What is the difference between USB-C and Thunderbolt connection type?

As technology improves, that means new concepts and devices come out. This forces users to understand certain terms so that they are not confused when purchasing or using the product, as is the case with USB ports.

Currently, the market has a long list of port types, however USB-C It is the most well-known and implemented by most mobile phones or tablets, and is included in TVs and computers to establish a connection.

But in the midst of this, concepts like Thunderstormwhich confuse people because of their similarities, but in the background they have a big difference, which we are going to explain.

USB-C and Thunderbolt are not the same

Before looking at the differences between these two terms, you should see a theoretical part that will help you a lot in understanding the definitions that you will give us later.

In this sector, USB connections, there are standards and connectors. The first is the one that refers to the speed, power and functionality of the port.

Although the connector is a physical product, the metal element that we see and through which we connect the cable to the port.

Obviously, the difference between the two concepts we are talking about is already crossed, because USB-C is a connector, it is a metal tip that goes to the cable, while Thunderstorm It’s a standard created by Intel and Apple that uses the USB-C connector to connect devices.

Each is divided into several types. For example, him USB-C It has standards such as 3.0 and 3.1, each representing a different type of speed, and for this reason it is not enough to buy any cable with this type of connector unless you first check which model suits your specific needs.

The same applies to Thunderbolt, which is a standard for data transfer and information transfer, it gives it the ability to send video and audio signals, but it has many different versions.

How to distinguish Thunderbolt from USB-C

It is clear that all Thunderbolts are USB-C connectors, but not all USB-Cs are Thunderbolts. But now how do you know when you are buying a connector with this standard.

First of all, the price of this type of cable is usually the highest, and to distinguish it, brands use a lightning bolt as a symbol on both the device port and the tip of the cable.

How to distinguish the types of USB-C standard

The organization responsible for USB has released a new label so that users can distinguish the types of ports and cables according to them. charging speed and Data transfer.

Cable boxes will now have a label that allows you to distinguish the data transfer speed, which can be 80 Gbps, 40 Gbps, 20 Gbps and 5 Gbps. As well as loads that are two: 240 W or 60 W.

There will be five types of cables, each with its own distinctive logo, according to the technical characteristics they achieve to differentiate them for the consumer.

within the framework of the decisions made by the responsible persons of the organization USB, I know It is suggested that these logos appear on the cables so that people can tell them apart after purchase if they no longer have the box.

Also, on host products and devices such as laptops and portable hard drives, the ‘Certified USB’ logo will appear with speed designations such as ’40 Gbps’ to make things easier for users.

Additionally, these changes only affect USB-C, not USB-A, which is traditional and many devices still use them.