schizoidmanSaudi Arabia mandates all electronic devices to use USB-C charging ports from 2025
USB-D will be the new standard just in time for this.
FoxBJKNot that a new connector is around the corner, but I love how people try to act like this will be an achilles heel for these laws. How long will it take to vote in an amendment that updates the connector?
I get it, being anchored to one connection type sounds good now while it’s still somewhat new, but in 10 years it could be a burden. Still, I do not want to go back to the days of every device having a unique barrel connector.
Many people have been taught regulation is bad, not much logic to it.
USB-C as a connector can easily last a decade, much longer for just power delivery.
Exactly! Most electronics are surprisingly low-powered, but USB-C can currently support 100W with a draft spec with upwards of 240W. We’ll be fine for awhile.
Yeah, USB-C is fine for even mid-grade laptops. Realistically, if your device is using more than 100W then it probably has an IEC plug (or at least, an in-line power brick with an IEC port) instead. Pretty much the only thing USB-C isn’t suitable for currently is gaming laptops, because those easily draw upwards of 200W.
NekkoDroidThey arent suitable for gaming laptops while gaming. They are fine enough to just charge during light/no usage at somewhat reduced speeds.
The USB-C EPR spec allows for 230W charging.
The Framework 16 releasing later this year will be the first laptop to use the spec with a 180w power supply
Kind of nuts to me to be putting anything 200W up anywhere near my butthole
USB-PD 3.1 standardized EPR in 2021; it hasn’t been draft for a while.
I’d be surprised if USB-C was a limitation on phone technology even by 2040. The bandwidth and power delivery capacity are way beyond what are needed now. Data transfers from phones are going to increasingly move to wireless in that time frame too, I expect.
The limitation on the viability of USB-C with phones won’t be the actual technological viability of the standard with respect to phones. Instead, the problem for USB-C for phones will be if another standard comes out and starts being used by other devices that do need higher bandwidth or power delivery capability. Monitors, storage devices, laptops (etc.) will eventually need more than USB-C can provide, even with future updates to its capacity. When those switch over to something new, that will be when phones (and other devices) will need to consider a new standard too.
CorkyskogWhy do mobile devices and computer hardware need to utilize the exact same wire? I am fine with their being two, as long as it doesn’t turn back into a half dozen types of cables again.
It’s convenience and efficiency. At the end of the day a single cable can provide that functionality needed for 99.9% of such devices. Getting everything on a single cable format reduces waste, simplifies people’s lives, and even opens up competitive spaces. There’s no need for it to be two cables.
But it’s already multiple cables. I have like 3 dozen cables, with more than a dozen being USB-C and only like 5 of them will fast charge my phone. This will get more absurd and confusing as it’s expanded over varying needs for power per device. I mean at least make some sort of easy cable label requirement.
Your word is the USB-IF’s ear. Though generally speaking there really is an enforcement problem when it comes to cables, sometimes cables don’t even meet basic USB specs much less high-speed high-power specs.
AppoxoRemember what we said and acted on 20 years ago about technology? Yeaaahh…That’s what yousaid right now.
This is speculation based on the combination of physical constraints and changing usage.
Phone batteries today are in the 10-20 watt-hours range for capacity, or at least iphones are and that’s the data I found. Going from the typical ~20W fast charging rate to the full 240W capacity of USB-C EPR would allow a twelve times increase in battery capacity with no change to charge times. Are batteries going to increase in capacity by twelve times in the next 17 years? I’d be shocked if they did. The change from the iphone 1 to the iphone 14 pro max is 5.18Wh to 16.68Wh — a three times increase in 16 years.
Likewise, with data transfer, it’s a matter of how human-device interaction has shifted with time. People increasingly prefer (a) automated, and (b) cloud based data storage, and © if they do have to move data from device 1 to device 2, they would rather do it wirelessly than with a physical connection. USB4 on USB-C is meant for 80 Gbit/s = 9.6 GB/s transfers. That’s already faster than high end SSD storage can sustain today, and USB4 is a four year old standard.
