A Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industrial standard responsible for establishing specifications for cables, connectors, and protocols for connection, communication, and power supply between gadgets, computers, and peripheral devices.
It’s an external serial bus interface standard, with different versions, and each of them has an advantage over the other. This guide comes to compare and contrast USB C vs Micro USB in terms of charging speed, durability, and more characteristics.
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Difference between USB Drive and Flash Drive
A USB hard drive is an external hard drive that connects via USB while a USB Flash Drive (also known as keychain drive) is a solid-state device without moving parts that connect to the USB port of your computer. Let us get down to the core reason of this article in detail of each term. We look at USB C Vs Micro USB, the different features, pros, and cons of each.
USB type C features
USB type C is a 24-pin USB connector system with a rationally symmetrical connector. It carries significantly more power enabling it to charge larger devices such as laptops. It is made of a smaller connector shape which is reversible, either way, thus, has no tail or head connector which makes it easier for the plugin. Whether you insert it Upside or downside, it all works right.
USB type c can be used for both data transfer and power delivery. It is rapidly being implemented in storage devices, from flash drives to external hard drivers. USB port looks just similar to a Micro USB port, but the difference comes in shape, it is oval and slightly thicker than that of Micro USB.
Devices that Use USB type C
- Wired mouse
- Keyboard
- Smart home devices
- Speakers
USB C Speed factor
- USB type C is built on USB 3.1 data transfer standard, which makes it almost double the transfer speed offered by USB 3, thus, at 10Gbps.
- In terms of power, USB type C isn’t limited only to 12 Watts of charging power. It is capable of powering devices up to 100 Watts making it 20 times faster than most other USB version types.
USB C Durability
If your question is like, Will my USB type C wear out easily?—then the answer is yes if you continuously plug and unplug it. Why not then? There isn’t a USB that doesn’t wear out, all of them do, and their durability then is more based on how they are handled.
Pros of USB type c
- The fact that it’s reversible, thus, it can be connected either way in all orientations and direction which means, both ends of the USB type C are the same.
- The current connector system of USB type c promotes the adoption of USB 3.1 and USB 3.2 which makes it easy to support modern USB versions
- It carries up to 100 Watts of power and data speed of up to 10Gbps which increases its extensive usability with gadgets and other devices.
- USB type c is small and thinner if compared to type A, although slightly bigger than Micro USB.
Cons of USB type c
- The mere fact that USB type c has different applications and compatibilities is enough to bring confusion. In other words, a device that implements USB c might not necessarily mean it will be compatible with the latest USB versions.
- There might be a necessity for proper definition and labeling of USB type C, This is due to the fact that both ends of a USB c are similar, and this may cause more confusion as mentioned above.
Here is a quick YouTube guide on the USB Type C
Micro USB features
Micro USB is a miniaturized version of USB which was developed for connecting Mobile devices such as, MP3 players, GPS devices, photo printers, and digital cameras. Micro USB supports both plug and play and is hot-swappable.
Micro USB has been used by Android smartphones and tablets for data transmission and power delivery ever since its introduction in 2008.
Smart phones that use Micro USB
Certain smartphones still use Micro USB, which might seem like a bummer for those who want to enjoy some of the advantages of USB Type C like fast charging.
- Oppo A9 2020
- Samsung Galaxy A11
- Nokia 4.2
- Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite
- Xiaomi Redmi 7A
Micro USB Speed factor
A standard Micro USB transmits data at rates up to 480 Mbps. However, a flat-shaped Micro USB cable that supports USB 3.0 is a cable transmitting up to 5Gbps. Micro USB looks slightly smaller than USB type C.
Pros of Micro USB
- It offers higher data transfer rates of up to 480 Mbps depending on the compatibility of the device and the USB port it supports.
- It is small than USB type c which gives it an advantage of portability and capable of saving space
Cons of USB type c
- It offers a comparably lower speed in both data transfer and power delivery as compared to USB type c
ALSO READ: USB 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 4.0 and Thunderbolt [Specs and Feature comparison]