Understanding USB Standards: 2.0 vs. 3.0 vs. USB-C

In a world that is becoming more digitally based we see that the way we connect to, charge and transfer data is more important than ever before. A technology which has become very universal and easy to recognize in this respect is USB, which stands for Universal Serial Bus. Over the years we have seen the USB standards improve, they have gotten faster and more efficient than ever. If at some point you have been confused by the difference between USB 2.0, USB 3.0 and USB-C you are not the only one. We often see these terms in product specifications and tech talk — often without very good explanation.

This article goes into detail on these standards to clarify what they are, how they differ from each other, and also why it matters.

What Is USB?

Before jumping into the various versions of USB it’s helpful to know what it is. Computers and electronic gadgets connect, communicate, and receive power through the usage of USB, a collection of standards for cables, connections, and communication protocols. Since the mid-1990s it has been in use and since then has become the primary interface for keyboards, mice, flash drives, external hard drives, smartphones and monitors.

USB 2.0: In the early 2000s.

Released in 2000, USB 2.0 saw a great improvement over USB 1.1. We saw data transfer rates of up to 480 Mbps which is a large jump from the 12 Mbps that came with USB 1.1. Also at this time we saw the introduction of better power management as well as the increase in the types of devices supported.

Key Features of USB 2.0:

• Speed: Up to 480 Mb/s.
• Power Output: Up to 5V, 0.5A which is the same as 2.5W.
• Compatibility: Backwards compatible with USB 1.1.
• Connector Types: Type A, Type B, Mini USB, Micro USB.

Despite what you may think of its age USB 2.0 is very much in use today in fact we see it’s present in low bandwidth peripherals like keyboards, mice and printers. Also due to its reliability and wide scale adoption it has become a mainstay in the world of basic computing.

Limitations:

However as USB 2.0 grew old we saw the rise of high definition media and large file sizes. Also due to slow transfer rates it was not the best for heavy data use such as HD video files or running external SSDs.

USB 3.0: Rapid Boost.

In 2008 we saw the release of USB 3.0. This version brought in speeds of up to 5 Gbps which is over 10 times what we had with USB 2.0. The speed increase saw this port being used for high performance tasks that included large file transfer, external storage and also video streaming.

Key Features of USB 3.0:

• Speed: Up to 5 Gigabits per second.
• Power Output: Up to 4.5W (5V 0.9A).
• Backward Compatibility: Works with USB 2.0 ports and devices (at full speed).
• Connector Types: Standard Pinout A (with extra pins), Standard B, Micro B.

Visually, it is easy to note that many USB 3.0 ports and connectors have blue colored plastic inserts which is also a feature that is not present in USB 2.0. These extra pins in USB 3.0 improve performance by enabling a dual bus architecture that in turn allows for the parallel transmission and reception of data.

Benefits:

With the advent of USB 3.0, faster transfer rates were introduced for what used to be very resource intensive tasks like photo library backup and video editing which are now doable from an external drive. Also we saw an improvement in power efficiency and the ability to power more demanding peripheral devices.

Drawbacks:

One issue we saw with USB 3.0 was great variation in plug shapes. For instance we had devices which used the Micro-B connector which came in odd forms that didn’t play well with standard Micro-USB ports. This led to user confusion and frustration.

USB-C: Wide Connecter.

As technology advanced users wanted not only speed but for also a simpler more universal design. That’s where USB-C steps in. As opposed to USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 which are about data protocols, USB-C mainly is related to the physical shape of the connector. Introduced in 2014 it was made small and designed to be reversible which also solves the issue of which way the plug goes in. No more trying the plug in three times to get it to work.

But also in that USB-C is not just for convenience. It’s on account of its versatility and power.

Key Features of USB-C:

• Speed: Which depends on the USB version it supports (which may be 5 Gbps, 10 Gbps, 20 Gbps, or even higher).
• Power Output: Up to 100W with USB Power Delivery (PD).
• Reversible Connector: No more reverse connection.
• Supports Alternate Modes: Can support video (eg, HDMI, DisplayPort), audio, and also Ethernet.
• Connector Type: USB Type C only (small oval shaped).

One of the top benefits of USB-C is that it does many things at once through one port. A USB-C port on a laptop for instance takes care of data transfer, power delivery and video output at the same time. What we are seeing is that manufacturers have reduced the number of ports on devices which in turn has increased the devices’ functionality.

Real-World Impact: In the Wild:

USB-C is the go-to port for today’s latest smartphones, tablets and laptops. It enables fast charge, high speed data transfer and also helps with connecting to external displays. Also in many cases it has taken over from legacy proprietary charging and data ports.

Potential Confusion:

However I should note that USB-C is a bit of a misnomer. Not all USB-C cables and ports are the same. Some may only support USB 2.0 speeds which is a let down, while some do full speed at USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 4. So although the plug type is the same, the performance may vary greatly between what you get.