Type C: what is interesting and why microUSB is better. What is USB Type-C: history, advantages and disadvantages
The USB Type-C port is the successor to the original micro USB port and can be found in smartphones in 2017, as well as power banks, headphones and other devices today. Galagram tells why the new Type-C is better than the usual micro USB, as well as what bonuses the owners of equipment with the new port standard get.
3 Key Benefits of USB Type-C
It charges gadgets faster
The USB Implementers Forum, which is the industry association behind the development of the port, worked on the bugs in their micro USB creation and created USB Type-C with better specifications. Chargers with the new port are faster and typically charge smartphones at 15W. This is five times faster than most chargers using the old port. And most importantly - it does not create an extra load on your battery.
Charging in both directions
Both ends of the cable not only look the same, they can also do the same things on both sides, which means you can tell which direction the current is flowing. In some cases, this leads to funny results when your smartphone starts to charge the power bank.
If you have a lot of battery left, you can help a friend by charging their smartphone with just a Type-C cable. To do this, connect both smartphones with such a cable and direct the current in the right direction, that's all!
Transferring data from smartphone to smartphone
You just need to open the file explorer on the device where you want to take the files. This is a pre-installed app on smartphones from many manufacturers, but otherwise you can just find it in the settings.
How USB Type-C works
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a standard that defines cable, connectors, and digital communication. Its first version appeared in 1998 and replaced the PC interfaces that were popular at the time. The USB Type-C connector appeared in 2014. It has more pins than its predecessor and they are arranged symmetrically. As a result, it doesn't matter which way you insert the cable - it's double-sided and works the same way.
This is a 24 pin bidirectional port.
There are many differences between connectors and USB versions. They have different electrical characteristics, power ratings and data rates. USB A and B connectors only have 4 pins, while USB 3.1 Type-C has 24 pins (standard pinout) which are needed to support higher currents and faster data transfer. In addition, the USB 3.1 standard increases data transfer speeds up to 10 Gb/s, and it also has innovative ways to charge devices.
The Type-C port specification requires the connector to withstand 100,000 connections per connector without any signs of wear. If you connect the port two or three times a day, for example, the cable should last more than 12 years. To meet these requirements and work with increased power flow, USB-C cables are usually made thicker than the classic micro USB cable.
What is Type-C for?
Lots of Android smartphones still have a micro USB port. In most cases, devices are charged through it from a voltage of 5V and a current of 2A. Faster charging speeds can only be achieved outside the USB specification: Qualcomm Quick Charge, OnePlus Dash Charge, Oppo Vooc, and Samsung Adaptive Fast Charge are manufacturer standards that only work on certain brand devices.
Transfers more power than micro USB
The Type-C port delivers up to 100W of power using an open, free, conventional power system limited only by cable, power supply, or charging target. To minimize heat buildup and wear and tear on electronic components, Type-C compliant devices constantly match voltage and current to each other. To recognize them, look for the USB logo on charger which was adopted in August 2016.
Can transmit HDMI and audio signals
Type-C connectors can replace many other cables. The certification process for many signals and protocols has already been completed. These include VGA, DVI, or HDMI, where the Type-C port mimics a display port, including protocol conversion. Of course, this requires appropriate hardware and software on the device, but this is the business of equipment manufacturers.
Xiaomi and LeEco are getting rid of the 3.5mm port in favor of Type-C
Advantages of the USB 3.1 port:
★ fast
★ powerful
★ universal
Advantages of the Type-C connector:
★ durable
★ symmetrical
Now you can definitely connect USB cable to the device the first time.
⚠ It is necessary to distinguish between the concepts " port" and " connector». connector(socket) Type-C can be soldered even to an old phone (instead of micro-USB), but port and it will remain the old USB 2.0 - it will not increase the speed of charge and data transfer. Of the amenities, only the symmetry and reliability of the connector will appear.
⚠ Thus, the presence of Type-C does not mean anything yet. Smartphone models with a new connector are on sale, but with old port. The advantages listed in this article do not apply to such smartphones.
Pin assignment
Connector contacts in the diagrams are shown from the outer (working) side, unless otherwise specified.