Then, on top of all of that… USB will continue to be updated. USB-C’s limitations in 2033 will not be USB-C’s limitations in 2023, just as USB-C’s limitations in 2023 are not the same as USB-C’s limitations at its inception in 2014. In 2014 USB’s best transfer rate was 10 Gbit/s, or 1/8 what it can do today.
Usb 1.1 came out in like 1994, I still use it for keyboards and mice, ie the main thing I plug in to my pc. USB 2.0 came out around 1999, that covers most everything else.
Usb 3 is from 2009 or so, most of us don’t bother with them except for storage because they’re overspecced otherwise and usb 2 is cheaper.
Usb 4 will be fine in 2040 unless something weird happens, we’ll still be using usb 2.0 because the cables are cheaper and more flexible than 3.0.
USB4 is actually faster than DisplayPort 2.1 and I don’t think we’ll go past 8k at 165Hz any time soon. When it comes to storage at some point you really want an SFP port currently maxing out at 400Gbit (as opposed to USB4 120Gbit, and that’s asymmetric). For reference: You need to drive the NIC with PCIe 5x16 to saturate that. Unidirectionally. Network speeds are nuts you need specialised hardware to keep up with the cables.
Laptops why yes that’s what USB is for.
USB A has been around since 1996 and it’s still around without any type of law mandating it, USB-C is here to stay
Well USB-C was published 9 years ago, and has been well-established, nearly ubiquitous for at least 5. Why did this take so long?
How long will it take to vote in an amendment that updates the connector?
Depends on what corporations and countries are backing it probably.
I thoroughly agree the connector insanity was a pain in the ass (though, being a hoarder of cables it made me a sort of superhero) but I just really dislike governments dictating this kind of thing.
I collect old handhelds. Each one having a unique charging and/or sync cable fuckin sucks and I’m so glad that USB is ubiquitous. My current daily driver has mini USB for data, but charges using a unique connector that plugs into a unique cradle that sends power to the device when hooked into the cradle. Without the cradle, ya ain’t charging this thing.
This is my first thought when it comes to legislation like this. My representatives in government are the last people I would confer with when it comes to technology, so I don’t think they should pick phone charger standards.
EU version has review process built-in. Anyways it’ll be hard to get more outdated than lightning.
USB-C is a connector shape, so there’s really no need for a USB-D. What you’re thinking of is USB 5.0, except the USB has a penchant for coming up with the dumbest names imaginable. The current latest (I think) version is 3.2 Gen 2x2, so the next major version will probably be called some bullshit like USB 3.2 Gen 2x2+1.
Thanks! It was just a joke.
USB-deez nuts.
How immature.
Regardless, I have to say:
Gottem.
How immature.
Regardless, I have to say:
Gottem.
USB4 is here and is already being called weird stuff.
infyrinUSB 3.2 GenX 2.3
USB One
Usb1 series 3
okay nerd
USB 3.2 Gen 2x2+1.
Thankfully it’s not the 90s or they’ve called this “USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Extreme”
AnafabulaWikipedia lists USB4 Gen 4 (No space between USB and 4, which is different from previous versions which did have a space there).
Coming after USB4 Gen 2×1, USB4 Gen 2×2, USB4 Gen 3×1 and USB4 Gen 3×2.
If the USB-IF can agree on it, why not?
The USB-IF moves so slowly it might as well be standing still.
I think it’s good for USB standards to move slow.
Finally just about every device I buy has USB-C now. If they release a new connector that’ll just mean using 2 different cables for everything again.
simpleThere is a second stage, starting from April 1, 2026, which will apply to laptops and portable computers.
I’m with them on small devices using USB C, but all laptops is a pretty tall task. Can gaming laptops that need a high voltage even use USB-C? They already struggle with massive charging bricks and thick cables.
The latest USB power delivery standard allows for new voltages of 28, 36, and 48 volts at up to 240 watts at 48V. My current Dell workstation laptop uses two 20V USB C connectors to achieve similar.
I’m imaginining some kind of monstrosity of a gaming laptop with a power cable that splits into three or four USB-C connectors, and it’s glorious.
Maybe it’s time for a new thing similar to USB 3.0 micro B, with two USB-C connectors next to each other on the same plug.
It would make since to say something like usb-c is required for up to x volts. Then x-y volts require this other kind of charger.
