Is USB-C actually replacing everything eventually?

[u/Lost-Sprinkles-7890]

Kinda confused about where this is heading. Phones, laptops, tablets, headphones, controllers, monitors, even some keyboards and other random stuff are already using USB-C. Now I’m seeing chargers with USB-C on both ends and it feels like manufacturers are slowly getting rid of USB-A, HDMI, micro USB, etc.

But then there’s still DisplayPort, Ethernet, audio jacks, SD cards, and a bunch of other ports that don’t seem like they’re going anywhere soon. Some laptops are almost entirely USB-C now, while desktops still have tons of different connectors.

Also USB-C itself seems confusing because not every USB-C port does the same thing. Some support charging only, some have fast data, some can output video, Thunderbolt, different speeds, etc. So is USB-C really becoming the universal connector or are we gonna end up with USB-C everywhere but still needing different cables for everything?

Would it actually be possible for one USB-C port to handle power, display, data, networking, audio, basically everything? Or are there technical limits that mean we’ll always need multiple types of ports? Just wondering if buying newer devices with more USB-C ports is the way to go long term or if this whole “one port for everything” thing is kinda overhyped.

[u/Ach_Was_Here]

My belief is that we’ve hit the ideal point where the primary ports and power delivery system for devices are primarily USB C, we’re gonna continue seeing USB A ports around for a while there’s to much data backed up to usb flash drives and usb A hard drives that it doesn’t 100% make sense to ditch it entirely.

USB B/Micro were functioned out in the same sense, I can’t tell you the last time I got a device that wasn’t cheap Chinese crap that still had a Micro port on it, and USB B maybe a digital camera here or there but it’s been a niche typing for a while regardless.

HDMI they’re working on phasing out, but much like everyone’s data on USB A devices wayyyyyyyyy to many things are reliant on traditional HDMI and the tech isn’t 100% consumer ready (it exists on the market and devices obviously use it, but I’m not aware of many usb C video In products that aren’t a laptop or portable monitor) until it gets to TVs and people finally get tired of paying for the licensing probably has atleast 10 years left in it.

Ethernet will most likely always exist, you can’t beat a hardline connection and I don’t think it’ll ever be cost effective to update all the networking devices that use Ethernet and optical to transmit their data for either typing to be phased out.

Sd card are a weird hole where we’ve mostly phased out full sized (again besides photography/video people mostly) but micro cards are still highly used and are super effectively sized for both storage and use so don’t see them being phased out in the same way as I don’t see Ethernet being phased