USB Type-C is still a rarity today, but as the year goes on, the new port is going to begin showing up in more and more devices. In anticipation of this, Google has introduced a handful of features in the Android M release to support some of Type-C's new features. Google hasn't released a ton of information about the new features, but the most significant ones relate to the USB Power Delivery spec. A menu that pops up when you plug one USB Type-C device to another asks you what kind of connection you're trying to make. The standard MTP and PTP file and photo transfer protocols, available in current versions of Android, are on this list, but the menu will also ask you if you'd like to charge the device or use it as a power supply for another device. The USB selection pop-up in Android M. Enlarge / The USB selection pop-up in Android M. This effectively makes Android M devices with USB Type-C ports into external batteries. Your tablet can charge your phone. Your phone could charge a camera battery or Bluetooth headset. Not every device combination makes sense (using a large laptop or tablet battery to charge a small phone battery seems useful; using a small phone battery to charge anything else seems ill-advised) but for compatible devices, it will be a handy feature. |
