Where is the difference between Micro-USB, Mini-USB, USB-C and Thunderbolt 3?
Regardless of whether charging or connecting mobile devices to PC and Mac: the right cable is, despite all wireless solutions, the easiest and most pleasant method to exchange data between the smartphone and the computer or to charge the devices. But why are there so many interfaces? And what do they mean?
The one has an iPhone, the other an Android tablet, the third a Windows Phone. The set "Have you ever quickly a charger for me?" Makes for this problem easily for problems: While Apple uses the proprietary Lightning connection, a lot of the Android and Windows Phone devices today on Micro-USB or USB- C, very old devices are even refilled via mini-USB. And of course, there are other types of devices that also use their own cables, such as external hard disks and peripherals such as TV adapters for the PC, digital SLRs or eBook readers. This also raises the question of what can be used where - and whether there are problems. Apart from the plug itself, the voltage supply often plays a decisive role in determining whether the device can be charged and synchronized or not. In everyday life this can be annoying.
Because of universal: USB provides numerous standards
Despite their similar range of functions, there are now numerous USB connectors. The most common thing to be encountered in everyday life is the good old type A plug: the big socket, which is usually located at the computer and power supply end of all other USB plugs. As probably would be clear at first sight, these jacks are too large for compact devices, which is why a smaller connector was already specified in 2000 with the USB 2.0 standard: the mini USB was born QacQoc GN28A.
Mini-USB: The trapezoidal connector is comparatively small and is therefore still used today, especially with compact USB peripherals and digital cameras, even smartphones and Mediaplayer of older design possess it.
In 2007, an even smaller plug-in version was launched: micro-USB - today the standard connection of many mobile devices - was waiting for its use.
The thing with Apple's proprietary interfaces
Since standard USB was too bulky for many manufacturers and the micro USB plug was anything but robust, many manufacturers - including Apple, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Nokia - developed their own proprietary plug-in systems, which is a fast one Docking of the mobile devices. These plugs were generally wider than Micro-USB and thus mechanically more robust, which is why they were a better solution for a long time despite high prices for the cables. To date, however, only Apple's Dock Connector has been used, which was used in iPods, iPhones and iPads until very recently, and can still be found on many audio devices. The reason for this is the fact that Apple's iPod system (and the iPhone and iPad platforms) have long been market leaders in this segment. An adapter can be used to convert a dock connector into a micro USB port, and it is functionally identical to the USB 2.0 standard.