USB-C – The Least Standard Standard Ever

In a post in our verification blog, Neelabh Singh told us that USB4 Version 2.0 Announced. As he said in that post:

USB Promoter Group has announced the pending release of the USB4 Version 2.0 specification, which will enable up to 80Gbps operation over the USB Type-C cable and connector.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the European Commission has decided that pretty much everything should have a USB-C connector. Most notably, that means future iPhones.

By the end of 2024, all mobile phones, tablets and cameras sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port. From spring 2026, the obligation will extend to laptops. The new law, adopted by plenary on Tuesday with 602 votes in favour, 13 against and 8 abstentions, is part of a broader EU effort to reduce e-waste and to empower consumers to make more sustainable choices.

I'm sure you've got a USB-C cable or two lying around at home. After all, the USB-C standard was finalized in 2014 so is nearly a decade old. In fact, when I rejoined Cadence and started Breakfast Bytes, one of the first posts I wrote, less than two weeks after I started, was One Connector to Rule Them All: USB Type-C.

The problem is revealed in another paragraph from Neelabh's post:

Up to 80Gbps operation, based on a new physical layer architecture, using existing 40Gbps USB Type-C passive cables and newly-defined 80Gbps USB Type-C active cables.

So USB-C defines the connector. But the protocols are defined separately (like USB4 version 2.0 just announced). In fact, the USB Implementers' Forum (USB-IF) went out of its way to try and emphasize this when the USB-C standard was first defined:

• USB Type-C is not USB 3.2
  • The USB Type-C cable and connector specification is a supplement to the USB 3.2 specification, however USB Type-C is not USB 3.2. These terms are not interchangeable.
• USB Type-C is not USB Power Delivery
  • USB Power Delivery is a protocol/hardware solution that increases USB power capabilities up to 100W. These terms are not interchangeable.
• If a product features USB Type-C it does not necessarily support USB Power Delivery and/or USB 3.2
  • Device manufacturers can choose to support USB Power Delivery and/or USB 3.2 performance but it is not required for USB Type-C products

So the only thing that the USB-C standard actually guarantees is that the connector will fit into the device. It is only very recently that my office has had a display with a USB-C connector that both delivers power (so I don't need to use a separate power supply) and also carries the data for my monitor. It also carries regular USB-type stuff so a wired keyboard and a wired mouse will work. But I actually use a wireless Apple keyboard so my fingerprint ID works, and <rant> the worst ergonomic thing ever, Apple's wireless mouse that has the charging input on the base so you can't use your mouse while it is charging. </rant>

On Amazon, I can see that the cheapest USB-C cable is $6.99 for two, so $3.50 per cable. But who knows what data rate it supports? It says that it supports 60W fast charging, but USB 3.2 and later supports 100W—will it melt if I plug it into something that draws 100W? So if I want to be sure, I can buy a cable that:

40 Gb/s Data Transfer, 100W Power Charging

But that is $24 for one cable, so about seven times the price. And 40 Gb/s supposedly will work with the recently announced USB4 version 2 and run at 80Gb/s...well, maybe. You can even buy this cable for $60 on Amazon, which is 46% off its list price of $110.

Worse still, none of these cables is marked or color-coded or anything. They all plug into any USB-C connector, but they all have very different characteristics. It is as if the powers-that-be decided that we should use the same electrical outlet for everything, whether it was 120V or 240V and whether we could just use it for lamps or plug our clothes dryer into it, too.

Rene Ritchie

After I'd written this, Rene Ritchie's video from last week on the same topic appeared in my YouTube feed. He solved the compatibility problem by throwing out all his old USB-C cables and buying Thunderbolt cables. He works for Apple so probably gets them cheaper anyway.

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