The USB Type-C has arrived. It’s not yet fully here though. Some modern devices and peripherals are shipping with the legacy micro USB ports still intact. In every sense of the word, we’re still in a transition phase from yesterday’s micro USB and the Apple’s Lightning port. This point in digital history has caused even the most detail-oriented companies such as Apple to engage in a seemingly confused approach to the new port. The new MacBook, for example, launched with a single USB Type-C port on it to the dismay of even the company's fanboys. And when it comes to laptops, whether the Type-C port is Thunderbolt 3 compatible still give buyers a headache
The fact, however, is that adoption of the port has gone a long way since its introduction in 2014. It did not see much daylight then but now, most of the new smartphones coming out this year is equipped with the new port. What is even more interesting is that there are non-smartphone gadgets that have started to integrate the port because it is so much more powerful than the previous generations. From power-hungry devices such as eGPUs and 4K displays to the lowly thumb drive, these ports are starting to take over the tech world.
It is important then, to know what Type-C products we can use right now. It is, after all, the inescapable future of the digital lifestyle. In this list, we steer clear from obvious USB Type-C implementations such as Egpu, USB hubs, and Quick Charge technologies because they’re just already two of the most well-known applications of the technology. Instead, we aim to find the overlooked niches that people may need to know about.
Audio DAC
When smartphone manufacturers started to eliminate the 3.5mm audio jack, audiophiles went nuts. Smartphones were one of the most convenient ways that people consumed their music and the audio jack’s removal basically abolished that function.
The removal is partly because of USB Type-C's promise to deliver better quality audio experience through its more efficient transfer technologies. Because these Type-C equipped devices are newer and relatively untested, however, they did not live up to the expectations of audiophiles. This is a huge deal because the improved quality was paid for by the elimination of the jack.
Luckily, manufacturers were quick to recognize this problem and they created a workaround in the form of a dongle that comes with a built-in high-fidelity DAC. This gives consumers the ability to still use their high-quality audio peripherals such as headsets, earphones, and speakers to their fullest potential. Razer, for example, has come out with one of these products for its Razer phone which truly gave users and immersive audio experience from their phones.
Monitors
Asus’s ZenScreen is the first of its kind; analyzing the use-case scenario for an increasingly mobile digital lifestyle, it does not look like it's going to be the last either. On the contrary, the company has even launched an updated version of the new hardware.
It's an incredibly intuitive device that takes full-use of USB Type-C's ability to transfer power together with data. In essence, users just have to plug it into a source's display port and onto the Zen Screen's Type-C port and it automatically functions as an extremely slim and portable external monitor for the device.
While it’s advertised as a secondary screen for laptops, it also works fine with smartphones. This makes it a truly versatile content consumption device on-the-go. With its 1080p IPS panel consuming content on the larger ZenScreen can truly be step up especially on unexpectedly long wait hours at the airport.
Furthermore, the powerful USB Type-C port can also run 4K displays. This is especially useful for content creators and artists who value color accuracy and image quality above anything else.
Standard display ports have become a little bit outdated. HDMI, DVI, and other display port technologies are starting to show their age especially when it comes to 4K displays. This is what is give USB Type-C monitors such as Dell's UltraSharp 32 4K monitor a niche market to exist on.
Specialized Cameras
Perhaps infrared and thermal imaging cameras aren't the most practical applications for the USB Type-C in the mass market but there’s still a niche market for them especially for home-improvement professionals. The Flir One thermal camera, for example, is an add-on device to Type-C equipped handsets that can do both thermal and infrared imaging.
It uses the phone screen to display the data so the Flir one manufacturers don’t need to pass on the cost of the screen to its consumers. This can potentially save a lot of money for both the fire department and home-improvement industry.
Its value proposition is mostly aimed at professionals in the home-improvement department who need thermal and infrared imaging in their work. Fire-fighters also need the infrared technology in the field for finding people trapped inside a burning building. The Flir One camera peripheral to USB Type-C devices is definitely a worthwhile investment especially because it's the cheapest one out there.
Camera peripherals don’t end with just the professional necessity add-ons. In today's social networks that accept and display different media types such as live stream and gifs, camera peripherals that enable users to capture different kinds of shots have become more important. In connection to this, 360° shots became so popular that manufacturers started to make USB Type C cameras that capture these types of images.
