USB cablesand ports are one of the most common type of connectors for casual equipment likecomputers , smartphones , tablets , smart goggle box , A / atomic number 23 recipient , game console , and many other element . Engineered for data transmission and accuse capabilities , there are currently two main types of USB cable and ports : USB - A and USB - C.

When it comes to data transfer , charging , and other useful characteristic , there are quite a few differences between USB - A and USB - C. This is why we ’ve put together this guide to explain how these connections are similar , and what sets them apart from each other .

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What is USB-A?

USB Type - A connection have-to doe with to the physical design of the USB port . Every USB connexion makes up a port in the host machine , a connect cable television , and a receptor machine . USB - A is a traditional USB host port design and one of the easiest to recognize on twist .

It ’s a horizontal larboard with the bottom circumstances dedicated to immobilise connectors . This arrangement make the infamous , one - sided USB link that only works with the cable absolutely inserted — no matter how many times you have to try .

Interestingly , there is no USB - vitamin B complex legion port wine . The USB - boron connection is the receptor embrasure on the USB twist you are connect to the server computer . case B connectedness also are easy to recognize because of their square form with rounded nook on one side , almost like the contour of a diminutive house . USB type B is mainly for outside peripherals , with a USB - A connexion on one closing and a USB - boron connection . There are USB - boron to USB - B cables , but they ’re rarely used .

Note that there are also subsets of this design , like USB Mini - A and USB Micro - A , with different larboard plan , but these are n’t as important for our current discussion .

What is USB-C, and how does it differ?

USB - C is a newer port type formally announced in 2014 , although it took several year for the ports to reach far-flung consumer devices , as we see today . Designed to solve many of the old USB - A port problem , USB - C is an entirely new type of USB embrasure . Critical feature of speech of USB - C include :

So, USB-C is a better connection?

With the right data standard ( see below ) , the USB - C link is much faster and more versatile than USB - A. In time , you could look USB - snow connections to supercede all older USB - A connecter and other porthole . This switchover will , however , probably take years .

For now , USB - A shows up alongside the USB type C connector in many computers , in the main to plow with compatibility outlet . People may still have an older gimmick , including smartphones , beloved restrainer , liquidator , TVs , keyboard , and many peripherals that require a USB - A / B complex connexion .

Most people do n’t desire to buy an arranger to make USB - C backward - compatible with all their stuff . As the purpose of these sure-enough twist fades , USB - C will become the go - to port wine that everyone hump to look for — and we already see thishappening in some sector .

Where does USB 3.2 fit into this?

USB 3.0 to 3.2refers to a specific USB protocol for data when it come to USB connectedness : or else of describing the physical interface , this pertain to the information formats the port can handle . A illustrious modification came with USB 3.0 , which want a modification of the USB - A and USB - barn designs to gain more potentiality and a firm datum transfer f number . USB - A cables that support USB 3.0 and above come with a blue peg protector alternatively of the standard gray one .

USB 3.2 is divide into two different eccentric . The fully updated version yell USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 , which is named after both the 2d generation and how it uses two 10Gbps lane to touch a aggregate of 20Gbps . The second type is an previous USB 3.1 10Gbps standard that , with its latest updates , can also be refer to as USB 3.2 Gen 2 .

And just to bewilder one more wrench into the mix , USB case A and USB - C port can support various standards , anywhere from USB 2.0 to USB 3.2 . There are no universal figure for these protocols to make matters more complex , so not everyone uses the same name . For deterrent example , USB 3.1 Gen 1 is also called USB 3.0 . fortuitously , USB 3.2 is backward - compatible with all other USB connections , although USB - nose candy interface may postulate an adapter . You also must check that that your USB cablegram and equipment support 3.1 information capableness when potential .

What about USB4?

announce in 2019 , theUSB4 standard(also have it off as USB 4.0 ) is the latest addition to the USB cable and embrasure card . While the technology is tardily being roll out to modern PCs and other machine , Apple was one of the first company to include USB4 ports on its 2020 M1 MacBook Air and Pro laptops , and M1 Mac mini .

Actually , these Apple ports are consideredThunderbolt 4connections , that just so happen to support the USB4 monetary standard . Not every USB4 cablegram and port will work with Thunderbolt 4 though .

So what are some key features for USB4 ? For starters , datum transmission rates for the protocol are require to be at least 20Gbps , but you ’ll encounter a lot of USB4 ports capable of 40Gbps transfer rates . And with the 2022USB 2.0 update , you ’ll even find some USB4 ports that can push up to 80Gbps .

USB4 can also have up to 100 Isaac Watts of via power delivery , and is also backward compatible with USB 3.x , 2.x , and 1.x computer hardware .

The TLDR of USB-A and USB-C

If you ’re feeling confused , we understand . fortuitously , there are only a few simplify , crucial points that you would do best to remember :