Cables

In simple terms, a USB cable is a medium used to connect devices supporting the universal serial bus (USB) protocol and transfer data to them. The connected device can be a smartphone, a tablet, or peripherals like keyboards, printers, etc. USB cords are very popular today and even have become something no one can virtually live without in today’s digital world.  

The 4 most common types of USB cords are listed as follows.

USB Type-A: This is the most common type of USB connector and is rectangular in shape. It is often found on computers and chargers.

USB Type-C: This is a newer, more versatile connector that is reversible, meaning you can plug it in either way. USB C cables are becoming increasingly common on newer devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets. It can support faster data transfer speeds and higher power delivery than older USB types.

USB Micro-B: This connector is mostly used for connecting small devices like microphones, speakers, power banks, earphones, and toys. It features a rounded top and a flat bottom in shape.

USB Lightening: This is the main cable used for connecting Apple devices including iPhones, iPad, iPods, etc. However, Apple now also supports USB-C to Lightning cables for better compatibility.

Generally speaking, you can differentiate USB cables by 2 ways:

1. Check the connector shapes which vary from smaller (Micro-B), oval (Lightning), rectangle (USB-A) or symmetrical (USB-C) ones. And we usually name a cable the type whichever end isn’t the standard USB-A connector. For example, if a charging cable has USB-A and USB-C connectors on two ends, then we call it a USB Type C cable or a USB A to USB C cable. And a data cable with the same connector at both sides will be that type of cable. For example, a USB-A connector at both sides will be a USB-A cable.

2. We can also tell the version of USB cords by looking at the color of the inner plastic part in the connector. Typically, white refers to USB 1.0, black USB 2.0 and blue USB 3.0.

No. Not all USB cables behave the same for charging as you may see that some chargers can charge your phone faster than others. Actually, their charging performance can be affected by several factors such as the cable length, the wire gauge, and the supported protocol version. Generally, a higher version of the protocol usually indicates faster charging and data transfer.

iPhone mainly uses the USB-A to Lightning cable, which is characterized by an oval shape at the Lightning port. This is a bi-directional cable which means it can be inserted on either side. In addition, some latest iPhone models support USB-C to Lightning cables and USB-C power adapters now to enable fast charging and various charging options like from portable power stations.

Yes, nearly all contemporary USB cables support both charging and data transfer functions. Nevertheless, data transfer might not be supported by very basic and damaged cables, which makes them charge-only, so they should be avoided.