USB-C vs USB-A vs Lightning
Three connectors, one drawer full of cables. What each one is, where it's still used, and how to stop owning six kinds.
The three you'll actually meet
- USB-A is the original flat, rectangular plug that only goes in one way (and never the way you first try). It's been around since the 1990s and is still on older laptops, wall chargers, cars and countless accessories.
- USB-C is the newer small, oval, reversible plug. It carries more power and faster data than USB-A, drives displays, and has become the standard connector across phones, laptops and tablets.
- Lightning is Apple's small connector, used on older iPhones and some accessories. Apple has moved its newer devices to USB-C, so Lightning is gradually on its way out — but plenty of devices in use still have it.
Why USB-C won
USB-C isn't just a nicer plug. It carries far more power (enough for laptops), moves data much faster, and can handle video and accessories through a single port. Being reversible is the part everyone notices first, but the real reason it's taken over is that one port and one cable can now do jobs that used to need several.
What this means for your cables
The mix in most homes is a cable with USB-C on one end and something else on the other, chosen to match the two things you're connecting. Common combinations:
- USB-C to USB-C — modern phones, tablets, laptops. The default going forward.
- USB-C to Lightning — charging older iPhones from a modern USB-C charger.
- USB-A to USB-C — plugging a newer device into an older charger, car or laptop.
How to stop owning six kinds
You don't need one of everything. Work out the two or three connections you make most often and keep a good cable for each, plus a compact adapter for the occasional odd one. A single USB-C charger with the right cables will handle almost everything; the old USB-A gear becomes a backup rather than the main event.
Where each still shows up
Knowing where you'll actually meet each connector helps you stock the right cables. USB-A lives on older wall chargers, most cars, desktop PCs, powerbanks and countless plug-in accessories — it's not going away quickly, so a USB-A-to-USB-C cable is handy for charging modern devices from older sources. USB-C is now standard on phones, tablets, laptops and newer accessories, and is the connector to build your kit around. Lightning is confined to older iPhones and some Apple accessories, and is slowly disappearing as Apple moves to USB-C. The practical upshot: make USB-C your default, keep one USB-A-to-C cable for older chargers and cars, and only keep a Lightning cable as long as you still own a device that needs it. That's three cables covering everything, instead of a drawer full of duplicates.
Buying with confidence
KORD's cables state both ends and their capabilities in the product detail, so you can match the exact cable to the exact job. If you send your devices to hello@kord.nz, we'll list the codes you need and nothing you don't.
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