The USB Type-C technology, or simply USB-C, is recently getting a lot of exposure with Apple's unveiling of a new MacBook that only has a single USB-C port for connections and the announcement of Google's upcoming Chromebook Pixel that will also use the technology with two USB-C ports in addition to two USB 3.0 ports.
However, it seems that Google is also already expanding USB-C into smartphones.
Google released a video wherein Adam Rodriguez, a product manager for the company, stated that Google has a firm commitment for USB-C, and that Chromebooks and Android-powered smartphones will be sporting the new technology in the near future.
"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," Rodriguez said at the end of the video.
The USB-C technology allows devices to deliver display, data and power through only one port. The functionality allows device makers to decrease the dependence of devices on using several ports and cables for the different tasks.
Also, unlike the still-prevalent USB-A, USB-C connectors feature a symmetrical design that would allow users to plug the cables into the ports in any way, eliminating possibly one of the most frustrating limitations of previous USB technology.
The 12-inch MacBook that Apple showcased is one of the first computers to feature the USB-C technology, with the laptop only having a single USB-C port and a headphone jack as its input and output connections.
USB-C technology promises easier to use and faster data cables, with these cables aiming to be able to transfer data at speeds that reach 10GB per second. USB-C ports are also much thinner compared to their predecessors, a characteristic that has allowed Apple to make the new MacBook thinner by an impressive 24 percent compared to its 11-inch predecessor.
Almost immediately after Apple's announcement of the USB-C port in its new MacBook, tech company LaCie unveiled an external hard drive that connects through a USB-C port.
"The LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive features a USB-C plug - the user-friendly connector of the future," said the company regarding the new external hard drive, adding that the reversible connector and identical cable ends eliminate the worry of figuring out which end goes where and which side goes up.
With all the attention that Apple has received through the USB-C technology, Google will most likely not take its time in introducing devices that use USB-C so that it will not be left out.