I mean it’s totally valid if the required technology literally can’t handle certain applications that there needs to a level 2, level 3, and onward option.
Pretty much, they magnet together though so you can split them apart and use them as normal with other devices.
There are already laptops with docking stations that take 2 USB-C connectors. Annoyingly, the docking stations come with a Franken-connector of 2 USB-C plugs in one solid plastic housing so you can only use the dock with a specific laptop.
I’m chuckling at the idea of someone plugging in an early USB-C device and watching it go up in flames as it gets hit with 48v instead of the 5v that it’s rated for. I know USB-C has a chip that is supposed to negotiate power transfer, but it’s still a funny “what if” thought.
Lol where is this “chip” because between the all the cables, chargers, and devices bought off Alibaba or Aliexpress Amazon that’s bound to happen at some point.
It’s built into the connector. The connector isn’t just wires soldered to contacts; It’s a PCB with actual circuitry. When you plug a device in, it uses that chip to tell the charger how much power to send. Then the charger receives that signal, and sends the appropriate amount of power.
If the signal isn’t received, then the charger should only send the bare minimum amount that any device should be able to handle, for things like flash drives or peripherals. This is why some of the cheaper cables won’t charge your newer devices, because those newer devices need more power and the old cable isn’t negotiating a high enough power transfer.
It’s ironically one of the biggest complaints that people have about USB-C, because it causes a nightmare in regards to compatibility. Old cables and chargers are constantly being phased out as the standard gets developed for more and more power transfer. And that outdated equipment is still sitting on shelves, waiting to be bought. A cable or charger that you bought a month ago may not be compatible to charge a device that you buy today, because that unit is actually a year old and was phased out six months after it was manufactured and shipped, but has been on a store shelf ever since because a retailer bought a bunch and doesn’t want to write them off as a loss.
It means people are constantly re-buying the same gear at higher specs, simply to keep up-to-date with existing standards. And if you don’t re-buy everything then you have a hodgepodge mix of cables and chargers that all look the same and only some of them will charge all of your newer devices. The older stuff looks the same on the outside, but your new phone will refuse to charge when you try to use them.
Ah… so that explains why I have two dozen USB-C cables and only like 5 of them will fast charge my phone.
What kind of phone do you have? All USB-C cables should be able to do at least 60W charging.
S22. Not sure what wattage level I get, but the phone will throw up a message saying something like “low power detected, please check cable” and then it will estimate like 5.5 hours to charge from 22% to full.
The S22 charges at a maximum of 45W. That’s technically within the 60W limit that all USB-C cable can handle. I could not find how exactly how the charging works but it’s possible that they are doing something like 9V @ 5A and thus are requiring a 240W or 100W cable. However it looks like in this particular case it might not matter.
arstechnica.com/…/the-galaxy-s22s-45-w-charging-d…
GSMArena says the Galaxy S22+ charged to full in 62 minutes on the 25 W charger and 61 minutes on the 45 W charger. The Ultra took 59 minutes on the 45 W charger and 64 minutes on the 25 W charger.
That’s not really true. The emarker in the cable does not do the negotiations. Its inved in it but its not as complicated as you make it sound. There are a total of 3 different completley backwards compatiple cable types in regards to power delivery. 60W , 100W (which is legacy) and 240W.
i think some companies use seperate ports for charging and gaming on gaming laptops
Probably. But your will have to buy the correct charger and cable. I have a couple 100W cables. The problem is they Al look alike.
The label maker business is about to be booming!
I specifically buy cables with different colors or from different brands as I upgrade, and keep a note around for what their PD capacity is for each set. It’s annoying, but doable.
🦘min0nim🦘Not gaming (obviously!) but the2019 MacBook Pro has a 140W USB-C charger to a single port.
2019 is 96w charger. 140w is 2021 or later.
And isn’t the 140w reserved for the new MagSafe port?
I haven’t tried to game on it, but I can power my Scar with a usb battery for normal tasks.
I recently bought a gaming laptop. Specifically a Lenovo Legion 5 with a rx 6600. It has both the big powerbrick charger and can be charged via USB-PD, obv not at the same speed but it is an option that is available.