Which is the best choice: USB Type-A vs. Type-B vs. Type-C

In order to fully understand USB Type-C, Type-A, and Type-B, we must first look at the various versions of the USB standard. The USB Type refers to the physical shape and wiring of the ports and plugs, while the version denotes the speed and functionality of the full interconnection system.

Versions of the USB include 1.1, 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1. USB 1.1 was the first USB version released in 1998 and has a top speed of 12Mbps. In many cases, USB 1.1 only performs at 1.2Mbps and it has grown largely obsolete. 

Released in 2000, USB 2.0 has a maximum speed of 480Mbps in Hi-Speed mode, or 12Mbps. It is backward-compatible with USB 1.1 and has a maximum output power of 2.5 V(1.8 A).

USB 3.0 was released in 2008 and has a top speed of 5Gbps in SuperSpeed mode and is typically colored blue. It is backward-compatible with USB 2.0, and can deliver up to 5 V(1.8 A) of power.

The most recent version of USB is 3.1, which was released in 2013 and doubles the speed of 10Gbps, making it as fast as the original Thunderbolt standard. It is backward-compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0. USB 3.1 has three power profiles and allows larger devices to draw power from the host: up to 2 A at 5 V (for a power consumption of up to 10 W), and up to 5 A at either 12 V(60 W) or 20 V(100 W).

With a flat and rectangular shape, the USB Type-A was the original design for the first USB standard. On a traditional USB cable, the Type-A connector, also known as the A-male connector goes into a host, and the USB port where the Type A-male is inserted into is referred to as a Type A-female port. Type-A ports are typically in host devices, such as desktop computers, laptops, game consoles, keyboards, mice, thumb drives, and media players; it’s rare for peripheral devices to use a Type-A port.

Currently, USB 1.1, 2.0, and 3.0 share the same Type-A design, meaning that it’s always compatible with a Type-A port even if the device and host use different USB versions.

Generally, the Type-B connector is the end of the standard USB cable that plugs into a peripheral device such as a printer, phone, or external hard drive, and is also known as the Type B-male. The port on the device itself is referred to as the Type B-female.

Since peripheral devices come in a variety of shapes and sizes, the Type-B connector and its companion port also come in several different designs. Currently, there are five prevalent designs for the USB Type-B’s plugs and connectors, including the original Standard-B, the Mini-B, Micro-B USB, Micro-B USB 3.0, and the Standard-B USB 3.0.

The Standard-B design is used for connecting large peripheral devices, such as printers or scanners, to a computer and was made for the USB 1.1. Drastically smaller, the Mini-B ports are found in older portable devices like digital cameras and older portable drives, and are becoming obsolete. The Micro-B USB is slightly smaller than the Mini and is the most widespread USB port design for current smartphones and tablets. The Micro-USB 3.0 is the widest design and is mainly used for USB 3.0 portable drives; typically the Type-A end of the cable is blue. Similar to the Standard-B, the Standard-B USB 3.0 is designed to handle administer 3.0 speed.

At 8.3 x 2.5 mm, the Type-C port and connector are approximately the same size as that of the Micro-B USB, making it tiny enough to work for even the smallest peripheral devices. Both ends of the cable are identical, allowing for reversible plug orientation and eliminating the worry of inserting it in upside down.

USB Type-C and USB 3.1 are backward compatible with USB 3.0 and 2.0. In a pure Type-C USB connection, Type-A ports and plugs are no longer included, but for compatibility, there is a Type A to Type C cable. There are also adapters to allow Type C hosts and devices to work with existing USB devices.

While this is the first time adapters are required with USB, it is likely to be the only time, as Type-C is designed to be used for future and faster USB versions.