Since the peripheral devices vary a great deal in shape and size, the Type-B connector and its respective port also come in many different designs. Up to now there have been five popular designs for the USB Type-B's plugs and connectors. And since the Type-A end of a USB cable remains the same, the Type-B end is used to determine the name of the cable itself. (Wikipedia has a great USB connector mating matrix you can consult.) Anyway, it's here now and is used on laptops, mobile phones, headphones, cameras, tablets and more. Data and energy are both bi-directional, so you can charge your phone from your laptop or play a movie from your laptop on your TV, say. Thunderbolt 3 has a top data transfer speed of 40Gbps as long as the cable is 0.5m (1.6 ft.) or shorter.

Here's an upcoming option that may work, a Thunderbolt hub. An example, not an endorsement: https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/owc-thunderbolt-hub The USB-C connector is now becoming widespread, which makes the cables you need to take with you that bit simpler. Please note though, that Apple iPhone and iPad devices still use the company's dedicated Lightning connector even though its laptops are moving to USB-C. Physically, the Type-C port and connector are about the same size as those of the Micro-B USB mentioned above. A Type-C port measures just 8.4 by 2.6mm. This means it's small enough to work for even the smallest peripheral devices. With Type-C, both ends of a USB cable are the same, allowing for reversible plug orientation. You also don't need to worry about plugging it in upside down as it will function both ways. So, as well as some decent cables with various connection options, this roundup includes adaptors to make your cables more versatile.A compatible Type-C USB cable from Aukey that has a Type-A end. Dong Ngo/CNET USB Type-C (or USB-C) This is the first time adapters are required with USB connections, and likely the only time, at least for the the foreseeable future. USB Implementers Forum, the group responsible for the development of USB, says that Type-C USB is designed to be future-proof, meaning the design will be used for future and faster USB versions. For 1m (3.2 ft.) or longer cables, Thunderbolt 3 supports passive (cheaper) ones that have a top speed of 20Gbps, and active cables (more expensive) that retain the 40Gbps speed.

Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 ports look exactly the same as USB-C ports, and indeed their connectors are physically identical. For the most part, they can do everything a USB-C port can, except faster. Indeed, Thunderbolt is a superset of USB-C; you can plug a USB-C device into a Thunderbolt 3 or 4 port on a PC and it'll work just fine. USB 1.1: Released in August 1998, this is the first USB version to be widely adopted (the original version 1.0 never made it into consumer products). It has a top speed of 12Mbps (though in many cases only performs at 1.2Mbps). It's largely obsolete.

The Verdict: Best USB-C cables and adaptors

Thunderbolt 4 isn't radically different from Thunderbolt 3; both use identical USB-C connectors and share the same 40GBps top speed. The newer spec supports sending video signals to two 4K displays or one 8K display, where Thunderbolt 3 permitted only a single 4K monitor, and doubles the supported PCI Express data rate to 32Gbps. All versions of Thunderbolt allow for daisy-chaining up to six devices together to a host and in addition to data, can also carry Hi-Def video and audio signals. USB This Thunderbolt 3 cable from Plugable is one of the best all-rounders here when used with a compatible storage device or Windows or Mac PC or laptop. It offers the fastest data-transfer speeds, can carry enough charge to power most laptops, and it has an appealingly low price. Thunderbolt 3 cable is usually a little cheaper than Thunderbolt 4 or USB4. One of the main differences is that every Thunderbolt 4 laptop supports two 4K displays or one 8K display. Thunderbolt 3, on the other hand, is only required to support one 4K monitor. Some do support two n4K displays, but some don’t, so you are safer with the latest certified version. With the change in USB technology, Thunderbolt USB-C ports are becoming more common. Earlier devices may not have a USB-C port and an adapter or cable may be required to connect the device. Below are a few adapters and cables that Dell.com offers. Type

Typically, the Type-B connector is the other end of a standard USB cable that plugs into peripheral device (such as a printer, a phone or an external hard drive). It's also known as Type B-male. On the peripheral device, the USB port is called Type B-female. Since Thunderbolt 3 devices use discrete Thunderbolt chips to function, they will not function if plugged into a USB-C port. Many other devices, especially laptops, have both USB-C and Thunderbolt 4 ports, usually identified with USB and lightning-bolt symbols respectively. That said, USB-C and Thunderbolt labeling is inconsistent at best. I've appeared on CBS News, in USA Today, and at many other outlets to offer analysis on breaking technology news. The power adapter that comes with the 13-inch MacBook Pro and M1 MacBook Air doesn’t have a breakaway MagSafe connector. MagSafe was a laptop lifesaver in instances wheresomeone tripped over the power cable.The original standard (Standard-B): This design was first made for USB 1.1 and is also used in USB 2.0. It's mostly for connecting large peripheral devices, such as devices also use USB-C ports instead of a USB-B port. Almost all devices that support USB 3.1 use the USB-C port. USB 3.1 has a top speed of 10Gbps and can deliver a power output of up to 20 volts (100 watts) and 5 amps. When you consider most 15-inch laptops require just around 60 watts of power, this means in the future they will be charged the way phones are now, via their little USB port. Apple's new MacBook has just one USB-C port as the sole peripheral and power port. To access and use all Apple Card features and products available only to Apple Card users, you must add Apple Card to Wallet on an iPhone or iPad that supports and has the latest version of iOS or iPadOS. Apple Card is subject to credit approval, available only for qualifying applicants in the United States, and issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City Branch. While it might seem obvious that you should use the faster, more capable Thunderbolt rather than USB-C, the decision isn't always that simple. In many cases, you don't need to choose between the two at all. To see why, take the most basic capability of either port: charging a battery. On laptops that support recharging over USB-C and have both USB-C and Thunderbolt connectors, there's usually no difference between the ability of a given port to charge the system (though there are some exceptions). Use this adapter if it's a Thunderbolt device -> https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMEL2AM/A/thunderbolt-3-usb-c-to-thunderbolt-2-adapter