USB cables: Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a computer port that was first developed in the 1990s. It serves as the connection between devices, either for charging or data transfers. In the last few decades, tremendous technological advancements have made USB ports and cables more powerful, faster, and smaller.
Today, all types of USB ports are still in use, and it can be confusing to determine what types of cables you need for the ports you have for your phone, tablet, laptop, and wearable devices.
Read on for a comprehensive guide on all USB types found on the market today.
USB Cable-A
USB Type-A is the original rectangle USB port that only attached to cables in one direction. Today, reversible USB-A cables are ubiquitous enough so that you don’t have to worry about plugging it wrong either way.
USB-A is still widely used on computers, TVs, gaming devices, and many other devices.
USB Cable-B
USB Type B ports are usually found on large peripherals such as printers, scanners, and some external hard drives. USB-B cables are usually Type B on one end to connect to the peripheral, and Type A or even Micro USB on the other end to connect to your laptop or your phone.
USB Cable-C
USB Type C is now the most popular USB port and connector in use today, as it has tremendous capabilities when it comes to power and data transfer. It also comes with display connectivity. USB-C cables are used in nearly all new smartphones, game consoles, laptops, and other peripherals.
The port is small, oblong, and fully reversible. The standard USB-C port can maintain a 100-watt connection, so it’s perfect for charging laptops and televisions. It can also transfer large amounts of data (40 Gbps) between devices. USB-C is the first USB connector to be used for image transfer—it can deliver video to external monitors, with resolutions up to 4K.
The many ports and cables of yesteryear have now become limited to very few. With the flexibility of USB-C, many tech experts are hopeful of a future single-cable society.
Micro-USB
Micro-USB is smaller than USB-A, and it used to be the gold standard for charging and data transfer. A few years ago, nearly all Android smartphones and tablets had them. Today, only the lowest budget phones have Micro-USB cables and ports.
Lightning Cable
Apple’s proprietary connector is technically not a type of USB, but with billions of iPhone and iPad users all over the world, no cable/connector list is complete without it. Today’s lightning cable is similar in size and orientation to the USB-C.
The best USB cables for your device
People use their smartphones, tablets, game consoles, and other devices at all hours of the day, so it’s become more difficult than ever to retain the charging cable that came with the device. If you want to buy a replacement cable from one of the many third-party manufacturers and sellers online, you should make sure to get the correct type for your device.
Check if it has fast charging capabilities. If you have a fast charger (18W or higher), you need a fast charging cable to match it. Check the manufacturing information to make sure you’re getting the best power delivery available.
When buying from third-party suppliers, prioritise data transfer speeds. USB 2.0’s highest data transfer speed maxes out at 480 Mbps. USB 3.x takes that to the next level at 5-20 Gbps. USB 4.0 is the latest entry to USB transfer, maxing out at 40 Gbps.
USB cables Conclusion
With the wide variety of devices available today, the different USB ports and cables may be confusing. Hopefully, this guide has cleared up many of the details for you. Whenever you purchase a new device, make sure to read all the manufacturing details to make sure you can get the appropriate accessories.
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Arthur is a senior member of the communications team who has worked at several well-known companies over the past 10 years. As a writer with many years of experience in the technology sector, focusing on reviewing mobile phones and accessories, he has written about many products or has been hands-on with them at some point
