{"id":24620,"date":"2023-12-18T09:38:25","date_gmt":"2023-12-18T08:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/g100.us\/?p=24620"},"modified":"2023-12-18T09:38:30","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T08:38:30","slug":"usb-c-vs-usb-3-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/g100.us\/usb-c-vs-usb-3-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"USB-C vs USB-3: What's The Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Today, we\u2019re covering USB-C vs USB-3: what\u2019s the difference?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>More importantly, how does that difference impact you, the end user, and what do you need to know about USB ports moving forward? Let\u2019s not waste time and dive right into it!<\/p>\n<p>You can also skip around with the Table of Contents, should you please.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_39 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-668456abd706c\" class=\"cssicon\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\" \/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-668456abd706c\" class=\"cssiconcheckbox\">1<\/label><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-668456abd706c\" checked><nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 \"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/usb-c-vs-usb-3-difference\/#A_Brief_on_USB\" title=\"A Brief on USB\">A Brief on USB<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/usb-c-vs-usb-3-difference\/#USB-C_vs_USB_3_Whats_The_Difference\" title=\"USB-C vs USB 3: What\u2019s The Difference?\">USB-C vs USB 3: What\u2019s The Difference?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/usb-c-vs-usb-3-difference\/#FAQ\" title=\"FAQ\">FAQ<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/usb-c-vs-usb-3-difference\/#What_is_USB_Type-C_Used_For\" title=\"What is USB Type-C Used For?\">What is USB Type-C Used For?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/usb-c-vs-usb-3-difference\/#Is_Apple_Switching_To_USB-C\" title=\"Is Apple Switching To USB-C?\">Is Apple Switching To USB-C?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/usb-c-vs-usb-3-difference\/#Is_USB4_The_Same_As_USB-C\" title=\"Is USB4 The Same As USB-C?\">Is USB4 The Same As USB-C?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/usb-c-vs-usb-3-difference\/#Over_to_You\" title=\"Over to You\">Over to You<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Brief_on_USB\"><\/span>A Brief on USB<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24624\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/Types-of-USB-Ports.jpg\" alt=\"Types of USB Ports\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/Types-of-USB-Ports.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/Types-of-USB-Ports-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/Types-of-USB-Ports-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/Types-of-USB-Ports-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/Types-of-USB-Ports-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-24624 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Types of USB Ports\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/Types-of-USB-Ports.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/Types-of-USB-Ports-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/Types-of-USB-Ports-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/Types-of-USB-Ports-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/Types-of-USB-Ports-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/Types-of-USB-Ports.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>USB ports come in a variety of shapes and form factors, or \u201cTypes\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The \u201cstandard\u201d USB port is a Type-A USB port.<\/p>\n<p>Many different types of USB ports exist, but Type-A and the varieties of Mini and Micro USB have been the most commonly-known and adopted until the emergence of Type-C.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"USB-C_vs_USB_3_Whats_The_Difference\"><\/span>USB-C vs USB 3: What\u2019s The Difference?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"810\" class=\"wp-image-24623\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/word-image-24620-2.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/word-image-24620-2.png 1536w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/word-image-24620-2-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/word-image-24620-2-1024x540.png 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/word-image-24620-2-768x405.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"810\" class=\"wp-image-24623 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201536%20810%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201536%20810%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/word-image-24620-2.png 1536w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/word-image-24620-2-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/word-image-24620-2-1024x540.png 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/word-image-24620-2-768x405.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/word-image-24620-2.png\"><\/p>\n<p>So, what is the difference between USB-C and USB 3?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Simple: Type-C is a USB port type, and USB 3 is a USB <em>generation<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>USB Type-C is the newest USB port <em><strong>type (or <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">shape<\/span>, as can be seen in the image above)<\/strong><\/em>, but has actually been around since the days of USB 2. Once USB 3 hit, though, USB Type-C became a much more widely accepted standard, especially used for charging mobile devices.<\/p>\n<p><strong>USB-C<\/strong> can be plugged in both ways,supports the fastest USB generations (3.2 Gen1x2, 3.2 Gen2x2 [10Gbit\/s]), is smaller and is currently in development to support USB gen 4.0 (2.0), which will allow for considerably higher transfer speeds (up to 80Gbit\/s).<\/p>\n<p><strong>USB-A<\/strong> on the other hand will forever take three tries to plug in, isn't being actively developed anymore, meaning it likely won't be granted any speed &#8220;upgrades&#8221; in the future. It supports slower USB generations (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, resp. 3.2 Gen 1&#215;2[4.8Gbit\/s max]), which is sufficient for many devices like peripherals, but insufficient for devices like external storage drives that need fast transfer speeds.