The port contains 24 pins (12 pins on each side). The "upper" ruler is numbered A1 ... A12, the "lower" - B1 ... B12. For the most part, the rulers are identical to each other, which makes this port indifferent to the orientation of the plug. The contacts of each line can be divided into 6 groups: USB 2.0, USB 3.1, Power, Ground, Matching channel and Additional channel. Now let's take a closer look.
Actually, USB 3.1. High speed data lines: TX+, TX-, RX+, RX- ( pins 2, 3, 10, 11). Speed up to 10 Gb/s. In the cable, these pairs are crossed, and what is RX for one device is presented as TX to another. And vice versa. By special order, these pairs can be retrained for other tasks, for example, for video transmission.
Good old . Low speed data lines: D+/D- ( pins 6, 7). This rarity was included in the port for the sake of compatibility with old low-speed devices up to 480 Mb / s.
Power Plus - Vbus(pins 4, 9). The standard voltage is 5 volts. The current is set depending on the needs of the periphery: 0.5A; 0.9A; 1.5A; 3A. In general, the specification of the port implies a transmitted power of up to 100W, and in case of war, the port is able to power a monitor or charge a laptop with 20 volts!
GND - Mother Earth (pins 1, 12). Minus everything and everything.
Matching channel(or configuring) - SS ( pin 5). This is the main feature of USB type-C! Through this channel, the system can determine:
- The fact of connecting / disconnecting a peripheral device;
— Orientation of the connected plug. Oddly enough, but the connector is not absolutely symmetrical, and in some cases the device wants to know its orientation;
- Current and voltage that should be provided to the periphery for power or charge;
- The need to work in an alternative mode, for example, to transmit an audio-video stream.
- In addition to monitoring functions, this channel, if necessary, supplies power to the active cable.
Additional channel - SBU (pin 8). The additional channel is not normally used and is only provided for some exotic cases. For example, when transmitting video over a cable, an audio channel goes through SBU.
USB 3.1 Type-C pinout
The "striped color" here shows the contacts of an uninsulated wire.
A strange decision was to mark the D+ and D- wires not as in USB 2.0, but vice versa: D+ is white, D- is green.
Wires are marked with a gray stroke, whose color, according to Wikipedia, is not regulated by the standard. The author did not find any indication of the colors of the wires in official documentation.
Pinout of Type-C connectors ▼ 
Diagram of a typical USB-C male-to-male cable▼ 
Power/Charge Technology USB PD Rev.2 (USB Power Delivery)
The USB-C cable does not have such concepts as "connector-A" or "connector-B" - the connectors are now the same in all cases.
Device roles are denoted by new terms:
DFP- an active power supply device (like a USB port) A)
UFP- passive, receiving device (like a USB port) B)
DRP- "two-faced", dynamically changing its status device.
In addition, the charger is called power provider, rechargeable - power consumer.
The distribution of roles is carried out by setting a certain potential on the CC contact using one or another resistor:
Active device ( DFP V bus.
The value of the resistor tells the consumer what current he can count on:
56
±20% kΩ - 500 or 900 mA
22
±5% kΩ - 1.5 A
10
±5% kΩ - 3 A
▲ Adapters from USB 2.0 (3.0) to USB-C, which are used to connect new smartphones to old PCs or storage devices, are soldered according to the DFP scheme, that is, they show themselves to the smartphone as an active device
passive device ( UFP) is determined by the resistor between the contacts CC and GND.
Resistor rating: 5,1
kOhm
▲ Adapters from USB-C to USB-OTG are soldered exactly according to the UFP scheme, that is, they imitate a consuming device.
⚠ USB PD Rev2 technology in which by contact CC agree current and voltage charge should not be confused with Quick Charge (QC) technology, where the contacts D− and D+ only agrees voltage charge. USB PD Rev2 is only supported in USB 3.1.
QC is supported without reference to the port version.
USB-to-micro-USB-C adapter
Unsoldering the Type-C to USB 3.0 OTG adapter board from different sides ▼
Analog audio via Type-C
The standard provides for the possibility of transmitting analog audio through a digital port. This feature is implemented in HTC U series, HTC 10 Evo, Xiaomi Mi, LeTV smartphones. The author will be grateful if the reader adds to this list.
To work in this mode, analog headsets with a Type-C plug are used. Adapters are provided for connecting the classic.
