USB-C was supposed to be the new standard in universal peripheral connectivity. It's too bad nothing works with all the USB-C compatibility problems
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Analyst predicts LTE-capable Apple Watch Series 3, no Lightning change on iPhone 8
This year's third-gen Apple Watch is expected to adopt standalone LTE, while 2018 iPhones may mix the best of Lightning and USB Type-C technologies.
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Curved OLED iPhone 8 rumors rehashed yet again, new USB-C gossip calls for Lightning exclusion
It's no big secret that Apple probably has a curved OLED iPhone 8 in the pipeline, but what if its Lightning port will go away to make room for USB Type-C?
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Galaxy S8 headphone jack out, screen to absorb home button
The Galaxy S8 is not copying the iPhone 7. And yet, if you frame the rumors the right way, it can definitely seem like that’s the case.
Just as we’re hearing about Samsung’s spring chicken for 2017 sprouting dual speakers for the first time in the Galaxy S-series history, SamMobile is reporting that the Galaxy S8 will do away with the 3.5mm headphone jack. A USB Type-C port will be the default replacement connection for audio peripherals.
The combination move follows Apple’s own as the iPhone 7 exhibits all three characteristics with the exception of the USB-C port, co-opted for Lightning.
Another development from SamMobile is that the S8 may potentially take the lead against its future rival, the iPhone 8, in that it will supposedly not hold a home button. Instead, Samsung will boost the screen-to-body ratio and embed a fingerprint sensor underneath the display.
Speaking of said display, it is now said that the chaebol will not make the jump to 4K resolution, but will increase the number of subpixels in its quad HD Super AMOLED product. The dot formation changes from Diamond PenTile to the standard RGB pattern, allowing for 50 percent more subpixels onto the plane — what results is not an increase in detail, but better color depth overall. A new diode material will cut down on the display’s power consumption and keep it running for longer.
If true, all of these developments seem to coalesce around the fact that Samsung is going all-in to make Daydream VR a reality on its next Galaxy S phone. Virtual reality, that is.
Sorry, we couldn’t help it.
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HTC Bolt buyers are now ‘rewarded’ with free USB-C to 3.5mm audio adapters
The age of irritating adapters is upon us, as various device manufacturers continue to nix widely used ports and connectivity options instead of joining hands to move to universally accepted standards.
Worse yet, costly “next-gen” laptops and phones often come without precious accessories inside their retail boxes, requiring additional expenses and unnecessary hassle for a decent user experience. Case in point, the Sprint-exclusive HTC Bolt, now known internationally as the 10 evo.
As if HTC’s Snapdragon 810 processor choice wasn’t controversial enough, the classic audio jack-killing Quad HD 5.5-incher also lacks a basic way to embrace your “obsolete” wired headphones. Fortunately, you can now sign up for a USB-C to 3.5mm cable “reward” with your handheld’s purchase date, transaction number and MEID, although it may still take up to a month for the adapters to reach your doorsteps.
According to global PR Jeff Gordon on Twitter, “future production runs will include the headphone adapter in the box”, which begs the question why wasn’t it like that from the get-go? It’s not that you can’t afford the separate adapter on your own, at between $5 and $10 through third-party sellers, but some things just need to be free. Even Apple agrees.
On the bright side, it’s important to remember the HTC Bolt, available today and tomorrow for $300 instead of $600 at Sprint, is sold with complimentary USB Type-C dual adaptive earphones that apparently tailor sound to your ears’ “unique structure for a truly illuminating audio experience.”
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Android may require USB Power Delivery support in the future
Google is “strongly recommending” to its manufacturer partners that they follow proper USB specifications for devices running on Android Nougat and even requiring compliance with specific specs.
The latest Android Compatibility Definition Document has expanded upon implementations for a USB port in both peripheral and host modes. There are specific recommendations and requirements now applied in support of the USB Battery Charging specifications, revision 1.2, including USB Power Delivery. Here
- It SHOULD implement support to draw 1.5 A current during HS chirp and traffic as specified in the USB Battery Charging specification, revision 1.2 . Existing and new Android devices are STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to meet these requirements so they will be able to upgrade to the future platform releases.
- Type-C devices MUST detect 1.5A and 3.0A chargers per the Type-C resistor standard and it must detect changes in the advertisement.
- Type-C devices also supporting USB host mode are STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to support Power Delivery for data and power role swapping.
- Type-C devices SHOULD support Power Delivery for high-voltage charging and support for Alternate Modes such as display out.
Google goes on to strongly recommend manufacturers to not support proprietary charging methods that stray from default voltage controls or switch sink/source roles as to render chargers not interoperable between devices. Yep, abandon ye Qualcomm Quick Charge if you want to hop on the Nougat train.
