USB Type-C Speed Test: How Slow Can Your Laptop's Speed Port Be? What is USB Type-C: history, advantages and disadvantages

Universal Serial Bus, or simply USB, is an industry standard developed in the mid-1990s to standardize the connection of peripherals to a computer. It has replaced most interfaces and is now the most common connector type for consumer devices.

Today, almost every device, whether portable or stationary, has various types of USB connectors. But everything is much more complicated than beginners think. Today we will look at the types of USB ports and various standards.

Many might now be asking the question: “If USB should be universal, then why does it have a large number of types?” The fact is that all these types of USB connectors perform different functions. This helps ensure compatibility if a device with improved specifications is released. Let's look at the most common types of USB ports.

Type-A- most cables have a connector of this type of USB at one end, this also includes cables of modern keyboards and mice. The same type of USB is supplied with personal computers and chargers;
Type-B- This port is used to connect printers and other peripheral devices to the computer. But it's not currently as common as USB Type-A;

Mini USB- This was the standard connector for mobile devices before the advent of Micro USB. This connector is smaller than the standard one, as can be understood by its name. This type of connector is also a little outdated and has been replaced by Micro USB, but this does not mean that these types of USB cannot be found anywhere;
Micro USB- is currently the standard for portable devices. All major mobile device manufacturers have adopted it, with the exception of Apple. But Micro USB is gradually beginning to be replaced by USB Type-C. By the way, there are different types of Micro USB connectors, but we’ll talk about that a little later;
Type-C- such a cable can have the same connector at both ends. Claims faster data transfer speeds and higher power compared to previous USB standards. This is the connector Apple used for Thunderbolt 3. We’ll talk about USB Type-C a little later;

Lightning- does not belong to the USB standard, but has been a proprietary interface for Apple mobile products since September 2012. Until that time, devices used a less compact 30-pin proprietary connector.

USB 3.0

The new standard provides higher data transfer rates while being backward compatible with the old standard. In form, USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 Type-A are the same, it’s just that the new standard is colored blue to distinguish USB 3.0 from 2.0.

But the speed increase will only occur if the connector where the cable or flash drive is inserted must be USB 3.0, and the cable or flash drive itself must have a USB 3.0 connector.

Also, in addition to USB 3.0 Type-A, there are other types of USB 3.0 connectors. Type-B and its Micro version have additional pins to provide higher data transfer speeds, which breaks the compatibility of these connectors with older versions, but older USB 2.0 devices can be plugged into the new USB 3.0 connectors, but you will not get a speed boost.

Micro USB

If you have an Android device, then you need to have a Micro USB cable. Even the most ardent Apple fans can't avoid this type of connector in portable batteries, speakers and more.

There are also divisions into types of Micro USB connectors. Micro USB Type-B is mainly used, Type-A is not particularly common, and I have never seen it in real life. The same applies to Mini USB.

If you start buying a lot of gadgets, you will soon start using different wires for different devices, still there is no difference. So you don't have to buy additional wires if you don't lose or break them.

When buying a cable, people usually buy the cheapest ones, which I do not advise you to do, since the quality of such products can be very poor. This will lead to cable failure in the future.

Also decide on the length of the cable. A short cable is convenient when traveling, but at home with this you will be sitting on the floor near the outlet. A long cable will get tangled and interfere with you in every possible way. For a portable battery, I have a cable 35 centimeters long, and a cable for charging a smartphone at home is 1 meter long.

USB On-The-Go

USB On-The-Go (USB OTG) is a relatively new standard that allows you to insert flash drives designed for other USB interfaces into portable devices, cables to charge something from the battery of your portable device, and so on. USB OTG supports not only USB Type-A, but also other types of USB ports.

Now imagine that you have an external hard drive, a smartphone and a laptop. What steps will you follow to move any file from external hard drive to your smartphone? The easiest way is to first move the file from the external hard drive to the laptop, and from there to the smartphone.

Now imagine that you have a USB OTG adapter. Just insert the adapter into your smartphone and the cable from the external hard drive into it. There is no need for a laptop. Comfortable?

Unfortunately, not all devices support USB On-The-Go, so before purchasing an adapter, I advise you to check your device for USB OTG support.

Adapters for Lightning exist and they work everywhere even with iOS 9, but I don’t really want to call it OTG.

USB Type-C

This new standard has great potential for the future. Firstly, it is fast and can transmit large currents, and secondly, it can be inserted either way and there can be the same connector on both ends of the wire.

In 2015, Apple shocked the whole world by releasing a MacBook with one USB Type-C connector. This could be the start of a trend.

