My wife got a new phone, which means that every device in my home that needs to be charged regularly is now USB-C. This is the tech thing that has felt the most like the future to me in the last half a decade. Replace everything with USB-C.
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I mean, the same thing happened when all of the phone industry was forced to stop using proprietary and switch to USB Mini and USB Micro, around the early 2000s. And that was pre smart phone.
Once we finally reach then point where everything is usb c to usb c (rather than usb a outlet to usb c device) we will have finally reached what usb should have been to start with - no more getting it the wrong way round
The EU mandated USB-C years ago (They told the industry to pick one and everyone will use it.) They said manufacturers were making an absurd profit off the cables and said: No more!
It seems to be only the tech firms resisting this one, is very popular with consumers. But of course inter-compatibility between rival products is a serious threat to the bottom line. Which is why we need regulators to step in on behalf of the consumer and say, sorry, but no….
I had to get adapters because my son got a new iPhone like 6 months ago and has the old iPhone and the rest of us have USB-C. I truly miss my EarPods and had to buy a new USB-C set
You can charge a lot of laptops (even cheaper ones) through thunderbolt which has an USB-C connector but I think the only main difference between thunderbolt and usb-C is the data transfer rate I think
Not all have Thunderbolt since that requires Intel chip sets, but USB C supports high charge rates so I guess it would depend on the innards of the laptop itself for cooling and heat distribution, I'm not an electrical engineer though so can't speak on that
That's the real issue: there's too many different types of USB C cables. You gotta find exactly the right cable for each device. So instead of ports now we deal with cables except the differences between cables are practically invincible where at different ports were discernable at a glance.
They were not a consumer.
They were wrong but insistent that they were not.
Also, if people will insist and mandate that we have "one charging port," well, they'll have to keep packing more and more into that hole, and you'll need more and more cables.
Website cookie thing is more on companies/sites being maliciously compliant.
There’re websites who do it properly and give you an easy way to reject it.
Then there’re websites that make it annoying as all hell to get you to accept their tracking cookies.
My one qualm with USB-C is that the cables (easy and cheap to replace) contain the female connector and the device that it connects to contains the male connector. The one thing that breaks all the time is the male connector. Tear down = expensive; cable = cheap
The flexible pins that clamp the rigid component are more susceptible to failure & exposed pins break and get dirty more easily.
Ever use an apple lightening connector? The worst. I would prob trade in my iP 14 Pro solely for USB-C if it weren’t for 1) wireless charging and 2) wireless car play.
Unlikely as the EU mandated USB-C as the universal standard for consumer devices. We won’t see a change in legislation unless they come up with a standard that is orders of magnitude better.
Maybe but technology is advancing fast, it might be an disadvantage if politics trys to ifluence its development.
As long as it´s only for charging it isn´t critical, but your data transfer is something you defently won´t be slowed down by regulations and imagine they would
I've thrown out all of my micro and lightning cables and have replaced them with C adapters until those devices reach end of life. Then it will be a USB C Only household from then on!
As the designated Guy Who Brings Along All Of The Cables And Power Adapters For Everyone On Family Trips: so much this. (also, I am constantly grateful to Nintendo for having the rare-for-them foresight to ship the Switch with USB-C in 2017)
Using a phone charger on a laptop just means your laptop will charge slow but should absolutely work. Cat toy should also just work. As long as a charger is halfway decent it should support USB-PD and then it just kinda works on everything.
Something that seems to have been lost in charging vehicles, with each vehicle manufacturer inventing its own plug type. This is a truly DUH moment for our governments.
The only reason I might get a new phone. To escape the tyranny of the lightning connector. I also need to get new headphones but not until these are dead dead.
I have a large box full of chargers from dozens of old devices waiting in my basement for me to bring home a new device that needs that special 7.3v charger I've been holding onto for the past decade...
We r worrying about a cable?
