In a fresh development, this doesn't affect our editorial independence. When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission.
According to the latest update, back when I was writing about Android phones, there was a needlessly long transition from Micro to the far, far superior USB-C, that made me resent it every time I saw it. And yet even now, I need to keep one MicroUSB cable around for my microphone and camera charger. We hates it forever. I have a visceral hatred of MicroUSB.
In a fresh development, anyway, here’s a tier list of USB port types.
Industry observers note that but for a fun discussion on the practical, physical aspects of using technology, it’s fun to take a look at something we all have to deal with more or less every day. For context, Adam and Alex are talking specifically about connection formats, not generational standards — USB 3.0 is obviously better than 2.0.
According to the latest update, if you don’t have time to watch the video, I’ll spoil it for you:.
In a fresh development, this one is so niche that I hardly ever see it, and I’d have been fine with just yeeting it out of existence for the sake of having one less cable to worry about. There’s no physical reason they need to be so big, but they’re usually plugged into static devices most of the time, soooo, fine. Putting USB-B (which is usually reserved for printers and monitor data connections) in the B-tier was a shock for me.
As part of the ongoing story, i still don’t like it. I’ll agree that MicroUSB is in F tier. Cast it into the fire! Personally, I hate MicroUSB-B even more, if only because they’re so rare that losing the only cable you have might cripple the corresponding gadget, like an older USB monitor. I agree that MiniUSB (the trapezoid one) is much better than MicroUSB (the even smaller trapezoid).
The report highlights that the format isn’t perfect, especially if you’re trying to charge some power-hungry devices like laptops. But it’s easily the best that USB has ever been, thanks to more power, data, and video options, and, of course, it doesn’t need you to look at the port and see which way is up. No surprises for guessing what’s the S-tier champ here: it’s USB-C.
As part of the ongoing story, and check out The Full Nerd Network for our weekly podcast, and other shows like Dual Boot Diaries and Expedition Handheld. For more flamin’ hot takes (and also reviews and tips that are a little more serious), be sure to subscribe to PCWorld on YouTube.
The report highlights that on PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a fresh one for a review and building a fresh mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile Worldwide scene Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip. Michael is a 15-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE.