A new reversible USB plug is likely to hit the market next year.
The next generation of USBs is currently being developed, according to a press release by USB 3.0 Promotor Group. The new connectors, known as Type Cs, will sport a number of new features, including a smaller and thinner design, but the real kicker is that they’ll be reversible. ”Users will no longer need to be concerned with plug orientation/cable direction, making it easier to plug in,” the press release explains.
That might seem a minor detail, but everyone knows (and plenty of people have blogged about) the nuisance of fiddling to orient a USB plug the right way, which probably collectively consumes a fair amount of time across the global population. The ports are nearly ubiquitous, used for everything from computers to phones and even car sockets. As the Verge points out, the direction follows in the footsteps of Apple’s “Lightning” connector for its most recent generations of mobile devices, which is already reversible. Copies of the new USB will be sent out in early 2014 for a 45-day review period before being formally released onto the market. (No images are available yet.)