What Is USB Type-C?

Well, the USB plug. As it is found everywhere,now as it is notorious for never being able to be plugged in right the first time.

But what if I told you that is about to change? That’s right. With the introduction of USB Type-C, the USB Implementers Forum is looking to do away with USB plugs that need to be flipped and flipped again before working. This new plug will change the tech world for the better tomorrow.

So what exactly is this USB technology, and what will Type-C do for us?

The Current State Of USB

Before we move into the new tech, let’s explore how USB got to where it is today.

USB stands for Universal Serial Bus, and it’s a standard developed in 1994 by several companies to have a standard for cables and connections between devices that can deliver both data and power. When talking about USB, it’s important to note that there are generations and then types of USB, and these two things coexist.

USB 1.0 started it all, followed by USB 2.0, and our current USB 3.0 but each of these generations has several types of connectors that are specific to their generation. There are currently Type-A and Type-B connectors that are further complicated by their Standard, Mini, and Micro versions.

Type-A standard 2.0 connectors (above) are the most widely recognized. They’re the big and rectangular, making it difficult to know which end is up or down, since it can only be inserted one way. Type-A USB 1.0 plugs and receptacles basically do not exist anymore, since they were officially released in 1996 but replaced in 2000 with the release of USB 2.0, which is when the USB standard really began to take over.

When most people think of the standard USB plug, it is the Type-A 2.0 version. USB 3.0 was actually released back in 2008, but it has been slow to catch on. Many laptops now incorporate standard Type-A USB 3.0 ports, marked by a bright blue color inside the receptacle, but often they include only one or two 3.0 ports and several more 2.0 ports. Thankfully, standard USB 3.0 plugs and receptacles are the same shape as 2.0 plugs and receptacles, making them completely backwards compatible.

Type-A mini and micro connectors also exist, but are incredibly rare. The mini was discontinued in 2007, while the micro is rarely used in any products. Neither of these were updated with 3.0 versions.

Type-B standard connectors (above) are the squarish ones often seen on printers or scanners. They are also usually found in the 2.0 variety, although blue 3.0 versions do exist similar to how the situation is for Type-A standard connectors.

Type-B mini (above left) and micro (above right) connectors are probably what you are more familiar with. When you think of a mini-USB or micro-USB plug, you’re probably thinking of the USB 2.0 Type-B mini or micro plug. Micro-USB Type-B got the bump to 3.0, but mini was left behind.

However, the new 3.0 Type-B micro (below) is wider than the previous 2.0 Type-B micro, meaning that the 3.0 plug is incompatible with 2.0 receptacles, although 2.0 plugs do still fit in 3.0 receptacles.