Now there are many devices with a USB Type-C connector. To connect to a computer, you should use a USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable if you do not have the same connector on your computer.

It’s not worth buying cheap USB Type-C cables, it’s not worth it at all. It's very easy to kill your device. In addition, large currents pass through such a cable, so a low-quality cable will also lead to a fire. Don't spare money on a quality cable.

conclusions

Today we looked at various types of USB connectors and standards. Now you know all the popular types of USB connectors. I hope this information was useful to you. If so, please take the time to rate this article below.

Mobile device users had a hard time in the 2000s - they were forced to put up with the so-called proprietary. The phones of each manufacturer were equipped with unique charging connectors - as a result, the charger, for example, for Nokia did not work with a Motorola phone. It even got to the point of absurdity - when for two phones from the same manufacturer (Finnish) we had to look for different chargers. The dissatisfaction of users was so strong that the European Parliament was forced to intervene.

Now the situation is completely different: almost all smartphone manufacturers equip their gadgets with ports for chargers same type. The user no longer has to buy a new charger “in addition” to the phone.

USB cables can be used not only to transfer data from a PC to a gadget, but also to charge a mobile device. Smartphones are capable of replenishing battery “reserves” both from an outlet and from a computer, but in the second case, charging will take significantly longer. A traditional USB cable for an Android or Windows Phone smartphone looks like this:

There is a standard plug at one of its ends USB 2.0 Type-A:

This plug plugs into the USB port on your computer or laptop.

At the other end of the wire there is a plug microUSB.

It is, accordingly, inserted into the micro-USB connector on the mobile device.

Micro-USB 2.0 is now a unified connector: it can be found on smartphones and tablets from almost all mobile device manufacturers (with the exception of Apple). An agreement on interface standardization was signed in 2011 by representatives of 13 leading companies in the mobile market.

The choice fell on Micro-USB for a number of reasons:

The connector is compact. Its physical dimensions are only 2x7 millimeters - this is about 4 times smaller than USB 2.0 Type-A.
The plug is durable– especially when compared with the Nokia thin charger.
The connector is capable of providing high data transfer rates. Theoretically, the transfer speed via Micro-USB when using the 2.0 standard can reach 480 Mbit/s. The actual speed is much lower (10-12 Mbit/s in Full Speed), but this rarely causes inconvenience to users.
The connector supports the OTG function. We'll tell you more about the benefits this provides later.

Micro-USB could impose competition in the fight for the role of a standard connector Mini-USB. The mini plug looks like this:

This type of USB connector was not suitable as a standard one, and here’s why:

The connector is larger in size– albeit not by much. Its size is 3x7 millimeters.
The connector is quite fragile– due to the lack of rigid fastenings, it becomes loose very quickly. As a result, transmitting data via cable becomes a real pain for the user.

In the 2000s, a mini-USB connector could be found on smartphones from “second-class” manufacturers - say, Philips And Alcatel. Nowadays you won’t find mobile gadgets with a mini-jack on the market.

In addition to the USB connectors we mentioned (Micro-USB, Mini-USB, USB Type-A), there are others. For example, micro-USB standard 3.0 can be used to connect hard drives to a PC, and USB Type-B(square shape) – for musical instruments (in particular, MIDI keyboards). These connectors are not directly related to mobile technology (except for Galaxy Note 3 c USB 3.0), so we won’t talk about them in more detail.

What types of USB cables are there for smartphones?

Thanks to the inexhaustible imagination of Chinese handicrafts, mobile technology users can buy cables of completely different configurations. For example, in the era of proprietaryism, the following “monster” was incredibly popular:

Yes, this charger fits all the main connectors!

Similar “multi-tools” are still on sale, but they have fewer plugs. Here is a 4-in-1 charger, which can be ordered for less than 200 rubles:

This charger is equipped with all modern plugs - Lightning, 30Pin (both for iPhone), microUSB, USB 3.0. Definitely a “must-have” for the user!

There are other interesting options. Here is the cable from OATSBASF For those who hate cables:

This cable allows you to charge two mobile devices from your computer. simultaneously(for example, the 5th iPhone and Android) and has a very tempting price - just over 100 rubles.

In domestic stores and showrooms, the user, of course, will not find such an abundance of different cables as on the pages of catalogs GearBest And AliExpress. In addition, data equipment at retail costs significantly more. For these two reasons, users are recommended to order USB cables from China.

What is the OTG standard?

Surely many have seen such a cable and wondered what it is for:

This is a cable OTG; at one end there is a plug micro-USB, on the second – connector USB 2.0, "Mother". Using such a cable, you can connect a USB flash drive to a smartphone or tablet, but only if the mobile device itself supports the standard OTG.

