If you have recently purchased any electronics, it may have a USB-C port. In the past, all smartphones and tablets were equipped with Micro-USB, but that small hole at the bottom of the electronics has now evolved into something more powerful and useful.

If you have recently purchased any electronics, it may have a USB-C port. In the past, all smartphones and tablets were equipped with Micro-USB, but that small hole at the bottom of the electronics has now evolved into something more powerful and useful.

So, let's see what USB-C is, how fast it is, why it hasn't completely mainstream yet, and its previous generation history. The editor will also clarify common misconceptions about USB-C, tell you how it differs from USB 3 and other confusing standards, and compare it to Apple's Lightning connector.

This article is all you need to know about USB-C.

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What is USB-C?

USB-C or USB Type-C is the latest universal standard for wired connections in smart devices. It is a successor to old standards such as Micro-USB and USB-A, which are still common but are quickly disappearing. One of the biggest selling points of USB-C is its reversible pill-shaped design that allows you to plug the plug face up or face down into the device.

If you have purchased a new phone, tablet or laptop in the past few years, it may have a USB-C port – it makes fast charging and fast data transfer possible. The iPhone is an exception, and it still uses the Lightning connector. We will compare the two later in this article.

USB-C was launched in 2014, but due to the slow adoption of the new USB standard, there are still parts of the world that are not mainstream. A USB-C connector has a total of 24 pins, i.e. 12 on each side. Of these 24 pins, 16 are for data transmission, 4 are for charging, and 4 are ground pins. How fast is

USB-C?

A common misconception is to assume that all USB-C cables are fast. This is not true. In fact, the "C" in USB-C simply refers to the shape of the connector and plug.

In other words, USB-C is just a physical standard, not a data standard. You cannot tell the speed of the USB-C cable unless you look at its data standards. USB data standards such as

USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2 or 4 can help us understand the speed of the cable. Basically, letters represent shapes and numbers represent speed.

USB-C

Before we understand why USB-C is so good, we must first admit its biggest problem: confusing naming conventions. The USB Implementer Forum (USB-IF) is the inventor of USB-C and is responsible for naming the new USB standard and making it mainstream. But for some reason, it keeps renaming existing data standards.

For example, the USB 3.0 standard was released in 2008 and was officially called "USB 3.1 Gen 1" when it was released, but now it is called "USB 3.2 Gen 1". Similarly, the USB 3.2 standard is officially called "USB 3.2 Gen 2×2". These confusing terms are probably the biggest reason for slow USB-C adoption.

Hope the following table makes things clear.

USB-C Version and speed

Gbps

0Gbps

version

Release date

Maximum speed

Maximum speed

Official old name

Official new name

Compatibility

USB 2.0

000

80Mbps

No

USB 2.0

USB-A, MicroUSB, USB-C

High speed USB

USB 3.0

008

USB 3.1 Gen 1

USB 3.2 Gen 1

USB-A, MicroUSB, USB-C

ultra-high speed USB 5Gbps

USB 3.1

013

USB 3.1 Gen 2

USB 3.2 Gen 2

USB-A, MicroUSB, USB-C

Ultra-high speed + USB 10Gbps

USB 3.2

017

0Gbps

No

USB 3.2 Gen 2×2

Usher USB-C

UsherSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpeedSpe 20Gbps

USB 4

019

0Gbps

No

USB4

USB-C

USB-C

USB4 40Gbps

If you can temporarily ignore the confusing names, you will notice that the speed of each generation is rising dramatically. You will also notice that the newer speed standard is only compatible with USB-C and not with USB-A or MicroUSB cables. But as I mentioned earlier, the new standard takes a long time to become mainstream.

for reference, Samsung's latest flagship phone, the Galaxy S22 Ultra, has a USB 3.2 speed of 20 Gbps, but the mid-range Galaxy A53 still has a USB 2.0 speed of only 480 Mbps. Because knowledge about these data standards is not extensive, companies have no pressure to upgrade their manufacturing processes to adopt new standards.

The fastest data standard to date is USB 4, which has a clock frequency of up to 40 Gbps. It should be noted that USB 4 is based on Thunderbolt 3. Thunderbolt 3 is the proprietary hardware interface that Intel built in late 2015; Apple is the first major technology company to start commercializing its 2016 MacBook Pro laptops.

Later in 2019, Intel contributed the Thunderbolt 3 specification to the USB Implementer Forum to help establish new USB 4 data standards that manufacturers can use freely on their devices. This helps bring 40 Gbps transfer speeds to the mainstream. Simply put, USB4 is the royalty-free version of Thunderbolt 3.

Another thing to remember is that the numbers you see here are the maximum theoretical speed. In real life, USB cables can reach 60% to 80% of their respective standard on-paper speeds, depending on the quality of the cable you purchased. The difference between

USB-C, USB 3 and Thunderbolt 3

This is a very common question, so let's answer it once and for all.

/10/20 Gbps, depending on the generation of the data standard used.

	USB-C	USB-C	USB 3	Thunderbolt 3
What is it	has 24 Physical standards for pin and reversible pill-shaped design of USB connectors; launched in 2014.	contains the umbrella terminology of the third generation data standard: USB 3.0, USB 3.1 and USB 3.2; launched in 2008 and ended in 2017; using USB-C, USB-A, and MicroUSB.			015 Intel built a proprietary hardware interface; uses USB-C; released to USB-IF in 2019, and is widely adopted in the form of USB4.
How fast does it have	No			0 Gbps
Where to find it	All modern Android phones and tablets, Windows laptops, Chromebooks, gaming consoles, monitors, earbuds and smartwatches, and some Apple devices.	USB 3 Data standards are scattered in smart gadgets based on cost and region; view product description for more information.	Different brands of Apple MacBooks and other high-end laptops and other universal USB devices. Is

USB-C better than Lightning?

Yes, USB-C is better than Lightning in almost every way. The maximum data transfer speed of the Lightning connector is only 480 Mbps – this is the USB 2.0 speed released in 2000. This means that modern iPhones still stick to the technology from more than 20 years ago!

Secondly, when charging according to modern standards, the Lightning connector is very slow. Today’s flagship Android phones can reach 45W to 100W or higher, while the latest iPhones can only reach around 25W.

Unfortunately, Apple refused to switch to USB-C on iPhones, although it has obvious benefits, as doing so means losing control of the ecosystem. Not to mention the profit the company makes from selling Lightning cables and adapters. In fact, the EU recently asked the iPhone to switch to USB-C by 2024.

All smart gadgets should have USB-C

USB-C is obviously the next step for modern smart devices, and it has become mainstream in many places. With the advent of new standards, our gadgets must evolve with it.

Looking ahead, we hope that the USB implementer forum will be consistent with its naming convention rather than making things more confusing. Eliminating all the confusion about USB-C will help speed up its adoption and help everyone.