Strangely, I haven't met a single person who could actually say that they don't like the standard MicroUSB connector. Is it such a big problem to insert the cable correctly into the smartphone port? However, statistics supposedly show that users are incredibly irritated when they cannot immediately insert the cable correctly. Yes, it will probably be annoying if you try to do it by touch in the dark. Be that as it may, we have come to a new standard - USB Type-C, which may become a panacea for some problems and complaints. However, it is worth talking about the problems that USB Type-C may have.
1. USB Type-C does not support fast charging
One of the most common misconceptions about USB Type-C is that this port supports fast charging or very fast data transfer by default. This is wrong. USB Type-C is not a new standard that allows you to work with your smartphone in a different way. This is only a physically new form, but in fact it could be USB 3.1, but some manufacturers hide the old USB 2.0 under this port. To make matters worse, I haven't come across any USB Type-C smartphones that actually support fast charging. So be careful.
2. USB Type-C does not support fast data transfer
The second misconception about USB Type-C is that it supports fast data transfer, almost at the speed of light. Again, this is not true. We can work with such a connector, but it will be USB 2.0, 3.0 or 3.1. So don't expect a smartphone with such a connector to spend less time loading a movie or a huge number of photos.
It is theoretically possible to get a speed of 10 Gbps, but provided that it is a USB 3.1 Type-C cable. If your laptop or computer has an older USB connector, then there is definitely nothing to talk about. It will be a pipe dream for you to download a movie in 4k resolution in a few seconds.
3. USB-C Type can be a headache when traveling
If you suddenly forgot your Micro USB cable while traveling, you can easily use a spare one, ask someone else for a while. I mean, it's not even a problem really. Standard MicroUSB cables are very common and everyone has one if they have a smartphone or tablet.
However, I can tell you about one unpleasant case when the owner OnePlus smartphone 2 came to Berlin for the IFA 2015 exhibition, but accidentally forgot to take a USB Type-C cable with him. Believe it or not, this turned out to be a huge problem at the mobile technology exhibition, because no one could help - simply no one had the same cable. And this brings us to the next...
4. USB Type-C cable is rare and expensive
It’s strange, but no matter how hard manufacturers try to praise this type of USB, such a cable will still be very difficult to find. They are even more expensive and not all hardware stores have heard of them. This is due to extremely low demand. So, even if you have a lot of cash to buy a spare cable on the road, it is not a fact that you will find a store where you can buy a USB Type-C cable.
5. All current accessories become useless
If you have a bunch of additional accessories at home that you used with your old smartphone, then you will either have to discard them and buy new ones, or look for an adapter from MicroUSB to USB Type-C. Today, very few accessories are made with the new port, and they are not physically compatible with your new smartphone.
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, be it portable or stationary, has different kinds 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 various 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 included 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- it was a 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- on this moment is a standard for portable devices. Everyone accepted him large manufacturers mobile devices other than 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 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. Mainly used Micro USB Type-B, 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, cables into portable devices to charge anything from your battery 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 HDD, smartphone and laptop. What actions will you perform in order to move a file from an external hard drive on your smartphone? The easiest way is to first move the file from external hard disk to a laptop, and from it to a 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 even come with iOS versions 9 work everywhere, 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.
Buy cheap USB Type-C cables not worth it, 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.
The fact that the connector is called USB Type-C makes you wonder how it differs from previous versions A and B. The first thing that catches your eye is the other appearance. Type-C is more like not a full-fledged USB cable, but the cord with which we charge mobile gadgets.
From left to right: USB Type-C, Lightning, microUSB
Type-C is symmetrical, it can be inserted on either side. Remember the situations when for some reason a flash drive or mouse is inserted only the third time? It's a thing of the past now. How iPhone owner 5 and Lightning cable I will say that it is very convenient. For example, it is much easier to find and insert a wire in the dark.