OTG(short for On-The-Go) is a function designed to quickly connect 2 USB devices to each other, without the mediation of a computer. Connect by OTG You can use not only a flash drive (although this, of course, is the most common case), but also, for example, a computer mouse, keyboard, external hard drive, gaming steering wheel, joystick. You can even connect your smartphone to a printer or MFP to print out a photo taken with the gadget’s camera.

Cables OTG for the iPhone have also already appeared, but you can only download photos and videos to an Apple device (without jailbreak) from an external storage device – and then only when the root folders on the flash drive and the photos themselves have the “correct” names.

A complete list of smartphones that support the function OTG, no - simply because almost all modern gadgets can boast of having this standard, and the list would be huge. However, a buyer who intends to connect a mouse or flash drive to the device should inquire from a store consultant about support OTG before giving away money - “just in case.”

USB Type-C: what are the advantages?

Transition from micro-USB This is a new trend in the mobile electronics market! Manufacturers are actively mastering the technology and equipping their flagship models with improved connectors for charging and data transfer. USB Type-C waited a long time “in the shadows”: the connector was created back in 2013, but only in 2016 did market leaders pay attention to it.

Looks like USB Type-C So:

What are the advantages? Type-C in front of everyone familiar micro-USB?

High data transfer speed. Bandwidth Type-C equals 10 Gb/sec (!). But that's just bandwidth.: in reality, only owners of smartphones with the standard can count on such speed USB 3.1- For example, Nexus 6P And 5X. If the gadget uses the standard USB 3.0, the speed will be around 5 Gb/sec; at USB 2.0 Data transfer will be significantly slower.
Fast charging. The duration of the smartphone charging procedure depends on the potential number of watts supplied by the connector. USB standard 2.0 capable of serving everything 2.5 W– that’s why charging lasts for hours. Connector USB Type-C provides 100 W– that is, 40 times (!) more. It is curious that current transmission can occur in both directions - both to the host and from it.
Connector symmetry. If the connector micro-USB there is up and down, then the connector Type-C symmetrical. Which side you insert it into the connector does not matter. From this point of view, technology USB Type-C similar to Lightning from Apple.

Dignity Type-C The size of the connector is also small - only 8.4 × 2.6 millimeters. According to this technology criterion micro-USB And USB Type-C similar.

U USB Type-C There are also disadvantages, one of which is more than significant. Due to the unregulated operation of the connector, charging can easily “fry” the mobile device. This probability is not purely theoretical - fires have occurred in practice. It is for this reason that the proliferation of non-original, “makeshift” cables and chargers USB Type-C Type-C and decide to abandon the standard connector. At the same time, Ravencraft admits that, perhaps, complete replacement USB-A will never happen.

USB Type-C is a universal 24-pin connector that is used to charge many modern smartphones, and in some it replaces the standard 3.5 mm audio jack. But that's not all USB-C has to offer. We talked about the connector in more detail.

Ease of connection

Perhaps the inventor of USB-C was just really tired of upending USB-A.

The most obvious advantage of USB-C is its design: Type-C always fits into the socket the first time because the port is completely symmetrical. The contacts in a double-sided connector are more difficult to damage, because the cable will fit in any position, no matter how you turn it over.

Compactness

Many models with USB-C do not have a separate headphone jack. Users often criticize this trend, saying “we don’t want to buy new headphones or use an adapter, bring back the 3.5 mm jack.” However, the manufacturers can be understood: abandoning the audio connector in favor of Type-C makes it possible to make the smartphone as thin as possible.

Versatility

Type-C is designed to replace all existing connectors - and this is not an exaggeration. On smartphones, it has already combined an audio output and a charging connector, and also serves to connect docking stations and external peripherals. This leads to the next advantage - a smartphone with USB-C can work in desktop mode.

Desktop mode

USB-C makes it easy to turn flagship smartphones like the latest Samsung Galaxy S9 into true desktop computers. Via USB Type-C, the gadget can be connected to a special docking station and transfer data to an external monitor. In total, USB-C allows you to connect up to six peripheral devices, including DisplayPort monitors, audio devices, and all kinds of keyboards and mice.

High data transfer speed

USB Type-C 3.1 provides data transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps. This allows smartphones to stream 4K video to an external monitor and quickly transfer large files over a wire. However, not all USB-C operates at the 3.1 speed standard. The bandwidth of the older 3.0 is “only” up to 5 Gbps, and 2.0 is up to 480 Mbps.