While we buy every time a complete new device that is only 2% different. That's what we demonstrated against 20 years ago! and kept the PC a open source device with universal connections so everybody on the world could use it, and would ensure competition! now we forgot
It's great to see Android users enjoying the latest features and updates. Competition between platforms always drives innovation, and ultimately, users benefit from the advancements. What's your favorite Android feature that you're glad to have? 🤔
Yeah, get a mechanical Bluetooth keyboard. I use Logitech BT and switch between my Windows and MacBook Pro easily. Once you feel the mechanical keys you’ll never go back to those flat keys.
Finally a voice of reason, so many people here are complaining about usbc and pining for the days old old where every device has its own crappy power source, so strange.
the real problem is there’s usb c with PD and usb c where people just run it via USB A without anything on the CC pins, and surprisingly these don’t interoperable well to the extent where i need a different cable between my phone or my toothbrush
The issue is that the connector on the device is male and the cable is female. If it was reversed like the lightning cable it would be much strong and easier to replace when the cable connector (male) breaks. I’m not sure why they did that. I assume there was a patent they couldn’t use.
While I love the idea that everything has to use the same charger, it’s really annoying for those of us who still have Zip drives in the closet and a charger for everything ever sold. Except the one I need.
I'll be on board with USB-C for everything when I see:
a) standardised cables - make them all the same specification
b) stronger charger blades in the ports, and service/replacement schedules for these ports.
Imagine the outrage when they decide to no longer make USB-C and want to replace it with USB-D. Not saying they will but at this rate we never know at the rate this world is moving with technology. 😂😂😂
Totally agree, USB-C. I ordered a Shokz OpenRun Pro headset that was supposed to be USB-C but the vendor sent me an equivalent model with their goofy proprietary charger, I refused it and argued for days with them to get the one I ordered because I didn't want some stupid cable for one device
"What if you went to the store, and could only buy one kind of shoe, and everyone had the same shoes; that's COMMUNISM."
Counterpoint, what if every shoe type has its own different type of shoelaces and you had to pair the two correctly or they don't work, then they update the shoelaces constantly
Now pray that you don't run into weird situations where some cords charge better/worse, seem to reset on some interval, or have shroud size differences that limit what they plug into.
meanwhile... Not every device accepts unauthorized USB-C cables/chargers plus.. Many USB-C devices work on different voltages which leads to issue when you will end up with charger that has fixed voltage out of standard..
However, while it seems to be fine it also creates different issue with oldies
I have had usb-c on the past couple of phones and it always ends up failing. Now i just charge it with an induction charger, less efficient but it works.
A Warning:
Do not, under any circumstances, throw out your old USB micro, USB mini, or whatever the hell iThings use.
Doing so absolutely guarantees that you will soon acquire a critical device that only charges off one of them. In my case, it was an insulin pump controller.
I spent long enough as an audio tech to feel bad about adaptors, too many associations with fiascos (something broke, something wasn't packed that should have been), cobbling together horrifying combinations of whatever you can find rattling around the corners of the truck to maybe make things work
I had to buy 4 adaptors for $7.59 so I don't have to replace all my charging cords and can use new and old iPhones, Macs, Mackbooks, iPads. I was pissed that Apple for at least the second time needlessly changed the design not to mention those magnetic plugs. Even the new Mac has magnet power cord.
I donated two perfectly good pairs of AirPods just so I could banish the last bastions of lightning cables and usbs from my house. It felt so good to have one charging cable in my life. Hotels and charging stations dragging their feet tho
my last macbook ditched a perfectly good magsafe power socket for usb-c, but apple actually did think better of that decision and put them back within months
The people on the board include many big rech manufacturers including apple ironically enough. They helped set the standard for USB c and then tried not to use it
Having at least eight charging cords with different ends for a range of items I’d love it if the tech companies didn’t believe that a way to make more money is to change them every year. 🤨
I have one type for my phone, another for my watch, another for a battery pack and bike lights, another for iPads, another for laptops - it’s impossible to keep it all straight
This is why the OTG dongles you could use to plug a mouse in your micro-usb phone were so cursed - they changed the role from peripheral/device to be the usb host.
