When Apple’s new 12-inch Macbook was released, it didn’t just sport a sleeker and refined laptop design; it also brought attention to perhaps the fastest and most revolutionary USB technology to date: USB type C.
Just how much faster is USB-C than its USB predecessors? USB-C can transfer data up to 10 Gbps, as opposed to 5 Gbps on USB 3.0. This brings the data transfer capabilities of USB technology on par with Apple’s Thunderbolt, which also reaches levels of 10 Gbps.
But higher data transfer speeds aren’t where USBc’s tricks end. Have you ever wanted your portable battery chargers to charge more than just your tablets or smartphone? The technology allows bi-directional power to be used, which means that not only can a device be charged using USB-C, but that device can also charge the host device as well.
Most laptops require 60W of power to charge, which until this point has required special chargers and proprietary cables, many of which have to be purchased directly from the manufacturer. But USB-C allows up to 100W of power, which means laptops (like Apple’s new 12-inch Macbook) will be chargeable in the same way that tablets and smartphones are.
Google and Belkin have already announced plans to implement the USB-C technology in their cables and product offerings. And the applications for including USB-C ports on flash drives are already underway.
The future of flash memory is looking a lot faster and more powerful with the mainstream inclusion of USB type C technology. As businesses depend on faster data transfer speeds and photographers, videographers, and media professionals rely on flash storage to transfer gigs of information, USBC provides many solutions and opportunities take advantage of.
Imagine a flash drive that not only holds information, but can act as a portable battery charger for your laptop. Or as more tablets, smartphones and laptops use the technology, the opportunities for dual-sided OTG flash drives to transfer information between computers and tablets/phones will also increase.
The opportunities for faster data transfer and innovating the way we use different electronic devices are more than enough reason to implement USB-C into flash memory.