The main catch is that it is impossible to determine by eye the USB standard that the smartphone supports. For example, the Galaxy S8 and Huawei P20 have Type-C 3.1 (10 Gbps, respectively), while the Galaxy S8 and Huawei P20 have exactly the same USB-C, but 2.0 (480 Mbps). So if you want to quickly transfer files to a PC or stream heavy videos, pay attention not only to the presence of USB-C in the gadget, but also to its standard.

Fast charging

The faster a smartphone charges, the better, and we can safely say that gadgets with USB-C break all records in this regard. Type-C standard 3.1 allows you to transfer a charge with a power of 100 W (5 A) - this technology is called USB Power Delivery. The standard is already used in laptops, and it is based on the Quick Charge 4 fast charging technology for smartphones. In addition, many manufacturers are developing their own fast charging functions compatible with Type-C. For example, it supports Honor Supercharge proprietary technology, which allows you to fully charge the gadget in just 50 minutes.

Most of the benefits of USB-C, such as super-fast charging and high data transfer speeds, are only available on flagship models. However, no smartphone yet supports 100 W charge transfer. However, there is a trend in which USB-C is increasingly appearing in mid-range smartphones, for example. At this rate, micro-USB will remain only for state employees, and all haters of 3.5 mm adapters will be nostalgic for the good old days.

Let's start with the new standard. USB Type-C. designed to unify connectors on many devices from coffee makers, cameras, televisions to smartphones with computers.

Just imagine a world in which one standard reigns. You don’t need to take a bunch of adapters with you on a trip or think about whether your friends have the necessary cable at home when you go to visit them. In a world where USB Type-C reigns, you can always charge your device, anywhere and anytime.

Standardization is perhaps the most important trump card of USB Type-C and almost all users will ultimately experience it. Well, for the fact that the connector can be inserted from either side, special respect to the engineers who developed this standard.

More powerful charging

Charging your phone using a cable from a camera or from a computer is not the coolest thing USB Type-C can do. Initially, the standard specification included the ability to pass a huge amount of energy through the cable, up to 100 watts of power. Of course, such current is not needed in smartphones yet, but it’s still nice to know that such powerful potential is already built into the USB-C standard.

Some manufacturers have already managed to implement their fast charging standards based on Type-C. For example, OnePlus' Dash Charge can deliver up to 5 volts at 4 amps, which equals 20 watts of power. Qualcom's Quick charge 4 also works on the basis of Type-C and produces about 18 watts at peak. It is possible that in the future some graphene supercapacitors will require a current of 100 watts to charge in a couple of minutes, and in this case Type-C will not rust.

Sound output

Based on the Type-C connector, you can implement a huge number of different interfaces, from a basic and banal audio connector to advanced Thunderbolt 3 or pci express. We won’t go far for examples. The market is already full of devices that simply do not have a standard 3.5 mm mini jack. It was successfully replaced by a digital interface based on USB Type-C.

LeEco was one of the first to show the public the advantage of this method of sound transmission. Their CDLA technology allows you to transmit lossless digital Hi-Fi audio and implement the coolest noise reduction systems without additional power.

Video signal transmission via USB Type-C

But smartphone manufacturers have found another interesting use for Type-C. After all, the connector can transmit not only sound, but also video. And at the same time, feed the device with energy. As a result, we saw a number of docking stations that turn the smartphone into a full-fledged system unit.

Microsoft first implemented this idea in its lumia. Later, devices from HP Elite x3 were added to them. They are all very limited in their functionality. Windows in continuum mode does not spoil the user with many possibilities, but still in this mode it is already noticeably more convenient to browse, work with texts and watch videos on YouTube. And just recently it entered the market with a similar station.

To summarize, thoughts come to mind about the future and how cool everything will be when a full transition to USB Type-C does take place. But looking around, I understand that this very future has already arrived. Type-C can be found in the most unexpected places. In consoles, cameras, TVs and cameras, even in some inexpensive laptops. There is just a little time left before the full-scale transition. We can only hope that engineers and manufacturers don’t come up with something new. If you found this article useful, then share it on social networks with your friends. Click on your social media icon below!

Updated: February 8, 2019 by: Gold

The reliable Universal Serial Bus port standard is one of the most commonly used on the planet. But the USB Developers Forum, a compendium formed by companies such as Intel, Microsoft, Apple, and HP to monitor the development of this standard, is not resting on its laurels. The latest version of the standard, as well as new devices and computer components that adhere to the standard that are just beginning to come to market. So how is it different (and better) than older versions of USB 2.0 and 3.0? And what is the difference between 3.1, 1 and 2 generations?

Basics of USB ports.

