It is difficult to manage them using a single standard in a certain field. In the end, you may fall into a 'struggle' where a new technological update will lead to the extinction of another old technology. VHS killed Betamax and was replaced by DVD. In front of Blu ray, DVD gradually faded out and now faces the disappearance of online streaming services.

But USB-C is different, perhaps as its abbreviation (Universal Serial Bus) implies, it is truly universal. From simple external hard drives to high-end laptops and the latest smartphones, USB Type-C ports can be found on devices formatted last month. Although each USB-C port looks the same, not every port provides the same functionality. USB-C may be ubiquitous now, but it may not provide the same functionality everywhere.

The following is a functional guide for USB-C and the features you should pay attention to when purchasing a USB-C device.

What is USB-C? USB-C is an industry standard connector used to transmit data and power on a single cable. The USB-C connector was developed by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), which has been developing, certifying, and guiding USB standards for many years.

It is important for USBC to be widely accepted by most major internet companies, as this is also part of the reason why USB-C has been easily accepted by PC manufacturers. In stark contrast, early Apple introduced (and developed) Lightning and MagSafe connectors, which had limited acceptance outside of Apple products and were largely outdated due to USB-C.

Is USB-C the same as Micro USB?

At first glance, the USB-C interface looks similar to a micro USB interface, but its shape is more elliptical and slightly thicker to accommodate its best function: flippability.

Like Lightning and MagSafe, the USB-C connector does not differentiate between up or down. The connectors are arranged correctly up and down, and you never have to flip them to insert and use them. Standard cables also have the same connectors at both ends, so you don't need to know which end leads to where.

And in the past 20 years, the USB cables we have been using have not been like this. In most cases, there are different connectors at both ends.

USB-C and USB 3.2: The difficulty with the number USB-C below the port is the number connected to the port. The most common rated speed for USB-C connectors is 10Gbps. The theoretical speed of 10Gbps is twice that of the original USB 3.0. The USB-C port that supports this peak speed is called "USB 3.2 Gen 1x2".

The problem is that USB ports with a speed of 10Gbps can also exist in their original, larger shape (known as USB Type-A rectangles), and are referred to as USB3.2 Gen2X1. However, apart from some desktop computers, it is more common for 10Gbps speed USB ports to come with Type-C physical connectors.

Note: Some older USB-C ports only support a maximum speed of 5Gbps, so it is necessary to look up the name "USB 3.2 Gen 1x2" or "10Gbps" to verify whether the given USB-C port supports 10Gbps transmission. That is to say, all these ports are backward compatible, only the slowest element.

Even more complex is that the digital scheme surrounding USB 3 has been constantly changing since 2019, which makes the use of these ports somewhat cumbersome. Until recent years, many USB-C ports had USB3.1 labels in the 1st and 2nd generation styles, and some specification sheets continued to refer to old names. It is puzzling that USB-IF has decided to cancel the use of "USB3.1" and instead use these different styles of USB3.2, as shown in the following figure

The usb3.2, usb3.1, and SuperSpeed names seen in each line above are equivalent, but the names are different. If you see the USB3.1 label, it is best to directly inquire with the device manufacturer or dealer about the maximum transmission speed of the port.

As shown above, the latest and fastest USB-C ports use the USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 specification, with a maximum speed of 20GBps. The reason why USB-IF chose "2x2" is because the new standard doubles the data channels inside the USB-C cable to achieve a transmission speed of 20Gbps. These latest ports are not yet widely used, although PC manufacturers and upgrade personnel can find them on some high-end desktop motherboards.

Equipped with a multifunctional conversion plug with USB, it provides faster charging speed for your electronic devices on the go!