Newsletter
Over the past year we’ve seen a pretty fundamental shift to a brand new connection standard on Android phones; USB Type-C. We’ve seen plenty of revisions to the USB standard over the years, from the old school USB Type A port, USB 3.0 speeds and most recently the USB Type-C standard. Many big name phones went USB Type-C this past fall and this year in general, including the recently announced LG G5. But just because lots of big players like Google and LG are jumping on the boat doesn’t mean that everyone will, and thus we have Samsung’s dismissal of the standard with the announcement of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.
Surprisingly enough Samsung completely shunned the USB Type-C standard, not even referencing it on stage. Instead Samsung went on to highlight how much they’ve worked on the microUSB standard, even to the point where the port itself is completely water resistant. That means no annoying flaps to keep open or closed, and no worries about water getting into your device via an open port. What’s both a problem and a blessing though is that this new port is still microUSB, which means it’s not reversible and incapable of the fastest data transfer or charging rates possible. Samsung still cites that this is QuickCharge 3.0 compatible though, and USB 3.0 speed compatible, so you’re not exactly going to be wanting more anyway, but not being able to easily plug the cable in in a reversible fashion sure is annoying.
One reason this is a positive thing though is that all of your existing peripherals will still work without requiring new connectors or adapters. This includes popular peripherals like the Gear VR and the boatloads of docks and adapters out there too. The fact that Samsung is including a free Gear VR with all Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge pre-orders only solidifies this action on their part, as changing the USB port would mean switching out important parts that make it incompatible with any older phones. Progress will happen eventually on the USB Type-C front as far as Samsung devices are concerned, but the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge won’t be where it begins.