The digital revolution would not be the same without USB. This universal serial bus has kept us company for the last 25 years. But things have changed a lot since the first standard was released in 1996.

Today, we have different USB specifications for connectors, protocols, and cables such as USB C hub. One of the most popular connectors, which more and more mobile devices incorporate, is USB type C or USB-C. It is important to note that Type C only refers to the connector and does not influence the standard or type of cable. That is to say, it only tells us about how the cable and device are connected, not about the speed of data transmission. However, many users have a common question - What is the longest USB-C cable available? Let’s find out its answer in this guide. And we will also know the differences between types of USB connectors.

What is a USB type C?

Since its release, USB has become a popular connection type. The connectors could only be plugged in one way, which could sometimes lead to confusion. USB type C was designed to end this problem since it is the first reversible connector. Its flat, oval shape and with the 24 pins distributed symmetrically means that the side on which we connect it does not matter.

USB Type-C was introduced to society by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) in 2014, coinciding in time with the development of the USB 3.1 standard, which initially allowed transmission rates of up to 10 Gbit per second. It has sought, from the beginning, to become a common connector, since it supports different protocols and connections such as HDMI, DisplayPort Thunderbolt, and USB 3.1. However, its implementation has been quite chaotic.

What is the longest USB-C cable available?

Currently, on the market, you can easily find a USBC 3.1 Generation 2 cable up to 3 meters in length. However, you can also find a USB Type-C cable up to 3 meters in length.

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Differences between types of USB connectors:

USB type C is, as we said, a type of connector. It has nothing to do directly with the connection standard or the type of cable. These are the main differences between USB connectors:

USB type-A. It is the classic connector, which comes with standards 1.0 and 2.0 (with four pins, with little presence on the market today) and 3.0 and 3.1 (with eight pins).

USB type B. It is the square-shaped connector that we usually find in scanners and printers. It also shows different standards depending on its age.

Mini and micro versions. Each of the above has smaller versions, common in peripherals and mobile devices. It is in this field that USB type C has become an increasingly used alternative.

The first versions of USB A and B only support transmission standards 1.0 and 2.0. This means that, at most, with the right cables and devices, they reach a speed of 480 Mbit per second. The latest versions support, however, USB 3.1, reaching up to 10 Gbit per second. Although they do not reach the 20 that the latest revision of this standard supports. The mini and micro never got past USB 2.0.

What devices use USB Type C?

USB-C was born parallel to the USB 3.1 standard. Thus, in general, all devices developed later that support this standard will incorporate at least one USB type C port. The same happens for those that support the Thunderbolt 3 standard.

In this way, USB type C is already a common connector in laptops (for data transfer, battery charging, or both), mobile devices, and Best USB C docking station. Among the latter, the exception is made by Apple devices, since type C is not present in any iPhone model for now and among iPads, it only appears in Pro models.

USB-C is also common in all kinds of peripherals, from speakers to mice, and in other types of connections, such as HDMI. This apparent versatility is, despite what it may seem, the great weakness of USB type C.

USB-C problems:

As we have pointed out throughout this article, USB type C is just a connector, the most versatile of the USBs and the one with the greatest data transmission and charging capacity. However, its performance depends on other factors, such as the devices you connect to and the type of cable. In addition, not all USB-C are the same, and, depending on the manufacturer, their characteristics vary.

With support for so many transmission formats, signals, and power supply options, it has become anything but a reference standard. Many manufacturers do not specify what their USB-C port or connector can and cannot do. In practice, this has become multiple problems of use if each device is not used with the cables and connectors provided by the manufacturer.