GPMI
There is newcomer in the world of wires and connectors — General Purpose Media Interface (GPMI), China's step beyond USB-C. It's a standard, a protocol, and a new set of ports and cables.
First off, it's not just one standard, but two Type-B and Type-C. Type-B introduces a new plug, which is reversible and noticeably larger than USB-C, as shown in the image on the left.
The second type, Type-C, uses the same shape as USB-C. But now you'll have to be extra vigilant about which cable you're holding — is it a cheap USB 2.0, a charging-only one, does it support video, is it USB4, Thunderbolt 3, or even 5, and now, is it GPMI? I suspect manufacturers will, as usual, skimp on labeling because, well, it's such a hassle for them to make things clear for us.
Why all this? Type-C offers data speeds up to 96 Gbps (gigabits per second) and charging up to 240 W. That's higher than standard USB-C's 40–80 Gbps but below the top-tier Thunderbolt 5 modes. Essentially, it's an attempt to improve on HDMI/DisplayPort and create a proprietary — or rather, Chinese — standard.
Type-B is a bit more impressive. It delivers up to 192 Gbps and up to 480 W. The idea is to provide new capabilities for video, replacing HDMI and DisplayPort, plus powering devices with a single cable, as I understand mainly for TVs and projectors.
Regarding Europe, where USB-C is mandatory as a charging port for a range of devices, this doesn't prevent adding extra ports, but selling a phone without USB-C is a no-go. For TVs and monitors, there are no such restrictions. So GPMI won't arrive there immediately, not because of a direct ban but due to market inertia.
What comes after GPMI and USB-C? We'll see. There will be something for sure. I really hope that that something finally puts an end to the cable chaos, if not outright UX sabotage.
Tags: technology, standards, hardware