Google just announced new features for the next version of Android and the most interesting one has little to do with the user interface: Properly equipped devices will be able to recharge other USB devices.
This is thanks to the new version of USB called USB Type-C. This next generation of USB is already found on several devices like the new Apple MacBook and the latest Google Pixel Chromebox. A USB-C cable end is slightly smaller than a microUSB cable, and in one variation, has this smaller port on both ends. The smaller, reversible cable can handle more power and greater data throughput.
Google is tapping USB Type-C’s bi-directional power ability to recharge other devices. A user will simply need to select the appropriate USB mode to switch between charging, recharging, or data transfer.
Android M rolls out in the Fall, but a timetable for USB Type-C enabled devices was not given although it seems very unlikely than any mainstream devices will hit before 2016.
