The USB Type-C Revolution

It took many years for USB 2.0 to be fully adopted while I’ll argue that USB 3.0 was not even in the path to be adopted when the Type-C came around. I think that USB Type-C will surpass all previous USB adoptions. There are few factors and clues to lead me to this conclusion.

Form factor

The USB 3.0 smaller sizes were awkward while bringing only speed improvements; it was oddly shaped so that it became huge and bulky, specially with MicroUSB, where size is supposed to matter most. They made sense almost only with external HDD.

The Type-C solves this by making itself not compatible with basically anything else, which I think short-term bring some annoyance but long-term it will be a big, silent win.

Inclusive

USB 2.0 reduced the ports needed in our computers greatly, and Type-C threatens to reduce them all to a single port. Finally the same cable will be able to charge your laptop, connect another screen, transfer files, etc. I can count 6 ports with 4 different types (+SD reader) in my ultrabook and I have their corresponding cables/adaptors, which could be reduced to 2~3 of the same port.

The only device that I expect to bring problems in the future is the iPhone with its Lighting port, which I find a beautiful contradiction. Apple was among the first manufacturers to use the new port and it’s rumored that their Lighting port served as an inspiration for USB Type-C. I still think they’ll come around at some point in the future.

Top tech

What could be considered as top technology in several fields is adopting it already. I omit ultrabooks and smartphones since USB Type-C adoption over there is massive and you probably know about these, including the brand-new Macbook Pro with only 4 USBs Type-C. Besides, they are only a small part of the device types that are adopting USB Type-C:

• GoPro Hero5: the company was infamous for still using Mini USB while everyone else was using Micro USB, so I was delighted when I saw they jumped straight into the USB Type-C with the new cameras.
• Samsung T3 SSD: I have this SSD and I am completely in love with it. It’s small, light, blazing fast and reliable. It is way beyond any other SSD/HDD I have had in the past.
• Mi Power Bank: not so popular, but I find those batteries totally awesome. The new port means faster charging rate.

The hard part

The hardest part will be adopting it everywhere. The slowest devices will be probably the ones that have the longest life. Many of the projectors I find out in the wild still use VGA and most of the printers still use USB Type-B, and I expect we will need adapters for decades for those.

There are other devices that arguably don’t need to change; however they will probably have to do it when the USB Type-C cable is the only one that users have around such as e-readers (Kindle), Arduino, or heated Raspberry Pi discussions.

While the transition will be slightly hard, manufacturers are already bundling the cables in their devices so it’ll reduce the pain. And in the long run it’s totally worth it; a single cable for all your devices.