USB Type-C - Explained!

**The Rise of USB Type-C: Everything You Need to Know**

In his recent video, MKBHD explored the significance of the new MacBook's single USB Type-C port and delved into what this means for the future of computing. The discussion revolved around the evolution of ports, the emergence of USB Type-C, its features, and why it’s poised to become the standard for all devices.

### The Evolution of Ports

The tech world has seen a proliferation of various ports over the years, each designed with specific purposes in mind. Thunderbolt, for instance, was developed by Intel to connect peripherals to computers, while Apple's Lightning port was created specifically for charging and connecting low-power accessories like iPhones and iPads. Now, seemingly out of nowhere, USB Type-C has emerged as another contender in this competitive landscape.

### What is USB Type-C?

USB Type-C, or simply USB-C, is part of the USB 3.1 standard. While USB 2.0 and 3.0 have been prevalent in devices for years—often seen as full-size or micro USB ports—USB 3.1 introduces a smaller, more versatile connector. This new port is designed to be universal, meaning it can be used by anyone, anywhere, without being tied to any specific manufacturer. It’s this universality that has led to its widespread adoption across various devices.

### Why USB Type-C is Superior

The advantages of USB Type-C over its predecessors are numerous:

1. **Smaller and Thinner**: The most immediately noticeable feature of USB-C is its size. Its compact design allows it to fit into the thinnest of devices, from ultrabooks to smartphones, without compromising functionality.

2. **Versatility**: USB-C can carry up to 100 watts of power, making it capable of charging full-size electronics. It also supports data transfer rates of up to 10 gigabits per second, which is faster than both USB 3.0 and 2.0. This speed allows users to run a 4K monitor or connect high-speed SSDs with ease.

3. **Backwards Compatibility**: One of the most user-friendly aspects of USB-C is its backwards compatibility. It works seamlessly with older USB versions (both 3.0 and 2.0), ensuring that it doesn’t render existing devices obsolete. Additionally, it’s reversible, meaning you can plug it in correctly every time without fumbling with the orientation.

### The Future of USB Type-C

While Apple’s decision to include only a single USB-C port on its new MacBook has sparked debate, it’s clear that this is just the beginning. Devices like the Chromebook Pixel and Nokia N1 tablet are already showcasing the potential of USB-C by incorporating multiple ports. These early implementations may not be powerful enough to handle numerous peripherals, but they signal a shift towards a future where USB-C is everywhere.

In fact, industry giants like Google, Samsung, Motorola, and Asus are all committed to integrating USB Type-C into their products. This trend is expected to accelerate, with more laptops, tablets, and smartphones featuring multiple USB-C ports in the near future.

### The Vision for the Future

The ultimate goal of USB Type-C adoption is to streamline connectivity. Imagine a world where you only need one charger to power all your devices—laptops, phones, tablets, and more. This vision is within reach as USB-C becomes the standard, eliminating the clutter of multiple cables and adapters.

### Conclusion

USB Type-C represents a significant leap forward in technology, offering speed, versatility, and universal compatibility. While early implementations may require adapters to connect older devices, the future looks promising with more powerful machines featuring multiple USB-C ports. As MKBHD so aptly puts it, “get ready for it—buy your adapters now while they’re cheap or not from Apple.”

