Apple’s 12-inch MacBook laptop launched last year was the industry’s first PC to ship with a USB-C port – and that’s the only connector the laptop has, aside from the headphone jack. Since then, other PC makers have adopted the port, but not all of Apple’s competitors are thrilled about the upgrade. A new report says that while some laptop manufacturers are reluctant to adopt USB-C in their upcoming devices, Apple will equip its next-gen MacBook Air (or Pro?) with the new interface.
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The USB-C port isn’t only smaller than previous standards, but it can offer fast data transfers and battery charging. Without a doubt, USB-C represents the evolution of the USB connector, one that both customers and device makers should be excited to use.
However, Digitimes notes that many vendors are still conservative about USB-C because the new interface comes with a few side-effects.
The USB-C interface uses electric current “that is larger than one of the previous-generation interfaces, and could lead to interference and heat dissipation problems when adopting too many at once,” the site notes.
The second problem is that USB-C needs an amplifier chip, a receiver chip, and a special transmission wire to deliver high-speed transfers. And these parts would “significantly raise product costs.”
The report says that Apple, Asus, and HP are upgrading their notebooks to support USB-C, while Acer, Dell, and Lenovo are still evaluating the option.
Interestingly, the reports notes that the MacBook Air will receive USB-C support. While a new MacBook Air has appeared in previous reports that said Apple is working on new MacBook designs that include USB-C ports, it’s unclear at this point whether these sources are confusing the 2016 MacBook Pro design with a MacBook Air. Apple’s next-gen MacBook Pro is rumored to be thinner and lighter than ever and reports even say the MacBook Air line may be phased out in the very near future.
That said, it seems more than plausible to assume Apple will use the USB-C interface in more Macs, not just the 12-inch model.