Very weird.
Anyway, with that perspective in mind, USB D doesn’t make sense!
USB-C doesn't fit most of my devices, nor my charging cubes, nor my power leads. I'm not buying new devices just to use the newest cable. I have plenty of cables, including the odd ones for older devices that had their own that matched nothing else. Nor does it match up with co-ax or two-wire!
I remember when every mobile phone you purchased had a different charging cable - it was maddening - then they said they were going to go to one type of charging cable because of the amount of waste - and then they've changed them again... and of course - apple has it's own - GRRRR
(you do need to order the right voltage for your stuff; one of my monitors runs on 15v, has a well labeled DC barrel adapter that basically lives in that monitor whether it's in use or not)
Those examples are not good. Display Port and newer HDMI are vastly superior to USB C for what they do - video. Higher refresh rates and resolution support. USB C only supports 4k 60hz and doesn't support many other things HDMI and DP support. And most usb c cables won't work anyway.
Oh there’s different technology behind the universal connector? Just label the cable types Video, Data, and Charging. This doesn’t have to be hard. Throw “high speed” or “pro” in there if you’re feeling special.
I was really pulling for the HAVi protocol to beat HDMI. It was Thunderbolt not USB, but gosh it would have been nice with where Thunderbolt 3/4/5 ended up.
You mean label them because most manufacturers don’t label them so you grab a cable thinking it will work and it doesn’t. Then you have to waste your time marking cables that should have been labeled in the first place.
The only thing guaranteed on a USB-C cable is that it will charge.
They’re out there, they’re just not as handy as the small but BRIGHT daytime running lights from Bontrager that I swear by. (My light & motion night torch is also micro sadly.)
When are they going to do something similar with PC USB connectors?
I can never get it right first time
Am I holding it slightly wrongly or the wrong way round?
I DON'T CARE!
I now only need to use one single charger for everything, because everything accepts a USB-C charger, and it will automatically adjust output so nothing explodes.
Best of all? The power bank I bought for work can take TWO USB-C cables, to charge two things, at the same time.
I think the EU mandated that all devices had to be USB-C, thereby putting a crimp in some manufacturers constant new device, new charging cable horse hockey 🐴 🏒 (I'm looking at you, Apple).
I recently started taking all my meals over USB-C. Saves so much time since I don’t have to brush my teeth. Also seem to be losing a lot of that extra holiday weight, which is a nice bonus.
I just mentioned this to my wife today. Almost all our tech is now usb-c and it is so easy to charge things because they all the need the same cable and there is no right-side up! Two big UI improvements.
I was scrounging around in the kitchen and came upon an entire drawer full of old USB cables and AC adapters. Dusty sunglasses, too, including a pair right out of The Matrix. Slammed drawer shut and fled.
My son has an app he uses for his autism that is Apple only which in and of itself pisses me off more than you can know because until this AAC app we had ZERO APPLE in our house but thank goodness we waited until they had an iPad with USBC.
99% of things in my house are USBC which is why my wife's PS3 controllers piss me off most because they are Mini USB and are basically the only Mini USB in the house.
Yeah, you'll get the D. But in all seriousness, USB-C should be robust enough as a standard to allow this form for quite a while, unless we get to charge cars with it. The cable properties will vary wildly in these 10-20 years
i still keep one or two micro and mini's around tho bc i always seem to have a few old things that need to be charged once a quarter and they arent usbC lol
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The plug went in. Why didn't it work?
You're plugging a USB-C cable into a TB4 port. You're not getting all the pins.
Oh, they got PISSED!
They started shouting that is all USB-C, so it should work.
Sorry. You're wrong. 🤷♂️
They were wrong but insistent that they were not.
Also, if people will insist and mandate that we have "one charging port," well, they'll have to keep packing more and more into that hole, and you'll need more and more cables.
You can call them USB-C, but they're TB3,4,5.
Same as USB 4.0 ≠ USB-C (Even tho usb 4.0 means that connector...)
