USB-A vs. USB-C: What’s the difference?

Plugs and cables are more confusing than they should be. With all the different USB standards, plug types and speeds, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the number of options. USB-A and USB-C are the two most common forms of USB, and knowing the differences between them is key to understanding what all your devices and peripherals can do.

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What is USB-A?

USB Type-A connections refer to the physical design of the USB port. Each USB connection consists of a port in the main device, a connecting cable and a receiving device. USB-A is the traditional USB main connector design and one of the easiest to recognize on devices.

It is a horizontal connector with a lower part intended for pin connectors. This arrangement creates the infamous, one-sided USB connection that only works if the cable is inserted perfectly — no matter how many times you try.

Interestingly, there is no USB-B host port. The USB-B port is the receiving port on the USB device that you connect to the main computer. Type B connectors are also easily recognized due to their square shape with rounded corners on one side, almost like the shape of a tiny house. USB Type B is mainly for external peripherals, with a USB-A port on one end and a USB-B port on one end. There are USB-B to USB-B cables, but they are rarely used.

Note that there are also subsets of this design, such as USB Mini-A and USB Micro-A, with different connector designs, but they are not as important to our current discussion.

What is USB-C and how is it different?

USB-C is a newer type of connector officially announced in 2014, although it took several years for the connectors to reach the widespread consumer devices we see today. Designed to solve many of the problems with the old USB-A connector, USB-C was a completely new type of USB connector. Critical USB-C features include:

• A slimmer design that fits into the port no matter which way it’s facing, designed to replace A, B, mini and micro USB ports all at once.
• The 100 watt 20 volt plug is far more powerful than the older plug and can easily power even larger devices.
• Potential for much higher data transfer speeds than USB-A.
• Support for power delivery to charge devices at either end (with the right cables) and charge larger devices.
• Support for much higher quality video delivery, including 4K video transfer to the screen.
• Support for alternative modes that allow many different adapters for specific connections such as HDMI or VG — or older types of USB connections.
• Potential compatibility with Thunderbolt 3 connections means that the USB-C port can double as a Thunderbolt 3 port with additional hardware.

So USB-C is the better connection?

With the appropriate data standard (see below), the USB-C connection is much faster and more versatile than USB-A. Over time, you can expect USB-C connections to replace all older USB-A connections and other ports. However, this transition is likely to take years.

For now, USB-A appears alongside the USB Type-C connector on many computers, primarily to address compatibility issues. People may still have older devices, including smartphones, favorite controllers, receivers, televisions, keyboards, and many peripherals that require a USB-A/B connection.

Most people don’t want to buy an adapter to make USB-C compatible with all their stuff. As the use of these older devices declines, USB-C will become the main port everyone knows to look for — and we’re already seeing that happen in some sectors.

Where does USB 3.2 fit into this?

USB 3.0 to 3.2 refers to the specific USB data protocol when it comes to USB connections: Rather than describing the physical port, this refers to the data formats that the port can handle. A significant change came with USB 3.0, which required modifying the design of USB-A and USB-B to provide more capabilities and higher data transfer speeds. USB-A cables that support USB 3.0 and later come with blue pin protection instead of the standard gray.

USB 3.2 is divided into two different types. A fully updated version called USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, which is named both for the second generation and because it uses two 10 Gbps lanes to achieve a total of 20 Gbps. The other type is the older USB 3.1 10Gbps standard which, with its latest updates, can also be called USB 3.2 Gen 2.

And just to add another key to the mix, USB Type A and USB-C ports can support different standards, anywhere from USB 2.0 to USB 3.2. There are no universal names for these protocols to make things more complicated, so not everyone uses the same names. For example, USB 3.1 Gen 1 is also called USB 3.0. Fortunately, USB 3.2 is compatible with all other USB ports, although USB-C ports may require an adapter. You also need to make sure your USB cables and devices support 3.1 data capabilities when possible.

If you feel confused, we understand. Fortunately, there are only a few simple, key points that would be best to remember:

• USB-A and USB-C may have some degree of data standards, up to USB 3.2, which outline their overall data capabilities.
• USB 3.2 is compatible with other standards, making it an excellent standard for users, although it may require the use of additional adapters.
• The USB-C connection is the only one that can support the full potential of USB 3.2
• Make sure all your external cables, wires and devices are compatible with the USB data standard. Pairing is simple: if you get a port with USB 3.2, your cable and connected device must also support 3.2.
• Be prepared: all this will change when USB4 arrives, with a brand new name, the latest speeds (up to a whopping 40 Gbps) and an attempt to make all these confusing standard names much simpler. USB4 will also be backwards compatible with some older USB ports, so when you see it you might be able to start using it right away.

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Links: USB-A vs. USB-C: What’s the difference? – Tekmonk Bio, USB-A vs. USB-C: What’s the difference? – Kungfutv, USB-A vs. USB-C: What’s the difference? – Blogtomoney