Type-A to Mini-B adapter
A USB Type-A plug on one end and a Mini-USB Type-B socket on the other. This converts a port rather than carrying a signal any distance, so it is usually a stubby dongle rather than a cable.
- Mini-USB Type-B is obsolete - introduced 2000 and superseded in 2007. Expect a thinner, cheaper and more variable selection than for current connectors.
USB Type-A — plug
The flat rectangle everyone pictures when they hear “USB”.
How to recognise it
- Flat rectangle, roughly 12 mm wide and 4.5 mm tall.
- Only goes in one way up, though it famously takes three tries.
- A white or black plastic tongue inside the metal shell.
- Maximum speed:
- 480 Mbps (Hi-Speed)
- Maximum power:
- 2.5 W standard, more with proprietary charging
Mini-USB Type-B — socket
The fatter, older cousin of Micro-B. Cameras and MP3 players.
How to recognise it
- About 7 mm wide but noticeably deep and chunky compared to a Micro-B.
- Trapezoid outline with a rounded, almost bulbous profile.
- If it looks like a micro plug but will not fit, it is probably this.
- Maximum speed:
- 480 Mbps (Hi-Speed)
- Maximum power:
- 2.5 W standard