USB Type-C: Do You Need it Now?

USB Type-C is a new port connector, designed as a replacement for the existing USB Type-A – you know, the standard rectangular port we’ve been used to for almost 20 years. This new standard is considerably smaller, and can be inserted in either direction – there’s no such thing as upside-down.

Only recently has USB Type-C started to appear in the mainstream, though it’s still hard to find in mid-2016 except on the highest-end notebooks and tablets. As we’ll discuss in this article, USB Type-C accessories are rarer still.

Read the full content of this Article: http://www.notebookreview.com/feature/usb-type-c-need-now/

 

A coupe of tablets with USB-C ports are the:

• Dell Venue 8 Pro 5855
• Samsung Galaxy TabPro S

You might also be interested in our:

• Dell USB-C to HDMI/VGA/Ethernet/USB 3.0 Adapter (DA200) Review

It's early days yet, but after using the TabPro S and latest Venue 8 Pro I'm a big fan of USB-C. It's vastly better than USB-A and micro-USB: It's not just smaller than USB-A but not having to worry about which way the plug is aimed is nice.

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One major casualty of USB Type-C looks to be the 3.5mm audio port on mobile phones. The new Motorola (Lenovo) Moto Z will ship with only USB Type-C and no audio jack, and rumors indicate Apple will do the same with the iPhone 7, with lightning instead of USB Type-C.

From what I've read, the new setup will remove the Digital Analog Converter from the handset, and instead rely on the headphone to do the converting -- similar to Bluetooth headphones. While I suppose this could result in better audio quality for those willing to invest in more expensive headphones, I'm always wary of any change that renders a swath of accessories obsolete, both for the consumer and environment. Here's hoping Apple and the other carriers bundle the appropriate adapters or headphones with the handsets, and push recycling initiatives.

 

I think the smartest way to approach USB Type-C adoption is what's already happening on tablets like the HP Elite x2 and the Samsung TabPro S that Ed mentioned ...using it for power. It'd be extremely convenient to go someplace and have the expectation of a standard power port, once the adoption becomes more widespread.

Eliminating the headphone jack just sounds like a bad idea at this time. Bluetooth headphones are still expensive, not to mention they rely on batteries. Batteries are dead? No music, then.
Perhaps the next big thing will be USB Type-C to 3.5mm converters ...

Charles