The New USB Connector Could Be On Devices By This Year End | TechTree.com

The New USB Connector Could Be On Devices By This Year End

With the Type-C connector, all you'll need is a single USB cable for all your devices.

 

The USB connector as we know it is in for a massive overhaul, ironing out many of the almost imperceptible faults of this most mundane tech object. The new design, called USB Type-C, works towards replacing the multitude of USB cables with just a single one, and should make plugging up easier through one of its biggest design changes.

 

The new USB Type-C ports will be small enough for mobile phones, meaning gone are the days of mini and micro USB connectors. A standard port size across all devices will make for a single cable which will be reversible end-to-end, and moreover like Apple's Lightening port there won't be a specific orientation when it comes to plugging in.

 

The USB Implementers Forum which overseas the specification of USB ports and connectors had spoken about the new design back in December last year. Now however the body has deiced on the exact physical design of the connector, announcing that it could arrive in the coming months.

 

"The specification is anticipated to be completed in July 2014. We could see products with the new cable by end of year," the USB IF told CNET.

 

USB has truly become universal, appearing on everything from PCs, mobile devices, TVs and even in cars. However, given the success of the connector came its many shortcomings, including the many iterations which asked for different cables to plug into different devices.

The new connector is built to fix all these issues, and is supposedly future proof in terms of bumping up transfer rates and other such specifications. However, at a time when wireless data transfer and even wireless charging is becoming more common, one may ask why bother bettering the USB port?

 

Wireless data transfer for normal devices, at least in principle, can currently reach up to just 1 Gbps, much less than the 10 Gbps data transfer speed USB 3.1 can support. Even NFC wireless charging is still restricted to a handful of devices and wired charging is still the most popular choice.

 

Other features built into the new Type-C USB include an audible click when the connector is plugged in correctly, support to carry power to operate and charge devices, and will be designed to be plugged and unplugged over 10,000 times.

 

While the final specifications of the new USB Type-C connector will come in July and we can expect devices to begin supporting it by the end of the year, it will take some time for the older ports to be phased out. Products like mobile phones and tablets may begin featuring the new USB ports, but on devices like PCs they could sit alongside regular USB for some time.


TAGS: USB Type-C, USB Cable

 
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