Samsung debuted its premiere phablet, the Galaxy Note7, last week and while many critics have already touched on and praised the direction Samsung are taking with it, few have highlighted the significance of the device’s USB-C port.
ChannelNews spoke to Aaron Shooter of Belkin, who have produced many USB-C based chargers and accessories, for comment.
According to Aaron, “Samsung is the number one Android phone brand globally” and will consequently “play a significant role” when it comes to driving awareness and adoption of USB-C as a format.
Aaron says that the Note series has always had high power demands due to the larger screen, and says this makes it a “great fit” for USB-C and one that will resonate with the phablet’s audience.
He also emphasises the importance of “the implementation of USB-PD (Power Delivery) which allows for a significant improvement in charging speed. Charging speed and its impact on managing battery life is one of the most challenging consumer pain points when it comes to smartphones.”
In terms of the bigger picture, Aaron says that “We definitely see USB-C as the future connector of choice across smartphones, tablets and mobile computing platforms. As these devices strive to become thinner and lighter than ever the connector provides a small,compact, reversible and highly functional solution to this. As such we also expect it to become the connector of choice in accessories that compliment such devices.”
“This week signals Samsung’s commitment to the connector moving forward and as such indicates that future hero handsets could feature USB-C. As the leading player in USB-C accessories in terms of breadth of range, safety and quality, that’s good news for us,” he says.
Throughout their Unpacked 2016 event, Samsung wasn’t afraid to make a comment or two at Apple’s expense. However, Shooter argues this rivalry will lead to better products for consumers.
“Whilst I have no doubt both brands are watching each other, I think more importantly they are watching how consumers are reacting to USB-C and its benefits. If you look at industry reviews of hardware launched since the first appearance of USB-C there has been repeated feedback calling for all hardware manufacturers to take advantage of the connector and its benefits.”