Analog audio is transmitted on the Data−, Data+, SBU1 and SBU2 channels. The smartphone enters this mode if the headset plug or adapter between contacts A1-A5 and B1-B5 resistance less than0.8…1.2 kOhm. Instead of a resistor, I could see just a jumper.
Video via USB-C
To transfer video via USB 3.1, the "DisplayPort Alternate Mode" has been developed.
See the list of devices that support this mode. I think it will be very useful to many. I don’t know what kind of cord you had and did it work with QC3.0 before? How many lived in it? "Normal USB" - what is it?
At the beginning of its journey, the USB port was designed to combine all other interfaces into one, its unchanged logo even hinted at this, but as time goes on, the universal port itself has grown to many poorly compatible versions, which has brought even more chaos to the relationship of certain gadgets. And finally, He appeared on the horizon. The great and terrible USB Type C. Knowledgeable people greeted him with almost applause, and ordinary users just shrugged their shoulders. You can meet this indifference even today, they say, yes, symmetrical, yes, it’s easier to connect, so what? In fact, the difference is huge, and if you are still wondering which is better - Type C or microUSB, you are here.
Type C is more practical
This compact port has declared itself as a new network standard and its appearance is quite consistent with such a high status. A symmetrical, 24-pin port can now be found on flagship and mid-range smartphones, laptops, docking stations, routers, and a huge amount of other equipment. It does not take up much space on the case and, yes, it is more convenient to connect it. And now you don’t have to carry with you a certain number of blocks from different equipment.
Backward compatibility is also important. The Type-C port allows you to use any technology from the most ancient to the most modern without any special restrictions.
A couple of years ago, the issue of finding adapters and compatible flash drives was acute, but today there are a dime a dozen of them on the market.
Data transfer rate - up to 10 Gb / s
In this regard, Type C is a big stepping stone for the future, because it offers users data transfer rates of up to 10 Gb / s. Modern smartphones, of course, do not need this, but in the future it may well come in handy.
Here, by the way, we must immediately put an end to the confusion. The first Type C installed on a smartphone (by the way, it was Nokia N1) only supported the 2.0 protocol, while later devices could have both 3.0 and 3.1 with the corresponding data transfer rates. This limitation is imposed by the manufacturer with an eye to modern realities and will continue to increase.
Charging - up to 100W of power
Fast charging is already rampant across the planet. They are developed by different manufacturers and they work according to different principles, but the essence is the same - to increase power and thus reduce the charging time of the gadget. If you read our last text, you noticed that in modern fast charging technologies, the numbers do not even come close to the indicated one. However, in the future, this transcendental, at first glance, power will be used. You may have come across this technology on the Web under the name USB Power Delivery. It is what many see as the future standard for fast charging.
Moreover, the Type C port can not only charge, but also charge other devices, which obviously will not fail to be used by third-party manufacturers in their developments.
Alternate Modes
If up to this point we have been talking exclusively about proprietary developments, now it's time to look at related technologies. Type C will also allow you to connect to monitors with DisplayPort, MHL and HDMI.
Thunderbolt 3 cannot be ignored, which guarantees data and video transfer at high speeds. Through this interface, you can daisy-chain up to 6 peripherals(e.g. monitors). It's hard to imagine a situation where this is really necessary.
Sound transmission - audiophile quality
If we evaluated all the above modes in the context of a reserve for the future, then this is what even ordinary users are already facing today. We are talking about the massive replacement of the audio jack with a Type C port. The separated ports, in this case, have only one (but very serious) advantage: you can use headphones even when the smartphone is charging. But on all other points, the analog jack is inferior to the digital USB-C. In the latter case, the sound quality will be higher, noise reduction and echo cancellation will be better implemented. Equally significant is the ability to transfer part of the tasks (and related equipment) to the headset, which will also help to avoid unnecessary noise and expand the capabilities of the headset in terms of control. The other side of the coin is that headphones will obviously become more expensive than modern simple “whistles” or, in other words, “whistles” will simply die out as a species.
And in the future, according to the developers, more cool things are waiting for us. For example, the ability to monitor body temperature during sports using headphones.
