Micro-USB vs. USB-C

Micro-USB (Micro-B) was the dominant charging and data connector on non-Apple smartphones and small electronics from the late 2000s through the mid-2010s. Its USB 3.0 variant added a second, wider tab beside the standard 5-pin plug for extra SuperSpeed pins -- a design most phone makers skipped, keeping plain USB 2.0 Micro-B nearly universal in practice.

USB-C is the reversible, oval 24-pin connector now used across USB 2.0 through USB4 and Thunderbolt. It's the only connector required for USB4, and under EU law it became mandatory on most new phones, tablets, and cameras sold in the EU by the end of 2024, with laptops following by April 2026.