The Lightning cable is used exclusively by Apple devices, which includes iPhones and iPads. It is easy to identify the Lightning cable from all other cables, due to its unique look and user-friendly design, which allows it to be inserted either way into the device for charging and data transfer purposes.

The base of a mobile device which uses the Lightning cable is shown below.

The 30-pins cable is used exclusively by older generation Apple iPads. It has been replaced by the Lightning cable in newer generation iPads, due to faster charging and data transfer speed of the Lightning cable. However, you are still able to purchase 30-pins cables for your older generation iPad from Taobao.

The base of an iPad which uses the 30-pins cable is shown below.

The Micro-USB cable, also known as the Micro-B USB cable, is used mainly by Android phones and devices. Most older models of the Android OS devices use the Micro-USB cable for charging and transferring data to the computer, but most phone manufacturers are changing newer models of phones to use the Type-C USB cable.

The base of a mobile device which uses the Micro-USB cable is shown below. Notice the almost rectangular shape, with one end of the width of the connector larger than the other.

The Type-C USB cable is used mainly by newer models of the Android phones and devices. Most device manufacturers are changing to the Type-C USB cable due to faster charging and data transfer speed for the device. Some newer versions of the Macbook uses the Type-C USB cable as well. Like the Lightning cable, it can be inserted either way into a mobile device.

The base of a mobile device which uses the Type-C USB cable is shown below. Notice the oval shape of the cable, which is designed to be user-friendly, similar to the Lighting cable, which means either side can be used to plug into a device.