After many rumours of next generation smartphones completely ditching the ol’ 3.5mm headphone jack, it looks like it’s actually going to happen. Everyone say hello to your new audio overlord, the USB Type-C.
If you’re lucky (read: rich) enough to own a new Apple MacBook, Samsung Galaxy Note 7 or HP Spectre, you’d already know all about the fancy new connection in all of its enhanced glory. For those living in the past, the Type-C can transfer data at speeds of around 10Gps, which is double the peasantry that a USB 3.0 port will get ya. It’s bloody quick m8.
Even better, it can be used to power laptops and – get this – it’s completely reversible, meaning you won’t have to play the try-it-three-times-before-it-works game, as timeless as it may be.
Classic stitch-up.
Intel are all about the Type-C, dubbing it the superior alternative to the run-o-the-mill headphone jack you’re so used to.
A further updated version of the tech is due out later this year and is likely to find its way into smartphones in development, meaning makers like Samsung will finally be able to make a phone so thin you could snap it in half like a wafer. Not only that, but all of those old, tangled pairs of headphones living in the bottom of your bag will no longer be compatible. Evil genius at its most potent.
The possible change has the potential to generate a lot of phone-related angst, but it will ultimately depend on who you are. Having to deal with a new pair of headphones isn’t a bad trade-off when you consider rad features like automatically turning off the microphone when not in use and enhanced audio quality.
Whatever you do, don’t settle for a cheap version of the cord, because a bung one can actually lay waste to your entire laptop or phone.
Source: Kotaku
Image: iphonehacks.com
This article was written by resident Futurist Editor Matt Hopkins – the lovechild of PEDESTRIAN.TV‘s partnership with Telstra. To learn more about how Telstra‘s bringing the magic of tech to life + our project with them, head HERE.
