The USB 3.0 Promoter Group has done something very special for the human race. Finally, the first reversible Type-C USB connector has been created and is almost ready for mass production. Soon we will have the chance to be a less frustrated society. Ok, maybe that's going too far. But it's safe to say relief is coming for those who always have a hard time plugging those darn things in the correct way. Fifteen years of waiting for this breakthrough was enough! This next generation of USB cables and connectors will be coming soon, and thanks to the USB Implementers Forum, we have a good idea what they will look like and how they will work with future devices.

What is a USB Type-C? As the next era of USB, they will be much slimmer than current USB connectors, similar to the size of USB 2.0 Micro-B, which will be tailored for emerging product designs. USB Type-C will be robust enough to work with laptops and tablets, while slim enough for smartphones and mobile devices. Being reversible is an added convenience (a feature we wonder how wasn't standard thus far). These guys will deliver 100 watts of power, capable of transmitting 10GBps of data. The new plug and receptacle will not mate with existing USB plugs and receptacles (Type-A, Type-B, Micro-B, etc). However, in order for consumers to use the new connectors in their older ports, they will have to connect via 'new-to-existing' cables and adapters. Additionally, the prevalence of older ports mean the transition into the new USB Type-C will take quite a while, most likely years.

Brad Saunders, Chairman of the USB 3.0 Promoter Group says, “Interest in the USB Type-C connector has not only been global, but cross-industry as well”. While we think we complain a lot about USB annoyance, PC, mobile, automotive, and IoT representatives have been waiting for this next-gen USB to be a long lasting, robust solution. As far as arrival, the Promoter Group claims they should be ready by early 2015. Their development is occurring at the same time as a wave of super-slim tech, such as Intel's fanless Core M processor. We should see similar gear hitting the market as “these USBs open the door for an entirely new class of devices that consumers haven't even seen yet”.