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Not every USB-C port will work with all the possible features of USB-C, either.
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Buying the best USB-C cables comes at a premium. If you buy a third-party cable (even a high-quality one), it may prevent you from taking advantage of the feature. For example, your phone might offer USB-C fast charging, but only with the cable that came in the box. One major problem is the amount of variance in USB-C devices. Aside from the naming confusion with USB 3, there are other usability issues affecting everyday users. This is an interface developed by Intel and Apple that allows for much faster connections when transferring data.Īs you've probably noted, these standards are nowhere close to perfect. While we're discussing USB standards, it's important to also mention Thunderbolt. And keep in mind that these transfer rates are all theoretical maximums the real-world speeds probably won't reach those heights. You'll just be limited to the slowest speed supported by either device or the cable.
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These standards are all backward-compatible, so if you plug a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 cable into a USB 3.0 slot, it will work fine. Marketers like to use general terms like "USB 3.2" without specifying the generation, so make sure you know what you're actually getting. But this standard is still in its early stages, and is thus not widely available at the time of writing.īecause of these overlapping terms that are easy to confuse, it's important to check the specific details on a cable (or device) before you buy it. Looking forward, USB 4 was released in 2019 and only works with USB-C connectors.
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