Docking stations
It was the versatility of the USB Type C port that made the use of docking stations for smartphones possible. Connecting to the dock makes it possible to get almost a full-fledged desktop PC from your smartphone. Not a gaming, of course, level, but it will definitely pull on a multimedia one, the benefit of power mobile processors enough for that. There are currently two devices on the market with this functionality. These are the HP Elite x3, which we did a great review of, and the Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note8 models with their DeX Station. Given the speed with which Type C is spreading, I would like to hope that analogues will appear from other manufacturers.
As we see, a miniature Type-C port is not only charging, as many people think, but also a sea of other possibilities. It is for the versatility of USB-C that they appreciate it. But the sea of \u200b\u200bthese undeniable advantages crosses out one fat minus. The capabilities of the port will always be limited by the host device and it is not possible to externally recognize these limitations. That is, Type C always looks the same, and to find out exactly what it will “be able to” on a particular device, you will have to look for detailed specifications. Moreover, the difficulties here will be not only with the presence / absence of alternative modes, but also with the speeds involved. Moreover, the compatibility of two devices can be “killed” by using the wrong cable. Such a sickly game of attentiveness turns out. The only thing that pleases, these restrictions the further, the more they will be leveled with the development of technology.
The process of mass introduction of the USB interface in PCs and peripheral devices began in the late 90s of the last century. In just a few years, USB has become the de facto standard for connecting peripherals, practically replacing other solutions such as serial and parallel ports, PS / 2, etc.
Moreover, the matter was not limited to computers and peripheral equipment. Convenience, ease of connection and versatility of the USB interface contributed to the spread of this solution in other areas - in particular, in mobile devices ah, consumer audio and video equipment, automotive electronics, etc.
Since the process of improving PCs, mobile devices and other equipment is ongoing, from time to time it becomes necessary to refine the USB interface in order to improve key characteristics (in particular, bandwidth), expand functionality, introduce new connector sizes, etc. All this allows you to adapt the existing solution to the changing needs of the industry.
Of the most notable innovations in recent years, we can recall the introduction of SuperSpeed mode, which appeared in the USB specification version 3.0. The final text of this document was approved at the end of 2008, and over the next couple of years, this decision became widespread.
However, a lot of time has already passed since then, and it is time for the next improvements. In the coming year, the IT industry and you and I are expecting a number of, without exaggeration, revolutionary innovations. It is about them that we will tell in this review.
SuperSpeedPlus Mode
In the summer of 2013, the USB specification version 3.1 was approved. The main innovation that legalized this document, the SuperSpeedPlus mode has become, which allows to double the bandwidth of the data bus of the USB interface: from the previous 5 to 10 Gb / s. For compatibility with older equipment, it is also possible to work in SuperSpeed mode (up to 5 Gb / s). Thus, a USB 3.1 connection will allow (at least theoretically) to transfer data at speeds over 1 GB / s and practically reach the HDMI version 1.4 interface (which has a bandwidth of 10.2 Gb / s) in this indicator.
What does this mean in practice? Bands of 10 Gb / s is enough to broadcast high-definition video (Full HD) with a frame refresh rate of up to 60 Hz or stereoscopic recordings in a similar resolution with a frequency of up to 30 Hz. Accordingly, USB 3.1 can be considered as a full-fledged alternative to specialized interfaces (such as DVI and HDMI) for broadcasting high-resolution video from PCs and mobile devices to monitors, projectors and other devices.
USB Type C connector
One of the revolutionary innovations that will affect the PC industry, as well as peripheral and mobile devices in the near future, is the introduction of a new type of USB interface connector. The specification for USB Type C plugs and receptacles was developed by the USB 3.0 Promoter Group and was finalized in August 2014. The design of USB Type C connectors has a number of important features that it makes sense to talk about in detail.
First, USB Type C plugs and sockets are symmetrical. In the USB Type C socket, the plastic tab is located exactly in the middle, and the pads on it are located on both sides. Thanks to this, the plug can be connected to such a socket either in a straight or inverted position by 180 °. This will greatly simplify the life of users, who will finally be relieved of the need to determine the correct orientation of the plug at random (which is especially true when connecting cables to system unit installed under the table).
Secondly, the USB Type C specification provides for the use of balanced cables, which are equipped with the same plugs on both sides. Accordingly, the sockets installed on the host devices and on the peripheral equipment will be the same.
