USB 1. 0: This is the oldest USB standard. USB 1. 0 cables are capable of data transfer speeds of up to 12 Mbps (Megabytes per second). This is not fast enough to use as a video cable connection. USB 1. 0 carries an electrical current of 5 volts (V), 0. 5 amps (A), and a max power of 2. 5 watts (W), which is not enough power to support fast-charging. USB 2. 0: USB 2. 0 was the first ‘hi-speed’ USB standard. They are capable of data transfer speeds of up to 480 Mbps. This is faster than USB 1. 0, but still not fast enough to use as a video cable connection. USB 2. 0 has the same power output as USB 1. 0 and does not support fast charging. USB 3. 0: USB 3. 0 is the first “SuperSpeed” USB standard. It is capable of a data transfer speed of up to 5 Gbps (Gigabytes per second) which is fast enough to use as a video cable. Like USB 2. 0, they deliver a power output of 5V, but unlike USB 2. 0, they can deliver nearly double the watts (4. 5W) and amps (0. 9A) of a normal USB 2. 0 cable. This means it may be able to charge a little faster than a USB 2. 0 cable, but is still not considered a fast-charging cable. USB 3. 1: USB 3. 1 is also a “SuperSpeed+” USB standard. USB 3. 1 cables are capable of data transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps and are capable of video transfer. USB 3. 1 has a power output of between 5V to 48V, between 0. 5A to 0. 9A, and up to 240W. These cables are generally considered fast charging cables. USB 3. 2: USB 3. 2 is also a “SuperSpeed+” standard. USB 3. 2 is capable of data transfer speeds of up to 20 Gbps. This is fast enough to use as a video cable connection. They have the same power output as a USB 3. 1 and are generally considered fast charging cables. USB 4. 0: USB 4. 0 is the latest standard. USB 4. 0 is capable of data transfer speeds of up to 40 Gbps. This is more than enough speed to use as a video cable connection. They have the same power output as a USB 3. 1 and 3. 2, and are generally considered fast charging cables.
USB Type-A: USB Type-A is the most common male connector you will see on a USB cable. They may be used on USB 1. 0 up to USB 3. 2. They are a rectangle-shaped (12mm x 4. 5mm) metal plug. Cables with this type of connector may be capable of fast charging, but they usually aren’t as fast as USB Type-C connectors. USB Type-B: USB Type-B connectors are somewhat obsolete. They are most commonly used on older PC accessories, like printers. They have an 8mm square-shaped metal plug with notched corners on the top. They can be used with USB 1. 0 and 2. 0. There is also a USB 3. 0 configuration that is a little bit taller (8mm x 10. 45mm). These cable types usually aren’t capable of fast charging. [2] X Research source USB Type-C: USB Type-C is one of the newest standards for USB cables. They have a thin, oval-shaped metal connector (8. 24mm x 2. 4mm). They support all USB standards. Some USB cables have a USB Type-A plug on one end and USB Type-C on the other end. Apple cables may have a USB Type-C on one end, and a Lightning connection type on the other end. These cables are fast, but the fastest cables have a USB Type-C on both ends, or a USB Type-C on one end and a Lightning connection on the other end. USB Mini: USB Mini is an older standard that isn’t used on as many newer devices. They have a small rectangle-shaped metal plug (6. 75mm x 3. 0mm) with notched corners on the bottom. USB Mini plugs can be used with USB 1. 0 and USB 2. 0 cables. They are not capable of fast data transfer or fast charging. Micro USB: Micro USB connectors are also rectangle-shaped with notched corners on the bottom. They are much thinner than USB Mini connectors (6. 85mm x 1. 8mm). They are most commonly used on Android devices that are slightly older. The standard Micro USB connector supports USB 2. 0, while the extended 12. 25mm x 1. 8mm Micro USB plug supports USB 3. 0. Lightning: Lightning connectors are most commonly used with Apple devices. They support nearly all USB standards and are generally capable of fast charging. They have a square-shaped (6. 7mm x 6. 7mm) solid metal plug with 8 metal pins on the tip. Thunderbolt 3: Thunderbolt 3 cables are also most commonly used with Apple devices. They support all the latest USB standards and are capable of fast charging. They have the exact same plug as USB Type-C. Thunderbolt 3 cables usually have a lightning bolt icon on them.
White: USB 1. 0 (Data speed up to 12 Mbps, power output: 5V, 0. 5A, 2. 5W). Black: USB 2. 0 (Data speed up to 480 Mbps, power output: 5V, 0. 5A, 2. 5W). Blue: USB 3. 0 (Data speed up to 5 Gbps, power output: 5V, 0. 5-0. 9A 4. 5W). Teal: USB 3. 1 (Data speed up to 10 Gbps, power output: 5-48V, 0. 5-5A, up to 240W). Red: USB 3. 2 (Data speed up to 20 Gbps, power output: 5-48V, 0. 5-5A, up to 240W). Yellow: High Power USB 2. 0 and 3. 0 (fast charging). Orange: Charge only USB 3. 0