Type-C bandwidth is 10 GB per second. Voltage - 20 V. Just six months ago, many IT resources wrote that in the future, using this connector, we will be able to charge laptops in the same way as tablets and smartphones. Apple has turned the future into the present. IN new MacBook There is only one connector - USB Type-C, which acts not only as a port for connecting peripherals, but also as a connector for charging a laptop.
At first it seems crazy cool. Then too. But there are also thoughts that we have not yet become so independent from gadgets with wires. Of course, the adapter that Apple quietly released with the MacBook release solves this problem. However, this turns the MacBook from a portable device into a laptop with which you need to carry an additional connector everywhere.
Also important is the fact that the adapter costs $79. But third-party manufacturers have already begun to produce their own solutions, so the range will soon become much wider.
Connector for USB Type-C The bandwidth of USB Type-C allows you to connect not only standard USB devices to the connector, but even HDMI and display the image from the monitor on a second screen. Given that Apple often leads the way in such engineering and technological innovations, it may not be long before Type-C becomes a ubiquitous solution.
And we need a bunch of adapters.
Have you ever met a person who enthusiastically said: “My smartphone has Type-C”?
Debates about the modernity and usefulness of the new interface have been going on for quite a long time. Some consider it the future, others - a utopia. The trouble is that both sides have strong evidence that they are right. To understand the situation, it is necessary to comprehensively study the issue.
Development
Not everyone remembers the first USB Type-A connector, which is still used in the latest computers, laptops and tablets. Back in the 90s, it had the same physical form, but a different standard - USB 1.1. In more detail, there were restrictions on data transfer speeds.
In 2001, standard 2.0 was developed, which is the most widespread today. It provided data transfer speeds of up to 480 Mbit/s. At this moment, the era of creating a universal and high-speed connector for connection began.
The first generally accepted connector to become very popular and widespread was Type-B Mini. It is successfully used in phones, cameras, video cameras and allows you to connect devices to a computer. However, this should not be considered a big breakthrough, only the form has changed, the standard remains the same - USB 2.0. In other words, the transfer speed did not increase.
The desire to minimize the size of gadgets led to the creation of the new Type-B Micro. It continues to be the protagonist of the vast majority of modern technology, but cannot offer users great benefits.
A real breakthrough was the USB 3.0 specification, which radically changed the way we look at many things. The new interface made it possible to increase the data transfer speed to 5 Gbit/s. Changes also affected the internal structure. The new 3.0 introduces a 9-pin group (in 2.0 there were only 4 contacts).
The final step towards the advent of Type-C was the adoption of the 3.1 standard, which remains the fastest and most efficient today. Users were able to transfer data at speeds of up to 10 Gbit/s. The new standard also allows for 100W charge transfer.
The standard consists of 24 pins: two rows of 12 pieces. 8 pins USB interface 3.1 are used to exchange data with high speed. Pins B8 and A8 (SUB1 and 2) are used to transmit analog signals to the headphones (right and left), A5 and B5 (CC1 and 2) are needed to select the power mode. There are also ground (GND) and power (V+) pins.
Benefits of Type-C
It is not so necessary, but is simply another physical modification that has received support for USB 3.1. But don’t rush to conclusions, as there are a number of advantages that the new connector offers:
- Safety. The connector is double-sided, i.e. You can connect the cable in any position. This ensures complete safety and security of the gadget from breakdowns that are accompanied by bent or broken contacts.
- Versatility. Full compatibility with all old generation standards is ensured, starting with USB 1.1.
- Independence. Type-C, which supports USB 3.1, can supply connected devices with up to 100W of power. Simply put, when connected, there is not just a full power supply, but also recharging the batteries of other gadgets, as from “”.
- Compactness. The connector has very small dimensions, so it is actively used in the production of modern tablets.
Flaws
From a technical point of view, USB Type-C is almost perfect. So why hasn't it become the most popular yet? Why are manufacturers not in a hurry to equip their equipment with it? There are no obstacles to technical equipment, but there are significant reasons that slow down this process.
