USB-C gains mainstream status in China's USB interconnects

USB connectors and cable assembly manufacturers update to the latest Type-C configuration as more devices integrate compliant ports.

Mainland China makers of USB connectors and cable assemblies are ramping up output for Type-C units as the interface replaces the Micro-USB specification in recent and next device rollouts across electronics categories. They expect the reversible variant to represent 50 percent of local shipments in coming months from 30 to 40 percent at present.

Concurrently, companies are boosting efforts to release USB 3.1 interconnects as well. Such units now have about 30 percent share of yield and may exceed this by year-end. USB 3.0 units still lead locally, while USB 2.0 variants remain in production with a 20 percent portion.

Dongguan Flyroyal Electrical Fty is aiming for a 20 percent or greater allocation for Type-C connectors, which currently account for 10 percent of turnout. Its selection is dominated by Types A and B models.

Primarily driving demand for this more compact physical interface is the miniaturization trend in application products, mainly mobile devices. The last include smartphones, wearable electronics, tablet and notebook PCs and VR devices. There is a future potential market in car infotainment, projectors, security and networking products, and medical equipment.

China suppliers are setting their sights on the projected size of the USB-C-enabled equipment market, which will realize 231 percent CAGR in 2019, according to IHS. Up to 2 billion such products will ship worldwide during that year. The standard will be adopted in 80 percent of PCs and peripherals, 50 percent of smartphones and tablet PCs, 20 percent of TVs, set-top boxes and AR/VR devices, and 20 percent of vehicle infotainment.

Local interconnects companies are confident of USB-C's market position vis-a-vis rival Lightning based on the former's wider bandwidth, higher power supply, smaller size and greater compatibility. Some anticipate USB-C will replace Lightning in the near future.

In the mobile electronics space, USB-C is expected to lord over the mainstream in the next two or three years despite the encroaching presenceof HDMI 1.4 Type D. This will be further reinforced when electronics compliant with the HDMI Alternate Mode become available. The recently announced standard supports both HDMI 1.4 and USB 3.1 Type-C, which will permit mobile devices to output to HDMI monitors or TVs.

There are more than 300 manufacturers of USB-C connectors and cable assemblies in mainland China, a number anticipated to increase in years to come.

Over two-thirds of the makers are local operations and the rest with investment mostly from Taiwan and Hong Kong. Besides USB Types A and B products, suppliers turn out HDMI and DisplayPort interconnects.

More than half of the makers are in Guangdong province, mainly in the cities of Shenzhen and Dongguan. Many others are in Suzhou in Jiangsu province and Ningbo in Zhejiang province.