Why USB-B Never Caught On Like USB-A Or USB-C

If you have wondered why USB-B never became as popular as the older USB-A or the modern USB-C , you are not alone, and the reasons for it are not as simple or straightforward. In fact, there are good odds you didn't even know USB-B existed before today. USB-B was never meant for everyday devices that an average person used. Instead, USB-B connectors were reserved for niche devices like printers, scanners, audio equipment, storage drives, and more. Let's not forget that USB-B connectors are bulkier than USB-A, which made them unfeasible for devices that prioritized form factor, like laptops and smartphones.

Additionally, the USB-B connector was generally plugged in once and forgotten about, unlike the USB-A connector that was often unplugged and replugged, especially when moving peripherals between different computers. The USB-B end was rarely adjusted. So, USB-B wasn't less useful, but it was more easily forgotten since the connector remained out of sight for much longer periods.

Objectively, the comparison between USB-B and USB-A or USB-C doesn't make much sense, since the former, USB-A, wasn't necessarily a competitor, and the latter, USB-C, arrived almost 18 years later. For the unversed, USB-A and USB-B were released together in January 1996, and the two actually worked together. USB-A was reserved for the host device, whether it's a computer or another system, and USB-B was designed for the peripheral or connected device, say a printer or audio equipment. Having different connectors at both ends of the cable also made sense from a practical standpoint, since it helped eliminate confusion surrounding which end of the cable gets plugged into which device.

Read more: 5 Mini Gadgets With USB-C That Are Pretty Useful

USB-B is still widely used

It's unlikely that you will find the conventional USB-B port on a smartphone or laptop. Newer devices are even phasing out USB-A in favor of USB-C since the latter is even thinner, supports higher power delivery, faster data transfer, and has a symmetric design, meaning you can plug it either way. But few people realize that they have been using USB-B extensively for the past decade, albeit a slightly different variation of it.

The micro-USB connectors you have been using in smartphones, speakers, and smartwatches, were essentially a micro variant of USB-B. Introduced in 2007, they were much smaller and more practical, making them ideal for these devices. Before that, we had a mini-USB type B, introduced in 2000, but it never really caught on other than a few early pre-iPhone mobiles. Similarly, there were also mini and micro type-A connectors, but those too saw little adoption. And until manufacturers started gradually phasing out micro-USB type B to incorporate USB-C, the former was widely used by most people. It's just that they were never really recognized as modern versions of the USB-B connector since they looked very different and were largely marketed as just micro-USB, with no type specified.

Even today, you will find USB-B connectors in a number of devices (mainly printers), and they are unlikely to become obsolete soon. That's because switching to USB-C entails design changes and adjustments to the manufacturing process, which increases production costs. Besides, the devices that rely on USB-B are generally bulky office devices, so there's little need to adopt the newer, smaller USB-C connectors. USB-B will probably be phased out one day, but it's unlikely to happen any time soon.

Want the latest in tech and auto trends? Subscribe to our free newsletter for the latest headlines, expert guides, and how-to tips, one email at a time. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google.

Read the original article on SlashGear .