It's dead: no USB-A i 2019. All new devices released in 2019 will drop the aging square/rectangular USB-A port and adopt the rounded USB-C port. Apple led the way with the MacBook in 2015, and now three years later, the rest of the PC industry is ready to ditch A for C. Let's hope its not an AC/DC moment.
USB A
Much loved since time began, the USB A port and plug are now commonplace on every gadget from printers to phone power cords. USB A recently found its way in to cars, enabling us to charge and connect our phones and tablets on the move.
USB C
Two car companies have recently released vehicles with USB C ports instead of the more common USB A, and its now time for the PC industry to catch up.
Products from Microsoft, HP, Dell, Lenovo, Samsung, and others, will all follow Apple in dropping the USB A port and embracing USB C.
Furthermore, phone manufacturers will begin supplying USB-C charge-and-sync cables with their phones, to plug in to Mac and Windows computers, cars, charging bricks, accessories, and more.
The next generation of Apple devices from the Mac desktop family will completely drop USB-A, as will many Windows-powered laptops from brands like HP, Dell, Lenovo, Samsung, Alienware, MSI, Gigabyte, and others.
Monitors and Displays
USB C will also take over from DVI, VGA, and HDMI, when connecting monitors to your laptop. Using the DisplayPort standard over USB C cables, monitors will plug in easily without needing extra ports on the laptop.
More-expensive displays will use Thunderbolt as their connection of choice, using the USB C shaped port with a Thunderbolt-enabled overlay and accompanying (but confusing) lightning bolt symbol so we can tell the difference. Surely a lightning bolt symbol is for Lightning cables, not Thunderbolt cables. I guess there's no icon for thunder - or if there is, no one wants to fight with Thor.
Your next...
Expect your next non-Apple phone and tablet to come with a USBC-to-USBC charge and sync cable.
Expect your next Apple phone and iPad to come with a USBC-t0-Lightning cable.
Expect your next Windows Phone to... die, a sad, lonely death.
Until next time,
Xavier Zymantas
XYZtech
XYZ Media Group
