Almost all latest devices now support USB 3.0 architecture. If you don’t know what that is, in simple words, USB 3.0 is the updated “version” of USB that makes data transfers faster, and passes more current between devices.
Redditor Company_Rep recommends that if you charge your phone through a USB cable and you have a USB 3.0 port, you can use that. It will charge faster as it is can draw more current than USB 2.0 ports.
Another redditor further adds:
For reference, many laptops now have a Yellow USB port. This is designed for charging devices and can be set to still charge even when the computer is inactive/powered off.
This is a great tip for school students and travelers who are mostly on the go, and need their phones to be charged.
Source: Reddit
Sadly Dell do not seem to have adopted this convention yet despite all ports on my new laptop being USB 3.0. They are all grey but Dell seem to be marking their USB ports as SS and the USB symbol which I can’t replicate on my keyboard!
It would seem that it could just be Lenovo who have implemented this option so far (yellow for USB 3.0 power through when off and blue for a standard USB ports 3.0).
Oh my gosh, I’m so glad I’ve read this post! I did not know about any of this new improved technology; it would make my life so much better. I’ve tried to charge my phone using a computer USB port, but it was so terribly slow (as in, it took more than 8 hours to get to 100% battery) that I gave up on ever charging it in this way. As a person who travels and studies a lot, I’m always trying to charge my devices on-the-go, and I have to carry a separate charger every time, and I’m not always able to charge more than one appliance at a time. This new USB port allows me to charge my laptop and my phone at the same time. I’m only wondering if this more effective USB port will drain more energy or use more electricity, but I’m hoping that it doesn’t. In any case, the benefits of this new technology will definitely outweigh any negatives. I can already see a more efficient charging and energy future. Thank goodness I read this post, or I would still be missing out on such a crucial development! Thanks for this.