In conclusion, USB Type-C is here to stay, and it’s time to embrace this new standard that will shape the future of computing and connectivity.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey what is up guys mkbhd here and my last video was about the new macbook the super thin super light new laptop from apple and it got a lot of chatter for a bunch of reasons but mainly the fact that it only has one port it's rocking a single usbc port on the side which got people talking like is this important should i take note of this now this usbc thing is it a big deal what is apple trying to say about usbc so this is everything you need to know about usb type-c so there's a bunch of different new ports out there that you might have seen hdmi 2.0 displayport thunderbolt and lightning just to name a few and they're all pioneered by different manufacturers because they all have different purposes they're all built to do different things thunderbolt for example designed by intel and made specifically to attach peripherals to a computer lightning is designed by apple it's made specifically to charge and connect low power accessories like iphones and ipads then seemingly out of nowhere we get this usbc it seems like just another new port but the key to usbc is the u it's universal usb can be used by anyone anywhere it's not proprietary and that's why pretty much every android phone you see out there has a usb port of some kind so usbc is usb 3.1 so we've probably all seen a computer with usb 2.0 ports those are everywhere and over the past couple of years we've seen more and more of these usb 3.0 ports those are the super speed ones that usually have blue on the inside so now we're looking at usb 3.1 and the smaller type c connector the port so that's why this is called usb type c usb 2.0 and 3.0 come in the form of full size usb but also micro usb and mini usb and a bunch of other versions usb 3.1 is just the one tiny port so you have it in laptops but you can also have it in computers and tablets and smartphones and monitors pretty much everything can use this tiny port so how is it better than the previous version how is usb 3.1 type c better than usb 2.0 or 3.0 number one it's smaller and thinner so it can fit in the thinnest of the thin devices along with all the thick normal sized ones number two it's super versatile it can carry up to a hundred watts of power so you can charge full size electronics and it can carry data at up to 10 gigabits per second which is a super high data transfer rate you can run a 4k monitor off of this you can run a super fast ssd rate into something off of this it's very fast and very powerful and number three it's backwards compatible with usb 3.0 and 2.0 and it's reversible so you can plug it in the right way the first time every single time so usbc in its reversible glory is great and everything but where are we going to start to see this be used is it going to be popular in the future yes it's going to be everywhere the new macbook might be one of the first to use usbc but it will definitely not be the only one and i guess this is apple being super aggressive and very apple about it about making a statement that usb-c is the future by making it the only port in their new machine but it's certainly going to be a lot more plentiful in the second generation in fact i can pretty much guarantee the second generation of this thin and light new macbook will have more than one usb port quote me this is the chromebook pixel it came out recently and would you look at that it has two usbc ports one on either side which is actually really convenient because you can choose to plug in to power on the left side or the right side just based on where you are on your desk it's nice now these early machines with just one or two usb-c ports on them are not exactly meant to be powerhouses if you've noticed a theme it's a chromebook and a tiny sort of a netbook style so they're not meant to connect a lot of peripherals to them and if you do want to you'll need adapters and trust me they're willing to sell you lots and lots of adapters for now but in the future machines that are meant to be more powerful will have many more usb-c ports expect to see this port in not only a bunch of laptops but a bunch of tablets and a bunch of future smartphones and basically anywhere you see a usb port now whether it's full size or micro usb or mini usb expect that to turn into a usb-c port pretty soon so we'll get this in products from not just apple and google but samsung and motorola and asus and there's actually already a nokia n1 tablet with just a usb type-c port already also check out this clip from a google video and you can say what you want about what the next nexus looks like already but i think this is a pretty good indication that that too will have a usbc port we at google are very committed to the usb type c spec expect to see this in a lot of chromebooks and android phones in the near future so there you go i think it's safe to say that computers of the future will have plenty of usbc ports laptops of the future will just be lined with a bunch of usbc and that's the vision i guess the dream is to just have one charger that you can charge any of your electronics with would be nice so usbc is on its way in get ready for it buy your adapters now while they're cheap or not from apple thanks for watching i'll talk to you guys in the next one peacehey what is up guys mkbhd here and my last video was about the new macbook the super thin super light new laptop from apple and it got a lot of chatter for a bunch of reasons but mainly the fact that it only has one port it's rocking a single usbc port on the side which got people talking like is this important should i take note of this now this usbc thing is it a big deal what is apple trying to say about usbc so this is everything you need to know about usb type-c so there's a bunch of different new ports out there that you might have seen hdmi 2.0 displayport thunderbolt and lightning just to name a few and they're all pioneered by different manufacturers because they all have different purposes they're all built to do different things thunderbolt for example designed by intel and made specifically to attach peripherals to a computer lightning is designed by apple it's made specifically to charge and connect low power accessories like iphones and ipads then seemingly out of nowhere we get this usbc it seems like just another new port but the key to usbc is the u it's universal usb can be used by anyone anywhere it's not proprietary and that's why pretty much every android phone you see out there has a usb port of some kind so usbc is usb 3.1 so we've probably all seen a computer with usb 2.0 ports those are everywhere and over the past couple of years we've seen more and more of these usb 3.0 ports those are the super speed ones that usually have blue on the inside so now we're looking at usb 3.1 and the smaller type c connector the port so that's why this is called usb type c usb 2.0 and 3.0 come in the form of full size usb but also micro usb and mini usb and a bunch of other versions usb 3.1 is just the one tiny port so you have it in laptops but you can also have it in computers and tablets and smartphones and monitors pretty much everything can use this tiny port so how is it better than the previous version how is usb 3.1 type c better than usb 2.0 or 3.0 number one it's smaller and thinner so it can fit in the thinnest of the thin devices along with all the thick normal sized ones number two it's super versatile it can carry up to a hundred watts of power so you can charge full size electronics and it can carry data at up to 10 gigabits per second which is a super high data transfer rate you can run a 4k monitor off of this you can run a super fast ssd rate into something off of this it's very fast and very powerful and number three it's backwards compatible with usb 3.0 and 2.0 and it's reversible so you can plug it in the right way the first time every single time so usbc in its reversible glory is great and everything but where are we going to start to see this be used is it going to be popular in the future yes it's going to be everywhere the new macbook might be one of the first to use usbc but it will definitely not be the only one and i guess this is apple being super aggressive and very apple about it about making a statement that usb-c is the future by making it the only port in their new machine but it's certainly going to be a lot more plentiful in the second generation in fact i can pretty much guarantee the second generation of this thin and light new macbook will have more than one usb port quote me this is the chromebook pixel it came out recently and would you look at that it has two usbc ports one on either side which is actually really convenient because you can choose to plug in to power on the left side or the right side just based on where you are on your desk it's nice now these early machines with just one or two usb-c ports on them are not exactly meant to be powerhouses if you've noticed a theme it's a chromebook and a tiny sort of a netbook style so they're not meant to connect a lot of peripherals to them and if you do want to you'll need adapters and trust me they're willing to sell you lots and lots of adapters for now but in the future machines that are meant to be more powerful will have many more usb-c ports expect to see this port in not only a bunch of laptops but a bunch of tablets and a bunch of future smartphones and basically anywhere you see a usb port now whether it's full size or micro usb or mini usb expect that to turn into a usb-c port pretty soon so we'll get this in products from not just apple and google but samsung and motorola and asus and there's actually already a nokia n1 tablet with just a usb type-c port already also check out this clip from a google video and you can say what you want about what the next nexus looks like already but i think this is a pretty good indication that that too will have a usbc port we at google are very committed to the usb type c spec expect to see this in a lot of chromebooks and android phones in the near future so there you go i think it's safe to say that computers of the future will have plenty of usbc ports laptops of the future will just be lined with a bunch of usbc and that's the vision i guess the dream is to just have one charger that you can charge any of your electronics with would be nice so usbc is on its way in get ready for it buy your adapters now while they're cheap or not from apple thanks for watching i'll talk to you guys in the next one peace\n"