Verdict
When USB Type-C was introduced, people were generally excited about its reversibility. You no longer had to align your smartphone perfectly on drunken nights just to juice up your smartphones. However, upon further adoption of the device, people and manufacturers slowly realized how to harness its powers more effectively.
These applications for the new port show just how versatile it truly is. More than that, however, we can learn from this list that the port’s abilities, as of now, is only limited by our imagination.
The fact, however, is that adoption of the port has gone a long way since its introduction in 2014. It did not see much daylight then but now, most of the new smartphones coming out this year is equipped with the new port. What is even more interesting is that there are non-smartphone gadgets that have started to integrate the port because it is so much more powerful than the previous generations. From power-hungry devices such as eGPUs and 4K displays to the lowly thumb drive, these ports are starting to take over the tech world.
It is important then, to know what Type-C products we can use right now. It is, after all, the inescapable future of the digital lifestyle. In this list, we steer clear from obvious USB Type-C implementations such as Egpu, USB hubs, and Quick Charge technologies because they’re just already two of the most well-known applications of the technology. Instead, we aim to find the overlooked niches that people may need to know about.
Audio DAC
When smartphone manufacturers started to eliminate the 3.5mm audio jack, audiophiles went nuts. Smartphones were one of the most convenient ways that people consumed their music and the audio jack’s removal basically abolished that function.
The removal is partly because of USB Type-C's promise to deliver better quality audio experience through its more efficient transfer technologies. Because these Type-C equipped devices are newer and relatively untested, however, they did not live up to the expectations of audiophiles. This is a huge deal because the improved quality was paid for by the elimination of the jack.
Luckily, manufacturers were quick to recognize this problem and they created a workaround in the form of a dongle that comes with a built-in high-fidelity DAC. This gives consumers the ability to still use their high-quality audio peripherals such as headsets, earphones, and speakers to their fullest potential. Razer, for example, has come out with one of these products for its Razer phone which truly gave users and immersive audio experience from their phones.
Monitors
Asus’s ZenScreen is the first of its kind; analyzing the use-case scenario for an increasingly mobile digital lifestyle, it does not look like it's going to be the last either. On the contrary, the company has even launched an updated version of the new hardware.
It's an incredibly intuitive device that takes full-use of USB Type-C's ability to transfer power together with data. In essence, users just have to plug it into a source's display port and onto the Zen Screen's Type-C port and it automatically functions as an extremely slim and portable external monitor for the device.
While it’s advertised as a secondary screen for laptops, it also works fine with smartphones. This makes it a truly versatile content consumption device on-the-go. With its 1080p IPS panel consuming content on the larger ZenScreen can truly be step up especially on unexpectedly long wait hours at the airport.
Furthermore, the powerful USB Type-C port can also run 4K displays. This is especially useful for content creators and artists who value color accuracy and image quality above anything else.
Standard display ports have become a little bit outdated. HDMI, DVI, and other display port technologies are starting to show their age especially when it comes to 4K displays. This is what is give USB Type-C monitors such as Dell's UltraSharp 32 4K monitor a niche market to exist on.
Specialized Cameras
Perhaps infrared and thermal imaging cameras aren't the most practical applications for the USB Type-C in the mass market but there’s still a niche market for them especially for home-improvement professionals. The Flir One thermal camera, for example, is an add-on device to Type-C equipped handsets that can do both thermal and infrared imaging.
It uses the phone screen to display the data so the Flir one manufacturers don’t need to pass on the cost of the screen to its consumers. This can potentially save a lot of money for both the fire department and home-improvement industry.
Its value proposition is mostly aimed at professionals in the home-improvement department who need thermal and infrared imaging in their work. Fire-fighters also need the infrared technology in the field for finding people trapped inside a burning building. The Flir One camera peripheral to USB Type-C devices is definitely a worthwhile investment especially because it's the cheapest one out there.
Camera peripherals don’t end with just the professional necessity add-ons. In today's social networks that accept and display different media types such as live stream and gifs, camera peripherals that enable users to capture different kinds of shots have become more important. In connection to this, 360° shots became so popular that manufacturers started to make USB Type C cameras that capture these types of images.
Verdict
When USB Type-C was introduced, people were generally excited about its reversibility. You no longer had to align your smartphone perfectly on drunken nights just to juice up your smartphones. However, upon further adoption of the device, people and manufacturers slowly realized how to harness its powers more effectively.
These applications for the new port show just how versatile it truly is. More than that, however, we can learn from this list that the port’s abilities, as of now, is only limited by our imagination.