The Galaxy S7 brought back to market many features for which Samsung is known, including expandable storage, water resistance and a high-capacity battery, but there was a new feature rumored for the 2016 flagship that did not make the cut: a USB Type-C port.
This may have made consumers think Samsung was not interested in USB Type-C; however, on March 18, the manufacturer released its Galaxy TabPro S tablet in the U.S. , which features a USB Type-C port. The tablet was announced in January, one month ahead of the Galaxy S7; however, the presence of USB Type-C on this device could indicate Samsung’s plans to implement USB Type-C on future devices, like smartphones.
iDigitalTimes spoke with Samsung director of mobile product marketing, Jennifer Langan, at a Samsung Galaxy TabPro launch event last week, where she noted the introduction of USB Type-C on a tablet before any of the manufacturer’s smartphones is a bit off-band for Samsung.
“Usually it’s the phones that get the latest and greatest features and then the tablets get them next. This is the one time where we got it backwards,” Langan told iDigital Times.
While this is not a confirmation of any of Samsung’s future plans, it is more than likely the development of the next top smartphone is already underway. Now that the Galaxy S7 is on the market, it should be a mere five months before Samsung launches its next flagship. The mobile market is expecting a refresh of the Galaxy Note line between August and September. Recent rumors suggest the smartphone could launch as early as July.
Some preliminary rumors predict the next Galaxy Note device may have features like 6GB of RAM or 256GB of internal storage. However, USB Type-C would likely be a much more plausible upgrade. The port, which is known for its fast charging and fast data transfer capabilities, is quickly becoming a staple feature for many of Samsung’s rival manufacturers.
Handsets like the OnePlus 2, Nexus 6P by Huawei and Nexus 5X by LG all featured USB Type-C ports in 2015. The LG G5, which launched in February, on the same day as the Galaxy S7, also features USB Type-C. However, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge both launched with micro USB ports, equipped with Samsung’s fast-charging and wireless charging capabilities.
But seeing features like USB Type-C inconspicuously implemented on a device like the Galaxy TabPro S is just the tip that suggests future implementation into devices like the next Galaxy Note or the next Galaxy S smartphone. iDigi speculated, prior to the launch of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge that Samsung was using devices like 2015 Galaxy A7, Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 to test features for the Galaxy S7 devices. In particular, we noted these devices included features, such as expandable storage and high capacity batteries, combined with a unibody design.
When asked, Samsung executives said the development of the Galaxy A series and the Galaxy S series are mutually exclusive, but this practice is common for the manufacturer. Samsung similarly announced the Galaxy Alpha and other 2014 Galaxy A smartphones with glass-and-metal designs before introducing the Galaxy S6 with a glass-and-metal design in 2015.
Samsung has stated one of the main reasons the Samsung Galaxy S7 does not feature USB Type-C is because of Gear VR compatibility. However, Langan told iDigi the feature was implemented for the Galaxy TabPro S to make the tablet more powerful with accessories.
“We all want to have the latest and greatest technology. But it has to serve a purpose. It was a glaringly important need for this form factor given the type of accessory ecosystem we had planned,” Langan told iDigi.
Accessories for the Galaxy TabPro S include the USB Type-C fast charging plug, which comes with the tablet as well as the sold separately converter port, which allows users to connect other USB-A, USB 3.1, HDMI and other USB Type-C devices to the tablet.
“You’re going to connect a lot more peripherals to [the Galaxy TabPro S]. A phone, you connect it to peripherals, but it’s not as often or in a steady state as it is on a tablet,” Langan said. “On a tablet you’re going to come to a home office and you’re going to plug it into an external. You may have a USB mouse. Those are things you’re not going to just attach and detach. You’re going to attach and be using it for a long time.”
The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge use the Gear VR headset as the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+, which both have micro USB ports. However, as Samsung further updates Gear VR, there could also be opportunity for the manufacturer to upgrade its charging ports. However, the time frame of this upgrade remains uncertain. Pundits, such as TechRadar predict Samsung won’t make major changes to the industrial design of its flagship smartphones until well into 2017.
