How many USB connectors are there?
In this guide I invite you to take a tour of the fascinating world of USB connectors. Whether you have a lot of knowledge about computers or you have just started in this world, if you want to learn more about this connection and all its variants, I invite you to stay with me. So does this mean that there are many types of USB connectors? Yes, and here we are going to talk about all of them.
In the following sections I am going to classify USB connections using various criteria. Perhaps when you read the title of this post you thought that I would focus on the form factor of the connector itself. Or maybe you thought I was going to mention the underlying technologies and their versions. In any case, you would be right.
Types of USB according to their version
The first way we have to classify USBs is by version. The same thing happens with this connector as with other protocols, connections and standards: from time to time it is updated to introduce improvements. For example, you’ve probably heard of WiFi 7, the latest available version of the WiFi standard. With it, greater stability in the wireless connection and higher speed is achieved.
Well then, The same thing happens with USB technology.. There was a first version that has been evolving and updating to this day. I invite you to learn about all the changes that have come to the standard.
USB 1.0
It is known as the first USB standard. It is the original version of this connector. It was launched on the market in 1996. As you can imagine, the transfer rate was very low, barely 1.5 Mbit/s or 188 kB/s. It quickly became popular among the main peripherals. Soon, keyboards, mice and webcams came to use it.
The main objective set with USB 1.0 was to simplify the connection of peripherals to computer equipment. This version was released with the most popular form factor, namely USB-A or USB type A. It’s one that still endures to this day, despite stiff competition from USB-C.
USB 1.1
With the update USB 1.1 the concept arrived plug and play. This means that the peripherals could work just by being connected to the computer, no need to install additional software. Although it may seem trivial, this change represented a notable improvement over the 1.0 standard. Systems like Windows 98 quickly became compatible with all types of devices. plug and play. By the way, I haven’t told you, but USB 1.1 arrived in 1998two years after the original release.
Another important point is that the data transfer speed increased up to 12 Mbit/s or 1.5 MB/s. Although this improvement was considerable compared to its predecessor, it was still far from the speeds that later standards would achieve.
USB 2.0
The standard USB 2.0 was launched in the year 2001. Even though it has been with us for more than two decades, it is still easy to find cables and devices that make use of it. Although it reached transfer rates of up to 480 Mbit/s or 60 MB/sthis was not the most interesting improvement from a practical point of view. Yes, it is true that it helped you save time when transferring data to a storage unit, but it was also capable of charging devices.
In addition to integrating two lines for data, it also came with two power lines for charge devices at 2.5W power. In this way, users who needed to connect a peripheral no longer had to provide an additional electrical connection. Everything was done by the USB itself. It is interesting to remember that, although in most cases a single cable was enough to charge the accessory, some came with two connectors for double the power. For example, a keyboard used to be powered by a single USB, while some hard drives needed a connection with two ports.
USB 3.0
He USB 3.0 was presented in 2008. At that point, it is a significant jump in data transfer speed. This standard offers a speed of up to 4.8 Gbit/s or 600 MB/s. Ten times more than its predecessor! This was made possible by the addition of five additional contacts in the connector.
Another detail that may interest you is that the USB 3.0 connectors can be differentiated very easily because They come with the blue inner tab. This rule is not always followed, but this is normal.
USB 3.1
The standard USB 3.1also known SuperSpeedwas released in 2013 and doubled the speed of the previous version. It offered a transfer rate of up to 10 Gbit/s or 1.2 GB/s. In addition, this new standard became the most common among USB-C connectors, which I will tell you about later.
At this point we must talk about a controversy related to the names of each version. And the entity in charge of defining USB standards, USB-IF, had the brilliant idea of renaming USB 3.0 as USB 3.1 Gen 1. For its part, USB 3.1 was technically USB 3.1 Gen 2.
This confusing name complicated the identification of the standard in the market. It was not unusual to buy a USB 3.1 cable thinking it was compatible with the latest standard, when in fact it was a USB 3.1 Gen 1, that is, a USB 3.0. Without a doubt, a bad decision.
USB 3.2
The last version of the third generation of USB was USB 3.2, presented in 2017. It is capable of offering speeds of up to 20 Gbit/s or 2.5 GB/s. The first peripherals to use this standard hit the market in 2020.
Once again, with the arrival of this version, USB-IF once again made life difficult for consumers by using confusing names. Here is a list that simplifies the whole mess a little:
- USB 3.2 Gen 1 (formerly USB 3.1 Gen 1 and originally USB 3.0).