You do need a TB4 cable plugged into a TB4 port to take full advantage of that port.
You can't plug an ordinary USB-C 3, 3.1,3.2, ect... cable in and get everything TB4 or 5 will give.
For now, I think the pinout is the same, but the capabilities of the wires is not.
There’re websites who do it properly and give you an easy way to reject it.
Then there’re websites that make it annoying as all hell to get you to accept their tracking cookies.
Wouldn't Be Suprised If The Aux/Auxiliary Or Normal USB's Get Fully Replaced
Someday we are going to need either a fiber optic connection or some kind of “Neuralink” style device in our head just to access the Internet.
Maybe the Internet isn’t all that great to begin with?
Still, what was wrong with the old iPhone?
Ever use an apple lightening connector? The worst. I would prob trade in my iP 14 Pro solely for USB-C if it weren’t for 1) wireless charging and 2) wireless car play.
As long as it´s only for charging it isn´t critical, but your data transfer is something you defently won´t be slowed down by regulations and imagine they would
But it's fucking blenders and chainsaws and vibrators and ceiling fans and everything.
Want to charge a USB-C laptop with a USB-C phone charger? Denied.
Want to charge your USB-C cat toy with your USB-C laptop charger? I don’t think so!
Just because they are all the same shape now isn’t a sign of compatibility.
While we buy every time a complete new device that is only 2% different. That's what we demonstrated against 20 years ago! and kept the PC a open source device with universal connections so everybody on the world could use it, and would ensure competition! now we forgot
This is worse as you often can't tell which cable you need until you eliminate the ones that don't work.
a) standardised cables - make them all the same specification
b) stronger charger blades in the ports, and service/replacement schedules for these ports.
I'd also wonder about a 240VAC USB-C cable. 😄
Counterpoint, what if every shoe type has its own different type of shoelaces and you had to pair the two correctly or they don't work, then they update the shoelaces constantly
However, while it seems to be fine it also creates different issue with oldies
Do not, under any circumstances, throw out your old USB micro, USB mini, or whatever the hell iThings use.
Doing so absolutely guarantees that you will soon acquire a critical device that only charges off one of them. In my case, it was an insulin pump controller.
Im guessing its because the tech is cheaper? Licensing maybe? is that a thing?
The people on the board include many big rech manufacturers including apple ironically enough. They helped set the standard for USB c and then tried not to use it
thanks
A is the side that usually plugs into the host (the computer, the thing supplying the voltage)
B is the thing that plugs into the printer, phone, camera, microphone, etc)
B had multiple sizes (regular, mini, micro, …) and versions
C means bidirectional
Very weird.
Anyway, with that perspective in mind, USB D doesn’t make sense!
What would USB D be for? Triangular?
It is for faster charging
I’m old enough to remember when EVERY Device Maker was, DEFINITIVELY TRYING, to make EACH Charger for EVERY-SINGLE-DEVICE?… Proprietary.
Apple did a good job with that actually, for once.
never not going to be incredible
https://www.amazon.com/Cablecc-Female-5-52-1mm-Charge-Laptop/dp/B0831G9CKS/
https://www.akitio.com/faq/356-are-all-usb-c-cables-the-same
The only thing guaranteed on a USB-C cable is that it will charge.
I just use colored tape. Black is power, blue is video, and green is data.
But does it do hdmi 9.2? I have n clue. Qr code!
I can never get it right first time
Am I holding it slightly wrongly or the wrong way round?
I DON'T CARE!
Just go in the socket, damn you 😡
Best of all? The power bank I bought for work can take TWO USB-C cables, to charge two things, at the same time.
Actually not alright, but I don't get to express this brain fart often.
https://commission.europa.eu/news/eu-common-charger-rules-power-all-your-devices-single-charger-2024-12-28_en#:~:text=Because%20the%20EU%20has%20standardised,and%20simplify%20your%20everyday%20life.
Just wait until you travel with your wife's new phone. It'll be like a completely different trip that you've never had lol.