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THERE’S GOING TO be a change in the type of wires you use soon. While USBs are used more and more for charging devices, there’s little to no consistency between them, meaning you may own numerous chargers and ports for individual devices.
That will soon end with the introduction of Type-C USB cables, which are reversible and will bring it increased speeds and charging ability. So what exactly does it mean for you?
So what exactly is USB Type-C?
Type-C will effectively replace the standard USB cables (Type-A) we all use today. As well as being smaller and more efficient, these USB cables are reversible, meaning it doesn’t matter which site or orientation you plug in, it will work.
This is because Type-C has a mid-plate which the plug surrounds. Since it doesn’t place it at the top (or bottom) of the USB like it is currently, you won’t have to spend time figuring out which side is the right way round.
The reversible design was originally announced in December 2013 and is expected to work with all devices including smartphones, tablets and laptops.
The European Parliament also passed a similar law in March 2014 which meant manufacturers would have to provide a universal charger that can be used for any device. Member states will have two years to put the new rules into national law while phone makers will have an extra year to catch up.
Ok, what does this mean for me?
In short, it means faster data speeds and charging. Type-C is compatible with USB 3.1, the latest standard which allows faster data transfer speeds. This means that, in theory, Type C would be able to transfer data at speeds of up to 10Gbps.
With regards to charging, Type-C can deliver power at up to 100 watts at 20 volts which means faster charging.
More importantly, it means it can charge larger devices and would remove the need for a separate charger port for laptops. The removal of what is usually a large component would give laptop makers more space to play around with, or allow them to create smaller or thinner laptops, and even a well-established brand like Apple’s Macbook range is looking to benefit from it.
From a convenience perspective, it means that eventually, you won’t have a situation where you have multiple chargers, each one for a different device, and finding a replacement will be much easier.
One of the reasons the European Parliament voted in favour of it was because it would help reduce waste as well as the cost and hassle on consumers. And they will likely last longer since you will only need one attempt to plug a Type-C cable in, reducing overall wear and tear.
That’s great, but there’s a catch, isn’t there?
Yes, but it’s not a big one. Replacing something that has been the standard for many years is not going to be an easy task. For one, Type-C isn’t backwards compatible, meaning it will be limited to a few devices when it is rolled out.
It’s possible that adapters will be launched alongside it when it does come out, the new rules and regulations means companies will have to follow them sooner or later, as a way of bridging the gap, but it will take a while before the switch is completed.
It means that the devices you have, in your hand, will soon go out of date and for a while, you will still have different cables for different devices. This isn’t something that will happen immediately though and adapters will be created as a way of bridging the gap.
So when will this be arriving them?
It really depends on the manufacturers but it’s likely mid-2015 will see the first compatible devices appear.
Apple will probably still have a different connection for every phone it releases…money racket.
I see an adapter in the pipeline.
Probably cost about €30
€1.50 in Dealz
I love Apple products, don’t think I’ll ever change… No matter how fashionable hating it becomes.
That’s fine Drew. You keep paying over the odds for inferior specs and the rest of us will enjoy our superior devices and not get ripped off when we need to buy peripherals.
Apple have already announced that their devices will be compatible. (They also have no choice since it’s compulsory)
They are calling their new usb the jobbie
Lighting has different technical abilities than USB can ever allow – there are plenty of articles that explain the technic difference between USB and lightening (Ars Technical has some great articles). Also don’t forgot Apple is the one that made USB as ubiquitous as it is today and is still defining USB standards with the drive with USB-c.
This sanctimonious bullshit of Apple against the rest of the world gets on my nerves. They have led the way in industry leading technologies since the release of the Apple 1 and have defined at 3 product categories as well as making Pixar what is today. Without them you wouldn’t have your amazing non-Apple devices.
Yes their cables are shit but an eight pin lightening cable trumps a four pin USB cable technically.
€1.49
Not €1.49? Weird…
Hahaha well said Peter.
I have to admit it is the free apps and podcasts that the old,,disabled and rurals get a huge amount of joy from. But,,Apple are generally ruthless business people and when I had a smashed screen (I have since found out like many do so their products do not impress me any longer) they where wildly rude, screaming down the telephone and completely disinterested (only 2 months bought) that THEY REFUSED TO HELP IN ANY WAY. (Except for repair costing nearly as much as my present did) I will never buy from them ever again. TV we were saving for, no,way now. When this old one goes we will look at someone else. Any suggestions?
I have to say, I’m really looking forward to a future in which we don’t need to worry about putting in usb cables the wrong way around.
I mean, the first thing I think every time I have to look at the cable, then the slot, then the cable again in order to not get this wrong is “That’s 2.37 seconds of my life that I’ll never get back again.”
Such an important issue addressed.
That’s the most common source of wear and tear of USB cables and causes them to break with time, know your facts.
I’m afraid you’re wrong Kieran. The most common cause isn’t that they only go in one way, it’s that people appear to not be capable of taking the 2.37 seconds to actually check, mashing it in and breaking their own cables.
I’ve never once broken a usb cable.
Also, my response was something of a joke – facts have no place here!
It’s not the time factor. It’s the frustration I always experience because I alwys get it wron first time around. Have the nes oneon air pad. Brilliant.
The plastic insert is always at the bottom, – just check the interface.
it’s the same with vertical USB’s, always the same side.
I think this is great news. Connectors, chargers and and adapters all over our house. Afraid to throw any of them out just in case…….
Didn’t the EU make a ruling that standarized the heads and type of chargers to make the whole idea of charging your phone much easier?
Oh….yeah…I…forgot…that was the days of the EU before they did good things…after which they went mad..
Apple got around this by “proving” that their phone couldnt be classified as a phone as it was more than that.
No. That was bananas. They wanted bananas to be a standard straight size so fyffes could fit more into a 40ft container. Mother Nature broke her hoop laughing.
This here is a very very good thing. You won’t see it for another 4-5 years until tech replacement kicks in.
You did read the article did you not… EU introduced the legislation in 2013… There was never any legislation about straight bananas – that was a Daily Mail invention alongside the notion that fishermen would have to wear hairnets and the great British banger was under threat… Typical that legislation to regulate and enforce higher standards (like that sausages have to have some meat in them) is opposed by the racist, sexist, classist, anti-EU Daily Mail.
The straight banana story is an urban myth.
Why do we need USB at all its 2015 people shouldn’t everything be happening wirelessly ??
Good luck getting 10Gbps wirelessly.
J unfortunately I haven’t a clue what 10Gbps means
It means another box of bloody cables in the attic is what it means for me!
“There’s going to be a change in the type of wires you use soon”- rather strange sentence.
Cant stand it!
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