Throughout 2015 there’s been a recurring theme throughout a lot of new smartphones, a new connector for data transfer and charging; the Type-C connector. Controversial due to the lengthy reign of microUSB, Type-C has only launched in devices like the OnePlus 2 and the more recent Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, while big name flagships from LG, Samsung and Sony have all dodged the new connector. Now though, there’s word that next year’s flagship smartphone from Samsung will adopt the new and controversial connector when it launches next year.
According to SamMobile, the Galaxy S7 will ship with a Type-C USB 3.0 connector and accompanying cable, naturally. This is perhaps not surprising, but it is an interesting change on their part. For big names like Samsung, the Type-C connector offers up the same problem as the lightning cable did for iPhone users, forcing them to purchase all new cables and making it harder to borrow someone else’s charging cable. Of course, there’s more to this than just changing things for the sake of it, Type-C is reversible, so users need not worry about breaking their charging port by pushing the cable in the wrong way round, maybe after one too many drinks after a night out. Plus, for USB 3.0 computers and laptops, phones with this new connector will transfer data much, much quicker.
The new Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P are equipped with Type-C and as we’ve seen in the past, big partners of Google often follow suit when it comes to new hardware included in new Nexus hardware. Of course, the irony here is that Samsung were offering up fingerprint scanners in their hardware a long time before Google jumped onboard with their new Nexus smartphones. Whether or not Samsung will be taking better advantage of USB 3.0 in the Galaxy S7 remains to be seen, but we’d imagine that they have some new display technology and perhaps even a desktop dock to offer people as well, considering Type-C offers up a whole new world of opportunities where connectivity is concerned.