First of all, it is a standard and should not be confused with the shape of the ports on your computer or the cables that connect to it. devices and computers can use both connectors on the ends of the cable, while USB Type-A is a rectangular plug that is used by most devices, USB Type-B is a square shaped connector that is mainly used for printers, external hard drives. Smaller connectors like mini USB and micro USB may not be compatible, so sometimes a USB Micro Type-B connector is used, as on phones like the Galaxy Note 3. This allows for higher data transfer speeds in the USB 3.0 specification, but still allows use older micro USB cables for standard charging and data transfer.

USB 3.0/3.1 is also compatible with , the latest connector design that's just starting to come into use with devices like the new MacBook, the second-generation Chromebook Pixel, and the OnePlus 2 smartphone. This reversible plug is different from , although manufacturers can choose to support both , which is certainly possible. For example, the 2015 MacBook and second-generation Chromebooks support the standard on their ports, while the OnePlus 2 uses the USB 2.0 standard despite the port.

During 2016 and beyond, expect more complete motherboards, laptops, tablets and smartphones equipped with ports, thanks to its small size and mirror-like design. These ports may or may not be equipped with or later versions due to cost or hardware compatibility.

Need for speed (data transfer).

The biggest improvement to the standard is the increase in data transmission capacity to 10 Gbit/s. The new SuperSpeed USB specification in the second generation provides improved encoding and data transfer efficiency, doubling the speed of the first generation standard (5 Gbit/sec ). In more practical terms, the contents of a fully loaded 50 GB Blu-Ray disc can be transferred through the second generation in just 38 seconds.Of course, this is assuming that you have the necessary ports and cables on both ends, and that both read and write devices can transfer data at this speed - the fastest consumer-grade drives (for example) can write data only at a fraction of this speed. Additionally, the second generation is so new that there are currently very few devices that support it. A slightly older standard, the first generation only supports speeds up to 5 Gbit/sec , like USB 3.0. USB 3.0 and the first generation are very similar, in fact - the latter is mainly different due to the few devices that support it. In addition, any USB 3.0, 3.1 first or second generation device is preferable to the old USB 2.0 standard, whose ceiling is 480 Mbit/sec , which is significantly slower than all subsequent alternatives.

With higher data throughput, USB 3.0 and 3.1 can be used for video transfer. There are already adapters that allow PCs and Macs to output high-definition video to a monitor or TV via a standard USB port, and new versions allow faster, smoother transfer of higher-resolution video. supports the specification that outputs video at up to 4K. It is possible that it could replace existing HDMI, DVI and DisplayPort standards and ports, although this seems unlikely in the short term.

Let's add energy.

Modern devices such as phones, tablets and even laptops have larger and more efficient batteries, so you need to get the right amount of electricity to them as safely as possible. The latest fast charging technologies can reach up to 15W and charge devices much faster than the older 2.1 standard. However, this is not enough to sate the producers' thirst.

USB 3.0 and 3.1 and supports USB power specifications that support a maximum of 20 volts at 5 amps for a total of up to 100 watts of power. This means there are very few portable devices that can't be powered by this standard - the recently released Macbook and Chromebook Pixel models charge through their USB ports with a standard power adapter, using 29W and 60W, respectively.

Comparison with Thunderbolt.

This is where things get confusing. Intel's proprietary Thunderbolt standard, which competes with, is sometimes compatible with it using the same cables. First, let's compare the speed. Thunderbolt version 3 can handle data transfer speeds of up to 40 Gbps, potentially four times faster than the second generation. Versions of Thunderbolt 1 and 2 use a proprietary cable that is not compatible with USB, so some computers, like the Macbook Pro, have both USB and Thunderbolt 3 ports.

Starting with Thunderbolt 3, Intel moved on ports as well as cables and made the standard cross-compatible with . This means that if the manufacturer supports it, the same device can be used as Thunderbolt and operates in data, video and power modes. The port on the 2015 Macbook is compatible with first-generation and Thunderbolt 3, as well as adapters for the standard USB Type-A cable and legacy Thunderbolt ports.

Currently, Thunderbolt is primarily used on Apple devices and in specialized areas for higher data transfer speeds, such as video editing. While Apple's MacBook and MacBook Pro lineup will likely continue to support it, USB ports compatible with Thunderbolt 3 may be rare on PC motherboards and laptops.

Revolution ?

The first generation standard is already available on many motherboards and several portable devices, and the second generation standard is quickly appearing on portable hard drives, cases and adapters. While it is gaining popularity among manufacturers as a port on laptops and phones, the first and second generations are likely to spread much faster through the consumer electronics industry. Today you can purchase flagship phones that support the second generation standard, as well as laptops and desktop computers.

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