USB‑C, or USB Type‑C, is a 24-pin reversible connector (not a protocol) that supersedes all previous USB connectors, which were designated legacy in 2014. This connector also supersedes Mini DisplayPort and Lightning connectors. USB-C is used for a variety of purposes: exchanging data with peripheral devices, such as external drives, mobile phones, keyboards, track-pads, and mice, or between hosts, or transferring A/V-data to displays and speakers, or also powering peripheral devices and getting powered by power adapters; either through directly wired connectors, or indirectly via hubs and docking stations. This connector type can be used for other data transfer protocols besides USB, such as Thunderbolt, PCIe, DisplayPort, and HDMI. It is considered extensible, allowing the support of future protocols.
The design for the USB‑C connector was initially developed in 2012 by Intel, Apple Inc., HP Inc., Microsoft, and the USB Implementers Forum. The Type‑C Specification 1.0 was published by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) on August 11, 2014. In 2016 it was adopted by the IEC as "IEC 62680-1-3".