- USB 3.2 Gen 2 (formerly USB 3.1 Gen 2. This is the original USB 3.1)
- USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (the new USB 3.2)
Leaving aside this mess, what is evident is that with this new standard a milestone was reached in what has to do with the transfer rate. This was necessary in some professional fields, such as super high resolution video editing.
USB4
Finally, the latest version available is USB4, presented in 2019. Get speeds of up to 40 Gbit/s or 5 GB/s in data transfer. There is also a USB4 v2 specification that achieves up to 80 Gbps theoretical maximum speed.
Something crucial to note is that this version only compatible with USB-C. The USB-A or USB-B connectors remain, therefore, anchored in previous versions. Without a doubt, this confirms what many imagine: USB-C is the future.
Types of USB depending on connector form factor
In addition to the version they use, USB connectors can also be differentiated by form factor. This means that, despite using the same technology, there are connectors with different sizes and designs. Next, I invite you to learn about all the types that have existed.
USB Type A
The USB-A or USB type A connector is the most popular of all, with the permission of USB-C. It has a very characteristic rectangular shape and is used, above all, in the field of computing. In fact, it is available in a wide range of peripherals, from keyboards to cameras to hard drives.
This connector has supported all available versions of USB, from 1.0 to 3.2. Now it seems doomed to a slow and agonizing disappearancebecause with USB4 it has been decided to leave it aside. It won’t happen overnight, but as devices and peripherals are updated to work faster, USB-A will disappear.
USB Type B
The USB-A or USB Type B connector is characterized by its almost square shape, and is mainly used to connect peripherals such as printers and scanners. Although it is often used only to provide power, it is also capable of transmitting data. It is important to note that there are two variants of this connector. On the one hand, there is the traditional version used for standards USB 1.0 and 2.0. Then, there is the blue variant, which has a different shape, used only for the version USB 3.0. This is something that does not happen with the rest of the connectors, which do not change their shape when adopting a new version of the standard.
USB Type C
We come to what, in all likelihood, will become the predominant type of connector in the next decade. USB-C or USB type C has some peculiarities that differentiate it from its predecessors. In addition to being a more recent connector, it stands out for this:
- It is reversible.
- It is only compatible with USB 3.1 version and its successors.
- This form factor is used with other transmission protocols, such as Thunderbolt 3 and 4.
- It is very versatile. Allows you to transfer data, audio, video or charge devices.
- It is the only one compatible with USB4.
Currently, this 24-pin connector is the natural successor to USB-A and USB-B. Also other connectors, such as audio or video.
Mini and micro variants
The mini and micro variants of USB have historically served to adapt the main connector to specific uses where less space was available to insert the connection port. For example, before the arrival of USB-C, it was normal for Android devices to have a wireless connection. microUSB type B.
The complete list of variants is this:
Mini USBs had limited popularity because they were replaced by micro USBs. In turn, these have been displaced due to the advantages that USB-C presents. Yet, micro USB type B remains one of the most popular small format variantsespecially on mobile devices and other devices that require charging.
Lightning port
The port Lightning is a proprietary Apple connector that, from 2025, is officially deprecatedalthough there are still many devices that use it. Since the iPhone 15, the company has started to use USB-C on all its devices. It was the replacement for the 30-pin dock used in the first iPhone and iPod. It stands out for being reversible and for using only 8 pins, a notable reduction considering those used by its predecessor. This port worked with USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 versions.
Types of USB connectors by color
The last way to classify USB connectors is by color coding. It is important to make it clear that the use of different tones not included in the official specification. So it is not uncommon for colors to be selected by manufacturers for their own purposes. For example, green USBs are characteristic of Razer laptops, although it is nothing more than a design choice.
In any case, here is a summary of the most common colors:
- White. Typical color in USB 1.0.
- Black. Typical color in USB 2.0.
- Blue. Used on USB 3.0 connectors.
- Greenish blue. Common in USB 3.1 SuperSpeed+.
- Purple. Huawei SuperCharge.
- Green. Qualcomm fast charging.
- red or orange. Occasionally, it is used to differentiate USB 3.1 from 3.0, which are blue. They may also indicate that the port is capable of charging a device even if the computer is turned off.
Colors are typically used on USB-A and USB-B receptacles and connectors. On the contrary, it is not very common to see it in USB-C ports.
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