Mini USB vs Micro USB

The Universal Serial Bus, more commonly known as USB, has changed the way peripherals connect to computers by creating a single common interface, which reduced the types of ports on our computers. Although one end, the part that connects to the computer, is pretty standard, there are multiple types of connectors on the other end. The most prevalent nowadays are the micro and mini connectors. The main difference between micro and mini USB connectors is their size. Although the two are of the same width, the micro USB connector is roughly half the thickness of the mini USB connector.

The main reason behind the development of the micro USB connector is to create a thinner connector that would fit nicely into today’s very thin mobile phones without taking up too much space. Even though the mini USB connector is already quite small, its thickness is one of the limiting factors that phone designers had to deal with. The introduction of the micro USB helped improved their designs.

Another area where the micro USB connector is better than the mini USB is durability. Since they are not meant to be kept in place all the time, it is important that the connectors, especially the receptacle on the gadget is able to handle some abuse. Micro USB connectors are designed for 10,000 insertion cycles, which is double that of mini USB’s 5000. Parts that are expected to take much abuse, like the leaf-spring connector, have also been moved from the receptacle to the jack; so that the cheap and easily replaceable cable is more likely to fail than the receptacle hard-wired to the device’s circuit board. This reduces the possibility of costly repairs of the device just because of the connector.

Because of these advantages, the mini USB is slowly being phased out in favor of the newer micro USB. Phone manufacturers, even those who’ve used mini USB connectors before are now moving towards micro USB. Some devices and manufacturers may still use the mini USB connector for years to come. But it would gradually disappear as micro USB gains widespread use. There also seem little chance of mini USB replacing the standard B plug used in devices like printers and such.

Summary:

1.Mini USB connectors are twice as thick as micro USB connectors
2.Micro USB connectors last longer than mini USB
3.Mini USB is slowly being phased out in favor of micro USB

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