What Is USB-C?
USB-C is the emerging industry-standard connector for transmitting both data and power. The USB-C connector was developed by the USB Implementers Forum, the group of companies that has developed, certified, and shepherded the USB standard. It counts more than 700 companies in its membership, including Apple, Dell, HP, Intel, Microsoft, and Samsung. This is important, because it's part of why USB-C has been so readily accepted by PC manufacturers. Contrast this with the earlier Apple-promoted (and developed) Lightning and MagSafe connectors, which had limited acceptance beyond Apple products, and, thanks to USB-C, are soon to be completely obsolete.
Is It Like Micro USB?
The USB-C connector looks similar to a micro USB connector at first glance, but it's slightly thicker to accommodate its best feature: Like Lightning and MagSafe, the USB-C connector has no up or down orientation. As long as the connector is lined up properly, you don't have to flip the connector to plug it in. The cables also have the same connector on both ends, so you don't have to figure out which end to plug in, which has not been the case with all the USB cables we've been using for the past 20 years.
What's USB-C's Relationship to USB 3.1?
The default protocol with the new USB-C connector is USB 3.1, which, at 10Gbps, is theoretically twice as fast as USB 3.0. The minor wrinkle is that USB 3.1 ports can also exist in the original, larger shape; these ports are called USB 3.1 Type-A. But it's much more common to see USB 3.1 ports with USB-C connectors.
Port Support
USB-C supports sending simultaneous video signals and power streams, which offers an enormous amount of flexibility in terms of what you're able to do. This means that you can connect to and power a native DisplayPort, MHL, or HDMI device, or connect to almost anything else assuming you have the proper adapter and cables. (See the next section for more on this.) The USB Implementers Forum also recently announced that it's updating the USB-C spec to include audio, which means the headphone jack could be heading the way of the dodo on computers just as it already is on the Apple iPhone 7