USB - A ( aka USB Type A ) is a common port constitute on various twist , most perceptibly on laptops and desktop PCs . But what welfare does USB - A offer and why should you handle ?
We ’ve produce this guide to explain what functionality USB - A provides and how it differs from other mutual port such asUSB - C , HDMI and more .
What is USB-A?
USB - A is currently the most common USB type , and is detect on various devices such as laptops and screen background data processor . It can be used for data point transfer , such as plug in an external hard ride or USB control stick to back up papers , photos and video . Most peripherals , such as wired keyboard and mice , expend a USB - A connection too .
you may name a USB - A connexion from other USB formats via its orthogonal shape . It has often been compared to a duck’s egg ’s nib . In comparability , USB - C uses an oval embodiment , and so you would n’t be able to plug a USB - A cable into a USB - C port , and frailty versa .
USB - A is classed as a legacy port , and is slowly being phased out . USB - A is limit to data transference , while the newer USB - degree Celsius standard can be used for power pitch and display output too , while also offering loyal data transfer speeds .
As a termination , many new devices no longer sustain USB - A. Laptops such as theMacBook AirandDell XPS 13do not offer up USB - A connections , as manufacturing business want to take the chunky port so as to make portables as slim as potential . That mean you ’ll take to expend a USB - C adaptor if you want to use your old peripherals with such devices .
That ’s not to say you may no longer regain USB - A port on modern laptops . play laptopstypically boast USB - A since gamers often use wired peripherals , while maker such as Acer and Lenovo broadly speaking essay to keep the USB - A connection to keep users happy .
What type of USB-A connections are there?
USB - A come in various unlike tang , so not all connections offer the same performance .
The former version of USB - A launched in 1996 and is call up USB 1.0 , offering maximum speeds of 1.5 Mbit / s. The latest version , called USB 3.1 , launched in 2013 and flaunts hasten up to 10 Gbps .
you’re able to crack out the full breakdown below .
It ’s unlikely that we ’ll see new generation of USB - A going fore , with focus switch over to USB - C instead . The latest coevals of USB - C is call USB4 V2 , which offer breakneck speeds of 80 Gbps – that ’s 8x faster than the speediest USB - A connection .
As a result , there ’s no doubtfulness that USB - C has a higher performance ceiling than USB - A , but the latter is still very useful when using peripheral equipment , extraneous storage and USB stick that have n’t quite catch up with the newer standard .
