If you’ve never heard of HDMI, then you’ve probably been living under a rock for the last 15 years, at least. This standard resulted from several tech companies involved with audio-visual equipment banding together to provide a more convenient connector for video and audio. In the mid to late 2000s, the standard finally started gaining steam.
Of course, as happens with these standards, there are continuous upgrades, miniaturizations, and so on. In fact, with the connector alone, there are 5 different kinds, from A to E. Most of us are used to the standard connector, Type A. However, the two other popular kinds are Type C and Type D, Mini HDMI and Micro HDMI.
Understandably, you might have loads of questions about these connectors, seeing as you’ve probably never seen them before! That wouldn’t be too surprising, but they certainly are out there. It makes sense that you want to learn more about this multi-billion-dollar market.
If that’s what you’re in search of, you’re in luck. This article will pit Micro HDMI vs Mini HDMI to answer all your questions about either connector standard.
Do you have a particular question about the difference between micro HDMI and mini HDMI? Then use the table of contents below to jump to the most relevant section. And you can always go back by clicking on the black arrow in the right bottom corner of the page. Also, please note that some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. For more details, check the Disclosure section at the bottom of the page.
Here's what we'll cover:
Are there different sizes of HDMI cables?
Just like with USB, where you have Type-A and Type-C as the two most popular variants, you have a similar thing going on with HDMI. Apart from the standard HDMI connector, known as Type A, that we’re all familiar with, there’s also a Type B, C, D, and E. We’re going to be focusing on Type C and D today, though, because these are Micro HDMI and Mini HDMI.
So, to answer your question, yes! There are different sizes of HDMI cables! Quite a few of them, to be honest!
What is Micro HDMI?
Micro HDMI is also known as HDMI Type D. This connector type is similar to the original because it has the same number of pins responsible for transmitting data. The good thing about this is that as long as you have an adapter, you can connect the Micro standard to regular HDMI or vice versa.
This is the smallest kind of connector for HDMI, so even when putting Micro vs. Mini HDMI, you’ll find Micro to be the smallest kind. It measures 6.4 by 2.8mm, making it almost 75% smaller than the original HDMI plug.
What does a Micro HDMI port look like?
Suppose you’re looking at a device you have and trying to figure out what each of the ports is for. In that case, it can be annoying that HDMI ports are not clearly labeled as to whether they are Mini or Micro.
However, most parts are labeled as far as “HDMI.” Based on that, the best tip I can give you is that if the port is smaller than a USB-C port, you’re dealing with a Micro HDMI port! Apart from that, you can check the manual.
What is Mini HDMI?
Mini HDMI goes by HDMI Type C in more technical circles, just like Micro and Type A HDMI, there are 19 pins in this. This means there’s cross-compatibility as long as you have an appropriate adapter for it.
This is a medium-size connector, with its size between Type A and Micro. It measures 10.42 by 2.42mm. This means that, while it is wider than the Micro plug, HDMI Mini is thinner! It is 60% smaller than the standard HDMI connector.
H3. What does a Mini HDMI port look like?
It’s easy to tell a full-size HDMI port when you see one, but how can you know when you’re looking at a Mini HDMI port? Well, I’d say the first thing you should do is check the manual or online, but sometimes it might not be convenient to do that. I understand that.
A Mini HDMI port will be labeled with HDMI but may not specify it is for HDMI mini. In this case, you can compare it with a USB-C port. It should be slightly larger than one of those, so if you can picture a USB-C socket easily, that might help!
Micro HDMI vs. Mini HDMI
So, you’re here because you want to know who comes out in the battle of Mini HDMI vs. Micro HDMI. Well, I’ll give you my best opinion on that here.
If you’ve been paying attention, you probably won’t be surprised to know that when it comes to actual utility between Mini vs. Micro HDMI, there’s no winner. Both have the same number of pins, and neither is superior in performance or functionality.
Obviously, size is the most apparent difference in Micro vs. Mini HDMI. Micro HDMI is quite a bit smaller than HDMI mini. This makes it better when squeezing a Micro HDMI port on a product like a camera. Still, otherwise, most manufacturers don’t mind going for bigger ports if there’s space.
There really isn’t any superior option to cap off the divide between Micro HDMI vs. Mini HDMI. It simply comes down to whether the manufacturer can fit in a bigger port or not!
What uses Micro HDMI?
Suppose you’re a fan of filming yourself playing paintball, going on adventures, or riding your motorcycle. In that case, you probably know when a product has a Micro HDMI port. Yep, I’m talking about the popular action cameras from GoPro.
Many older smartphones also had these ports, such as the Nokia N8 and the BlackBerry Z10. It’s mostly a thing of the past on smartphones, if not for a single device released in 2021, the Sony Xperia Pro. To the best of my knowledge, this is the only smartphone with this port in the last several years.
What uses Mini HDMI?
The Mini HDMI port is much less common than its Micro brother, one point down in the Micro HDMI vs. Mini HDMI. However, it is reserved for devices that are really choked for space.
You can find this port on smaller camcorders and digital cameras. I can also testify that the Mini HDMI connection is used for the Raspberry Pi and similar microcomputers, as there is little space for larger connection standards.
Credits: Thanks for the photo to Canva.
At ipoki.com we only mention the products that we’ve researched and considered worthy. But it’s important to mention that we are a participant of several affiliate programs, including Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate ipoki.com earns from qualifying purchases.
