Introduced in 2014, USB-C (officially called USB Type-C) is a
highly-versatile, easy-to-use connector that can be found on everything
from desktops and laptops to mobiles and external SSDs. This simple
webpage will outline some of its key advantages.
A USB-C cable spotted in its natural habitat
Always the right way up
A day in the life of a USB-A user
Unlike the USB connectors that came before it, USB-C has
rotational symmetry. Therefore, it'll work properly no matter which
way up you plug it in. This eliminates the years of training previously
required before you're able to insert it correctly every time.
One connector to rule them all
The 24 pins of a USB-C port (click for file info)
While USB-C connectors are often used to provide low-voltage power and
mediocre data transfer speeds, they are capable of much more beyond that.
A few examples:
Data transfer at speeds up to 20 Gbps under the USB 3.2 standard
Supplying up to 240 watts of power with the
USB PD 3.1
standard
Connecting to 4K monitors by "tunneling" a DisplayPort connection
through a USB cable
You can even connect external GPUs through
PCIe tunneling
Another advantage of USB-C is that the same connector is used by host
devices (which previously used USB-A) and peripherals (previously served
by USB-B), simplifying the types of cables you'll need. In fact, the new
USB4 standard has USB-C as its only supported connector — further
demonstrating its broad capabilities.
The European Union approves
In 2022, an EU law was made to mandate USB-C as a charging connector for
small electronic devices, like smartphones, by the end of 2024. This will
solidify USB-C's position as a single charger for a wide range of devices,
making them easier and cheaper to use in the long term. This requirement
will extend to laptops by 2026, and is set to strike out Apple's use of
its proprietary Lightning charging port.