“While this is called out as ‘STRONGLY RECOMMENDED’, in future Android versions we might REQUIRE all type-C devices to support full interoperability with standard type-C chargers,” the listing goes on to read.
Charging over USB-C has been a little bit more of a trick to handle on Android. The Quick Charge 3.0-capable HTC 10 didn’t work friendly with the charger of the Pixel C. Google engineer Benson Leung also has been adamant about having USB-C peripherals following proper charging spec, be it so that a bad cable doesn’t get to fry a phone.
So, Google definitely wants to make sure that OEMs are headed in a safe direction. But will the company continue for a unified, un-fragmented direction, even with hardware spec? We don’t necessarily think so.
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Of course the new MacBook Pro requires a special adapter or cable to pair with iPhone 7
Are you even surprised? Were you expecting anything else after the new iPhone’s headphone jack-removing mess? At least be thankful those sizzling hot 2016 Touch Bar-sporting MacBook Pros, alongside the simpler, cheaper 13-inch version, all “cowardly” retain their traditional 3.5mm audio connectors.Of course, while that means you shouldn’t throw out your “obsolete” wired headphones just yet, it also leaves you with no direct ...
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Google WiFi runs on USB Type-C to Pixel C spec
Google engineer and USB Type-C evangelist Benson Leung mentioned a bit of a discovery for Google WiFi, the network-meshing router modules that the company introduced this week.There’s nothing on the router’s spec sheet that just quite mentions what’s going on with the power adapter, — other than it has a 15W maximum, but the device only consumes 9W — but Leung announced that USB-C connectors are on the ...
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Headphone jack moves closer to extinction with new USB Audio 3.0 standard
It’s not just Apple that wants to take away your “obsolete” 3.5mm analog audio jack. It’s also LeEco, plus Motorola (at least in part), possibly even Samsung before long, and ...
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The impending horror of USB Type C audio adapters
There’s been a lot of chatter regarding headphone jacks these days. Motorola was first to release a phone lacking a 3.5mm jack, and Apple followed closely behind with the iPhone 7 launch. Talking about the “courage” to buck trends and move the industry forward, we’re hearing a bit of feigned disdain towards modern day gadgets using analog cabling.Gosh, it’s the year 2016! Why use a cable standard which was originally developed in the 1870’s?You’ll pardon if we all roll our eyes at another argument based on what year we’re living in, as if ...
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JBL Reflect Aware C, the earbuds launched with the HTC 10, on sale
“The world’s first USB-C sport earphones with noise cancellation and adaptive noise control,” the ones that got launched about four months ago with the HTC 10, are finally for sale.JBL’s Reflect Aware C earbuds are being sold only at HTC for the moment. The Harman-owned audio hardware maker does sell its regular Reflect Aware earphones with Lightning jack. Both are touted as sweat-proof and with 14.8mm dynamic ...
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Can USB Type-C really kill the headphone jack and its tradition?
Whelp. The Moto Z has gone and done it. No longer will our smartphones be plagued by a 3.5mm hole forcing our phones to thicknesses exceeding a whopping six millimeters. Because we don’t need no portly devices, right? Thank goodness someone has stepped up and gotten rid of that unsightly hole in the top or bottom of our phones. Seriously though, I wrote a couple of weeks ago about how USB Type-C may have come a bit too soon for the public, and since it’s now replacing decades old hardware, I thought it might be time to take a look at it again.Someone needs to remind OEMs that ...
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HTC starts handing out free USB Type-C cables to direct HTC 10 buyers
HTC probably can’t afford to be quite as gracious with early adopters of its newest flagship phone as the free Gear VR-offering Samsung, though the 10 was sold at $100 off list for a limited time a while ago.Even better, all purchases of unlocked models from the OEM’s US e-store, including ...
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Should our phones move from USB Type C to Thunderbolt 3?
Increasingly, our phones are the center of our various data strategies. For a lot of our messages and notifications, we turn first to our phones. Increasingly, we push the limits on what our phones can do. Document management, multimedia, content creation. Mobile devices are moving from being support gadgets to front line devices. If phones are becoming primary, might it make sense to improve the connection standard we use to move information on and off of our phones?
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What is USB Type C, and what is it not?
We’re a year into a tech transition. Cables and ports are a big deal. Regardless if you use Android, Windows, or iOS on your phone, you likely have some gadget or accessory with a Micro USB port. Micro USB has become a phenomenally well represented standard, but to move into a new era of devices and services, even a port this ubiquitous eventually needs to evolve.The new standard is USB Type C, and it’s already arrived on a handful of devices. Current Nexus phones, HTC 10, LG G5, OnePlus, and the Lumia 950 all sport this new symmetrical port. So what does USB Type C do? How is it ...
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