And thirdly, the USB Type C connector will not have mini and micro versions. It is expected that USB Type C sockets and plugs will become common for desktop and laptop PCs, peripheral equipment, consumer equipment, mobile devices, power supplies, etc. Accordingly, to connect devices of any type, you need only one unified cable.
The dimensions of the USB Type C socket are approximately 8.4x2.6 mm, which allows you to easily place it in the case of even small devices. There are several options for the design of sockets for mounting both on the surface of the printed circuit board and in a special cutout (the latter option allows you to reduce the thickness of the device case).
USB Type C plugs and receptacles are designed to last up to 10,000 plugs and unplugs - matching the reliability of current USB plug types.
The first public demonstration of USB Type C connectors and cables took place as part of the IDF Fall 2014 forum, which took place in early September in San Francisco (USA). One of the first mass-produced devices equipped with a USB Type C connector was the tablet announced in mid-November.
Of course, the physical incompatibility of the USB Type C connector with older types of sockets is not the best news for end users. However, the developers from the USB 3.0 Promoter Group decided to take such a radical step in order to expand functionality USB interface, as well as to create a reserve for the future. Adapter cables (USB Type C - USB Type A, USB Type C - USB Type B, USB Type C - microUSB, etc.) will be available to connect new devices to equipment equipped with older types of connectors.
USB Power Delivery 2.0
One of the reasons for the current popularity of the USB interface is the ability to transfer not only data, but also power over a single cable. This allows you to simplify the connection procedure as much as possible and reduce the number of wires used. When working with mobile devices, this property of the USB interface provides the ability to transfer and synchronize data from a PC, and at the same time recharge the gadget's battery by connecting just one cable. The same can be said about low-power peripherals. Due to the possibility of transferring power over the interface cable, we have long been relieved of the need to use external power supplies for some peripheral devices - in particular, flatbed scanners, low-power speaker systems, etc. Due to this, it was possible to reduce not only the number of wires on the desktop, but also the occupied sockets under it.
However, the rapid development of mobile devices in recent years has led to a significant change in the requirements not only for the bandwidth of the data bus, but also for the power supply parameters supplied via the USB connection. For charging low power devices (such as MP3 players or wireless headsets) a current of 500 mA is enough (and this, recall, is the maximum value for standard USB ports versions 1.1 and 2.0). However, for normal charging modern smartphones and tablets require power supplies capable of delivering 2 A or more.
A similar situation is observed in the segment of peripheral devices. The power transferred via USB is enough to provide power to a 2.5-inch external hard drive or a desktop flatbed scanner with a CIS type sensor. However, to supply electricity to a small jet printer or, for example, an LCD monitor, the USB interface even version 3.0 (and in it the maximum current was increased to 900 mA per port) does not allow.
In order to expand the capabilities of the USB interface to provide power to external devices, the USB Power Delivery 2.0 specification was developed. This document regulates the supply of power to devices with a power consumption of up to 100 W, and in any direction - both from the host device to the peripheral, and vice versa. For example, a laptop will be able to receive power from the monitor to which it is connected via USB.
Of course, the possibilities of supplying power to external devices are limited by the design features of a PC or other device that acts as a power source. That is why the USB Power Delivery 2.0 specification provides three profiles - for devices with power consumption up to 10, 60 and 100 watts. In the first case, the supply voltage is 5 V, and the maximum current in the load circuit can reach 2 A. The second profile provides for the use of a supply voltage of 12 V, and the third - 20 V. The maximum current in the load circuit in both cases is limited to 5 A.
It should be noted that in order to power a powerful load, it is necessary that both devices support the appropriate USB Power Delivery 2.0 profile. Obviously, the maximum power will be limited by the capabilities of the device acting as a power source. There are other aspects to keep in mind as well.
In the event that the current in the power circuit does not exceed 2 A, USB connectors of any currently existing types can be used to connect devices. Connecting a more powerful load is possible only through the USB Type C connectors (which have already been mentioned above) and the corresponding cables. You also need to pay attention to the fact that, unlike USB Type C connectors, the design of standard cables is designed for a maximum current of 3 A. Thus, a special cable is required to connect a more powerful load.