<\/p>\n<p>USB naming conventions and name changes are a true headscratcher and it's no surprise consumers are confused. USB 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2, for example have been renamed to USB 3.2 Gen 1&#215;1, USB 3.2 Gen 1&#215;2, USB 3.2 Gen 2&#215;2, supposedly to clear up confusion... which certainly backfired. With the upcoming USB 4.0 2.0, confusion seems to persist. It's best to consult the above image\/table to consult the transfer speeds.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_USB_Type-C_Used_For\"><\/span>What is USB Type-C Used For?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>USB Type-C is most commonly seen with modern smart devices, usually as a charging cable<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Type-C ports usually support USB 3.0 or faster as well, making them a common choice to use with external docking stations, SSDs, and the such.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Also, besides advancements in speed and such, the biggest improvement brought to Type-C is actually the symmetric form factor<\/strong>. Because of this symmetry, you can insert it in any direction, unlike the asymmetrical ports used by all other USB connectors.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Apple_Switching_To_USB-C\"><\/span>Is Apple Switching To USB-C?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Albeit reluctantly, yes.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Apple devices are slowly being forced off of proprietary chargers, with USB-C even being available to iPhone 15.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_24625\" style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24625\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-24625 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/iPhone-15-USB-C-Port.jpg\" alt=\"iPhone 15 USB C Port\" width=\"1920\" height=\"974\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/iPhone-15-USB-C-Port.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/iPhone-15-USB-C-Port-300x152.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/iPhone-15-USB-C-Port-1024x519.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/iPhone-15-USB-C-Port-768x390.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/iPhone-15-USB-C-Port-1536x779.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24625\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-24625 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201920%20974%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"iPhone 15 USB C Port\" width=\"1920\" height=\"974\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201920%20974%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/iPhone-15-USB-C-Port.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/iPhone-15-USB-C-Port-300x152.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/iPhone-15-USB-C-Port-1024x519.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/iPhone-15-USB-C-Port-768x390.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/iPhone-15-USB-C-Port-1536x779.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2023\/11\/iPhone-15-USB-C-Port.jpg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-24625\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ZiP1l7jlIIA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apple<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Many other Apple devices already support USB-C charging as well.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_USB4_The_Same_As_USB-C\"><\/span>Is USB4 The Same As USB-C?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>No.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>USB4 is a newer version of the USB standard and also standardizes Type-C as the main port form factor of choice instead of Type-A<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve written more about USB4 and other standards in my <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/all-usb-ports-explained\/\"><strong>All USB Ports Explained Guide<\/strong><\/a>, should you want to learn more about the variations of USB.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Over_to_You\"><\/span>Over to You<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>And that\u2019s all, for now!<\/p>\n<p>This is definitely one of our shorter articles, but that\u2019s just because this article is one of our more straightforward questions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Despite Type-C surging in prominence alongside USB 3, the two actually <em>aren\u2019t<\/em> the same<\/strong>, and Type-C will continue to see use in USB 4, Thunderbolt 3, and other standards.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Any other questions about USB standards or PC hardware? Ask them in the <a href=\"#comments\">comments<\/a> section below, and I\u2019ll be happy to help you. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Alternatively, you can try the G100 <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/forum\/\">Forum<\/a> for long-form discussions with the rest of the Team and Community of Experts and Enthusiasts.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Until then or until next time, happy computing!<\/strong> And remember: USB 3.X naming is an unending nightmare.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Today, we\u2019re covering USB-C vs USB-3: what\u2019s the difference? More importantly, how does that difference impact you, the end user, and what do you need to know about USB ports moving forward? Let\u2019s not waste time and dive right into it! You can also skip around with the Table of Contents, should you please. A...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2339,"featured_media":24621,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[209],"tags":[280],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24620"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2339"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24620"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24620\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24973,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24620\/revisions\/24973"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}