Is USB-C the Same as Micro USB or USB 3.0?

USB C simply refers to the shape of the 24-pin connector, which can be either a plug or a socket. The connector has more pins than previous USB shapes such as A and mini B, so it can charge devices and transfer data at extremely fast speeds. The main purpose of creating USB C was to eliminate all the various cables and adapters, thus providing a more universal solution for charging and data transfer.

As mentioned earlier, USB C refers to the shape of the 24-pin connector. Just because a cable is USB C does not mean that it supports a specific power, transfer speed or protocol. For example, if the cable is USB C, it may be USB 3.1 (fast data transfer), 2.0 (slower data transfer) or some other specification.

How is it different from other USB data cables?

Backwards compatibility. Most older cables have a host side (USB B) and a device side (Micro B). USB C has a dual role and is reversible. This means that it can transmit power and data in both directions.

Some cables can transmit large amounts of power to a power monitor or laptop.

USB C can operate in alternative modes such as DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, HDMI or USB 3.1.

The cable's excellent interoperability means that it is highly supported by many trusted organisations and is becoming a common feature for many devices.

USB C to HDMI Cable Supporting 4K 60Hz

Is USB-C the same as Micro USB or USB 3.0?

The USB-C connector looks similar at first glance to a Micro USB or rectangular USB 3.0 connector, but it is more oval in shape and slightly thicker to suit its best feature: reversibility.

Like Lightning and MagSafe, the USB-C connector has no upward or downward orientation. Align the connector correctly and you can plug it in without turning it over; the "right way" is always up. Both ends of the standard cable also have the same connector, so you don't have to figure out which end goes where. This is not the case with all the USB cables we have been using for the last 20 years. Most of the time, each end has a different connector.

USB-C and USB 3.2: the numbers under the port

Where USB-C gets tricky is in the numbers connected to the port. the most common speed rated for USB-C connectors is 10Gbps. (In theory, 10Gbps is twice the speed of the original USB 3.0.) USB-C ports that support this peak speed are called "USB 3.2 Gen 1x2".

A smaller wrinkle is that USB ports with 10Gbps speeds can also exist in the original larger shape (the USB Type-A rectangle we all know) and are called "USB 3.2 Gen 2x1". However, with the exception of some desktops, it is more common to find 10Gbps speed USB ports with USB-C physical connectors. Note: Some older USB-C ports only support a maximum speed of 5Gbps, so it is important to look for the "USB 3.2 Gen 1x2" or "10Gbps" name to verify that a given USB-C port supports 10Gbps transfer is very important. That said, all of these ports are backwards compatible, just at the speed of the slowest element.

Confused yet? To complicate matters further: the numbering scheme around USB 3 is always changing, making references to these ports a bit of a swamp. Until recently, many USB-C ports carried the Gen 1 and Gen 2 style USB 3.1 label ("USB 3.2" was yet to appear), and some spec sheets continued to reference the old names as well as the SuperSpeed branding. Confusingly, the USB-IF has decided to drop the use of "USB 3.1" in favour of these different styles of USB 3.2, as described in this handy decoder chart below ......

USB name chart

The USB 3.2, USB 3.1 and SuperSpeed names you see in each row above are equivalent, just with different names. If you see the USB 3.1 label, it is best to ask the device manufacturer or distributor directly for the maximum transfer speed of the port.

The source is from here.