The introduction of the USB Power Delivery 2.0 specification will significantly expand the possibilities for transferring power over the USB interface bus. The implementation of this solution in the future will make it possible to use the USB ports of a desktop computer to recharge not only smartphones, tablets, etc. gadgets, but also mobile PCs - netbooks, laptops, etc. In addition, the range of peripheral devices will be significantly expanded, which can receive the current required for operation via the USB interface bus and, accordingly, do without separate power supplies. This list will be replenished with LCD monitors, active acoustic systems etc.
Alternate Modes
Another important innovation that will become available with the transition to the USB Type C connector is support for Functional Extensions. A special case of functional extensions are the so-called alternative modes (Alternate Modes, AM). With their help, manufacturers will be able to use the physical connection of the USB interface to implement the specific features and functions of certain devices.
For example, the Audio Adapter Accessory Mode allows you to use the physical USB interface connection to broadcast an analog audio signal to headphones, external speakers, and other equipment. To a device equipped with a USB Type C connector and supporting Audio Adapter Accessory Mode, you can connect headphones or an external speaker through a special adapter equipped with a 3.5 mm mini-jack jack.
Support for alternative modes is one of the features of a new class of USB devices - the USB Billboard Device Class. Manufacturers who intend to develop their own alternative modes need to obtain a unique identifier (SVID) from the USB-IF organization.
In 2014, the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) developed the DisplayPort Alternate Mode specification. This solution allows you to use two pairs of USB cable conductors (TX+/TX– and RX+/RX–) to broadcast an uncompressed digital AV stream. At the same time, it is possible to transfer data (in Low Speed, Full Speed and Hi-Speed modes via a D+/D– pair), as well as power supply via the same interface cable. Thus, by connecting two devices that support DisplayPort Alternate Mode, you can broadcast audio and video signals, transfer data in both directions at speeds up to 480 Mbps, and also supply power - all through one cable!
Devices that support DisplayPort Alternate Mode can also be connected to equipment that does not have USB Type C ports (in particular, monitors, TVs, etc.). The specification of this mode provides options for connecting to DisplayPort, HDMI or DVI interfaces through special adapters.
In November 2014, the MHL consortium announced the development of the MHL Alternate Mode, which will allow broadcasting uncompressed audio and video (including high and ultra high definition) from mobile devices equipped with a USB Type C connector to external equipment (monitors, TVs, projectors etc.) via a standard USB cable. Specialists from Nokia, Samsung Electronics, Silicon Image, Sony and Toshiba took part in the development of the specification.
The introduction of alternative modes will significantly expand the functionality of the USB interface and simplify the procedure for connecting devices of various types to the limit.
Conclusion
Concluding this review, we will once again list the most important innovations, the process of introducing which into mass-produced devices equipped with a USB interface will begin in the near future.
The SuperSpeedPlus data transfer mode described in the USB specification version 3.1 will increase the maximum bandwidth of this interface to 10 Gb / s. Of course, this is less than HDMI 2.0 and Thunderbolt 2 (which, we recall, provide data transfer at speeds up to 18 and 20 Gb / s, respectively). However, 10 Gbps is enough to transmit uncompressed HD video at frame rates up to 60 Hz. In addition, representatives of USB-IF said that in future versions of USB it is quite possible to increase the throughput to 20 Gb / s - fortunately, the design of the new USB Type C connectors and the corresponding cables has a certain margin for further development.
The introduction of support for the USB Power Delivery 2.0 specification will significantly increase the maximum power delivered over a USB connection. Accordingly, the range of peripheral and mobile devices that can be powered via an interface cable will be expanded. The widespread implementation of this solution will significantly reduce the number of cables and external power supplies used, reduce the number of occupied sockets and use electricity more efficiently.
The emergence of USB Billboard Device Class devices with support for alternative modes will open up completely new possibilities. At the same time, each manufacturer will be able to create their own modes for devices of various types, taking into account their specifics.
Of course, one of the revolutionary changes that will affect the areas of PCs, peripherals and mobile devices, consumer equipment, etc. will be the introduction of the USB Type C connector, which is supposed to replace the USB plugs and sockets currently in use. On the one hand, the transition to a single connector for devices of all types will greatly simplify the life of users and reduce the number of cables required to a minimum. But, on the other hand, the industry and users will have to go through a very difficult and painful process of generational change. Previous solutions were distinguished by maximum compatibility: the design of conventional USB Type A and Type B plugs allows you to easily connect them to the corresponding version 3.0 sockets. Now, to connect devices of different generations, you will have to use additional devices.
