USB Type-C Cables Getting Data Speed, Power Rating Logos To Clear Confusion

Last Updated on October 2, 2021 by Asif Iqbal Shaik

The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the non-profit organization that promotes and supports the USB standard, has revamped the USB4 certification logos and also announced that there will be unified logos for cables and devices going forward. This news comes after the European Commission, an executive wing of the European Union (EU) proposed to make USB Type-C mandatory in Europe. A decision, which may even force Apple to switch to USB Type-C for its iPhones.

New USB Type-C Logos, Data Transfer Speeds, Charging Speeds, and Certifications

The new logos on upcoming USB Type-C cables, chargers, packaging, and marketing materials will indicate the data rate in ‘Gbps’ and charging speeds in ‘Watts’. The certification process might even help to reduce the sales of uncertified cables and chargers to some extent. Also, it would eliminate the confusion among the buyers to ensure a safe USB Type-C ecosystem. The (USB-IF) also introduced a new USB PD (Power Delivery) 3.1 specification, which allows up to 240W power delivery over a USB Type-C cable and connectors. Previously it was limited to 100W, which would leave power-hungry devices such as gaming laptops gasping for breath.

The new USB 3.1 PD products will be denoted by the ‘Certified USB Charger 240W’ logo as shown in the picture above. There’s also a new 60W solution, which would carry the ‘Certified USB Charger 60W’ logo. Similarly, USB4 cables supporting either 40Gbps or 20Gbps data speeds will be denoted by their respective logos.

If you are unfamiliar with USB versions and their respective transfer speeds, you can refer to the simple table that we’ve embedded below.

USB Versions & Transfer Speeds