First of all, it has a unique physical structure, so to connect most gadgets you need adapter cables, all kinds of splitters and adapters. If the connected device does not support USB 3.1, such a connection simply becomes meaningless, since the maximum data transfer speed and power support will not be provided.
Most of the released computer, mobile, audio and video equipment is equipped with Type-A, Type-B Mini/Micro, which do not support USB 3.1 or even 3.0. The mass transition to USB Type-C will reduce demand for existing products that do not have it. Regardless of the desires and hopes of users, manufacturers deliberately push back effective technology and slow down its spread.
Secondly, even if two connected devices have Type-C, it may not be possible to get all the benefits. This is due to imperfect technology for processing and transmitting information from certain categories of devices. For example, you can synchronize a smartphone and a personal computer/laptop via Type-C. However, data transfer in both directions will be limited, since the hard drive will not be able to provide maximum speed.
Yes, new technology is available, it is in use, but a complete transition is still far away. You need to understand that in the event of a complete transition to USB Type-C, all outdated equipment will have to be sent for recycling.
Lately surprising people is even easier than it seems. When they showed us the USB Type-C connector, everyone just gasped, because it’s so cool, now you can charge your device the first time even at night. But is it worth it? Maybe USB Type-C is not as good as it seems? Maybe he is not needed at all now? Yes maybe…
Lately, surprising people is even easier than it seems. When they showed us the USB Type-C connector, everyone just gasped, because it’s so cool, now you can charge your device the first time even at night. But is it worth it? Maybe USB Type-C is not as good as it seems? Maybe he is not needed at all now?
Yes, maybe being able to charge your smartphone when you're drunk is good. Or maybe this is just another marketing ploy by large companies so that you will once again buy yourself a new tablet or smartphone? In this article, we described five reasons why you don’t need USB Type-C right now.
1. USB Type-C does not mean “fast charging”
One of the most common myths about this connector is that it will charge your devices faster. This is wrong. It's just a new version connector. Type-C is the same as previous standards; fast charging has nothing to do with it. Despite the fact that it supports the USB 3.1 standard, which brings a number of improvements, you should not think that this will be the case on all smartphones.
OnePlus 2 is the most striking example of this. It has a USB Type-C connector, but it's USB 2.0, which doesn't give it any advantage other than a "universal" cable over older smartphones. In addition, there is not yet a single smartphone that supports the new type of connector and fast battery charging mode.
2. There won’t be huge data transfer speeds either.
The second myth is that it will allow you to transfer data at the speed of light compared to older solutions. Here, too, everything depends on industry standards such as USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1. It is these standards that determine the data transfer speed, but not the shape of the cable.
3. You will have to keep it as the “apple of your eye”
If you are planning to go somewhere on vacation and forgot your MicroUSB cable at home, then there is nothing to worry about, because you can charge your smartphone with a charger from your tablet, or you can even use someone else’s cable for charging, because this standard distributed throughout the world.
But the owners of the same OnePlus 2 will have to endure for who knows how long and carry the cable all the time in their pocket or backpack. After all, if your smartphone’s battery dies, there will simply be nowhere to charge it. That is why devices with such connectors need to be purchased at least a year later, when there will already be a sufficient number of smartphones/tablets with this type on the market charger. So you shouldn’t chase the desire to get into the connector even at night, because this will lead to another significant problem that I described above.
4. The cable is rare and expensive
If you suddenly lose your cable, you will have a hard time. Firstly, it is almost impossible to find it in a short time. Secondly, if you find it, its value is much higher than you think. And all because now the demand for this product is minimal.
5. Old accessories will become useless
Surely, like me, you have a huge box of various trinkets and accessories for your smartphone. Once you buy a main device with a USB Type-C connector, they will all become useless in an instant. Since the “old” Type-A connectors are physically incompatible with the new cable type. Of course, special adapters will help you, but think about it, is it worth it?