The USB 3.1 specification is backward compatible with earlier versions of the interface. However, with the advent of mass-produced devices equipped with a USB Type C connector, users will inevitably be faced with the need to purchase adapters and adapters that provide the ability to connect new devices to older equipment with USB Type A, Type B and other types of sockets. Considering that about 4 billion devices equipped with a USB interface are currently produced annually, this problem will be very relevant for at least the next five to six years.
It should also be noted that the full potential of the USB version 3.1 interface and the USB Type C connector in practice will be possible only when users accumulate at least a minimum amount of equipment equipped with these new products. Obviously, in the case of interaction between two devices of different generations, the functionality and maximum bandwidth of the interface will be limited by the characteristics of the USB controller of the older device.
According to experts from the well-known Taiwanese resource DigiTimes, serial models of PCs, as well as mobile and peripheral devices equipped with USB 3.1 interface and USB Type C connectors, will go on sale in the first half of 2015. On the other hand, leading developers operating systems and software have already announced their readiness to release updates to implement USB 3.1 support in their products.
The era of inconvenient connectors has come to an end. Some users no longer recognize the old 30-pin Apple cable, and microUSB is rarely seen even in budget phones. USB Type-C became the standard of 2016, which is used in most of the announced devices. Even Apple decided, following the Macbook 2015, to deprive the new models of the Pro line of the usual USB connector. Does this mean that the company will soon abandon Lightning?
A few years ago, the then new Lightning connector was perceived as an “amazing” replacement for the old and inconvenient counterpart. No more suffering from getting into the charging port, and the smaller size of the novelty contributed to the “weight loss” of the new iPhone models.
But time goes on, the industry does not stand still, and once a revolutionary connector has become commonplace. And the obsolete microUSB was replaced with a competitive Type-C, which could compete on an equal footing with Lightning in terms of capabilities.
The gradual transition to the new standard was very "painful". Apple users tolerated the change of connectors more calmly, because they are used to rather high prices for cables, unlike owners of Android devices who are not ready to pay $10-20 for a piece of wire.
But it wasn't just the price that was the problem. The first devices with USB Type-C did not offer anything new, delivering only inconvenience. After all, they did not use high-speed USB 3.1, but regular USB 2.0. This slightly slowed down the spread of the connector. But now there are phones and laptops that use the full potential available.
One of the main advantages of USB Type-C is the ability to simultaneously charge and exchange large amounts of data. With the help of the new connector, voltages up to 100 W can be transmitted, which is about 20 V and 5 A. Such values are enough to charge almost any device, be it a tablet or a laptop. So there is a reserve for the future.
It’s not worth talking about ease of use here, symmetry has eliminated the need to constantly check which side is connected. But here it is worth noting that Lightning in terms of structural reliability will be a little better. After all, inside the USB connector, as before, there is a thin contact tab, which is easy to break when foreign particles get in. In this case, the owner will have to repair the USB input. But if Lightning breaks down, even breaking off the plug, you just need to change the cable.
Another disadvantage was the presence a large number cheap Chinese USB Type-C cables and the problem of quality control. Such a wire, bought for $1, could damage the battery or even set the device on fire. The problem lies in the voltage passing through the cable, because in the Chinese versions there was often no restriction, which was the cause of the breakdowns of many phones.
But the fate of Lightning no longer seems so rosy. Devices using it have not yet received support for fast charging, the data transfer rate is inferior to the competitor, and the versatility of such a connector remains in question. Even Apple computers don't have it. To connect your phone to a new Macbook, you need to purchase adapters.
The Cupertinos have invested a lot of money in the development of Lightning, and he himself brings in good licensing revenues, but it seems that his time is running out. Switching to USB Type-C will allow you to charge all the devices in the house with just one wire.
But don't expect Lightning to die anytime soon. A huge number of accessories are available for it, and the recent ditching of the 3.5mm miniJack has extended its lifespan by several years. After all, the output of headphones using Lightning will bring considerable profit to Apple. And, perhaps, she will refine the characteristics of the connector to equal them with a competitor.
Now USB Type-C is endowed with more capabilities and looks more promising. So at the moment, it is he who wins in the fight for the title of "the most technologically advanced connector of 2016".
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