all reprints, source of this all is Google text.

Leung found that cords that were Type-C to Type-A were failing to regulate their power draw appropriately.

Type-A was never designed to handle the 3 amps (“3A”) of power a USB-C device needs to juice up. Nor was it designed to really regulate power draw like Type-C. The only way the two inputs can communicate effectively and safely is if they are constructed in a very specific manner, and unfortunately this can only be determined via vigorous testing or dissection of the cable.

And this is bullshit, as it such thing can happen only due to hardware wrong design (not on cable part).

On USB specification it is prohibited to draw power above minimum before special procedure (that communicates to attached device) that ensures that all is ok.

Yet, manufacturer frequently ignore this (like having 2A ports working in inactive notebook state).

All this statement about problems with USB-C to USB-A cables can arise only due to protocol or design error. Not from cables issue.

So in this case we can have mixed thing. One part can be to scare people from cheap cables as leading Google partners are furious that income drops (they are really mad!). And another thing can be to try to put thought into people mind so they won't sue Google or another manufacturer for horrible ports design without protection and not keeping specs, but will blame poor cable.

I didn't stop to wonder how they overheated the phone. But the phone connector was hot enough to burn your finger.

Issue can be bad connectors and very thin wires (this is that Chinese like to do, saves copper).

Wrongly wires cable is some rare thing (all big cable manufacturers have automated testing), may be someone sold faulty batch he got for utilization.

New offender has been added to Amazon's prohibited products list for third-party sellers: USB-C cables and adapters that are "not compliant with standard specifications issued by USB Implementers Forum."

This means Chinese cables :-) Good time to learn about places other than Amazon.