USB Type-C vs. USB 3.2: Clearing up the confusion

The arrival of USB Type-C connectors and the final USB 3.2 standard have both heralded a new age of consumer convenience. However, there remains quite a bit of confusion about what these new standards mean, especially since we’ve progressed through USB 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2 without much fanfare. Moreover, many consumers are (rightfully) confused. What’s the difference between USB-C vs. USB 3.2? And do you need both for fast charging?

Given these questions, let’s take a closer look at USB technology in this article and decode what specifications you should really pay attention to.

What is USB Type-C?

First, we should clarify that although they may often appear together, USB Type-C and USB 3.1 or 3.2 are not synonymous. You can have a modern USB Type-C port that supports slower 2.0 data transfer speeds, or an older USB Type-A port that supports faster USB 3-compliant speeds. Remember, the letter refers to the shape of the connector, while the number indicates how fast it is.

Transfer speeds aside, the USB Type-C standard has also added numerous power-related specifications over the years. This has allowed the humble connector to handle the needs of powerful devices like smartphones and laptops. We now have various Power Delivery (PD) profiles as well as the legacy USB Battery Charging (USB BC) specification.

In a nutshell, the USB Power Delivery standard is a power management system that uses a bidirectional data channel to request certain levels of electrical power. This is to ensure compatibility with legacy devices and minimize the damage from non-compliant cables. USB-PD requires a Type-C connector but the standard is compatible across legacy USB 2.0 and newer 3.2 products.

The following table should help explain how the different power standards compare to one another and their order of precedence.

What’s the difference between USB 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2?

So far, we’ve learned that simply using a USB Type-C connector doesn’t guarantee blazing-fast data transfer speeds. Many mid-range Android phones today, for example, ship with USB Type-C ports that only offer 2.0 transfer speeds.

Moving up to newer USB versions, however, there’s plenty of potential for confusion. That’s because the USB naming convention has been revised, renamed, and overhauled several times over the past decade. We’ve quickly progressed from USB 3.0 through 3.2, with each one sporting various sub-revisions as well. However, there’s a lot of confusion here as some aspects of USB 3.1 were renamed to USB 3.2.

To make things clearer, here’s how the various base USB specifications compare:

If you scrutinize the above table, you’ll quickly discover that USB 3.0, 3.1 Gen 1, and 3.2 Gen 1 all support the same transfer speeds of 5 Gbps. This is because the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) confusingly renamed USB 3.0 to USB 3.1 Gen 1 back in 2019. Then, with the release of the USB 3.2 spec, they once again renamed USB 3.1 Gen 1 to USB 3.2 Gen 1.

Thankfully, there’s no functional difference between these standards. This means that if you buy a device that advertises USB 3.2 Gen 1 compatibility, it’ll work just fine with a USB 3.0 port. Many manufacturers still use the older USB 3.0/3.1 Gen 1 nomenclature, but they’re interchangeable with USB 3.2 Gen 1. Remember, the underlying data rate hasn’t changed between versions — only the name did.

The USB-IF also renamed USB 3.1 Gen 2 to USB 3.2 Gen 2 around the same time. Once again, both refer to the same thing: transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps. Moving on, we also have the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 standard that offers data transfer speeds of up to 20 Gbps. That’s twice what you can get from USB 3.2 Gen 2. However, most manufacturers skipped it in favor of the newer USB 4 standard.

USB-C vs. USB 3.2: What you need to know

To summarize, USB specifications can vary in many ways, but the type of connector and its rated speed are the two factors you need to pay the most attention to. Additionally, the difference between USB-C vs USB 3.2 is simple: the former refers to the port shape and the latter tells you what to expect for file transfer speeds.

If your laptop or smartphone doesn’t support the latest and greatest USB version, there’s no point in splurging on an expensive high-speed accessory. For example, don’t overpay for a USB 3.2 Gen 2 SSD if your computer only goes up to USB 3.2 Gen 1 (or USB 3.1).

Transfer speeds depend on the slowest component in your chain. So connecting a USB 3.2 Gen 1 device to a USB 2.0 port will limit your speed all the way down to 480 Mbps. In reality, slower hardware components like hard drives can become limiting factors as well as non-compliant cables.

Take the iPhone 15 series, for example. The cheaper non-Pro models sport modern USB-C connectors but can only transfer files at USB 2 speeds. You’ll have to pay the premium for a Pro or Pro Max to get USB 3.2 speeds. Most people won’t notice this difference, however, until they try to copy gigabytes of videos off their smartphone.