USB connectors

	In this report   •   Main story   •   Micro, mini USB 5+N in spotlight   •   Slight price drop seen   •   Sufficient capacity bolsters supply   •   USB, IEEE 1394 race continues   •   USB 3.0-compatible products to hit market in 2010   •   Demand keeps production active

Ever-increasing PC peripherals and digital devices ensure expansion. R&D focuses on long life cycle and performance.

The USB connector industry in mainland China has been seeing 20 percent annual growth and is poised for continued expansion in coming years. Fueling development is the greater adoption of the USB interface in PCs and peripherals, and digital devices such as mobile phones, flat-panel TVs, digital cameras, PDAs, and MP3 and MP4 players. Projections by In-Stat put annual global shipment growth of USB-enabled products through 2012 at 8.3 percent, and this is expected to translate into higher demand for USB connectors.

To grab a bigger piece of the market, China suppliers are therefore enhancing product quality and performance to better position their models internationally. Makers are developing units with long life cycle, low insertion loss, low signal pair attenuation, high insulation resistance, low contact resistance and better solderability. Products also meet UL, CSA, TÜV and RoHS standards.

Currently, China accounts for about 60 percent of the world’s USB connector supply. The share is anticipated to rise as more companies enter the line in coming years, attracted mainly to low technology threshold and reasonable profit margins.

At present, China has more than 300 manufacturers of USB connectors. The selection covers USB-A, USB-B, mini, micro and mini USB 5+N types. USB-A and USB-B models dominate with a nearly 50 percent share of production. These are mainly used in PCs, laptops, printers, scanners, 3.5in hard drives, mice, game consoles and modems.

Mini USB connectors make up 40 percent of supply. Their applications are primarily in portable devices, including 2.5in hard drives, digital cameras, MP3 and MP4 players, digital photo frames, digital media players, PDAs, GPS and smartphones.

Micro and mini USB 5+N versions collectively account for 10 percent or less of output. The former is commonly adopted in thinner portable devices, while mini USB 5+N models are mostly used in USB game controllers.

Aside from producing standard USB connectors, companies in China accept OEM orders for dual USB sockets, triple USB sockets and USB and LAN combo sockets for computer motherboards and USB hubs. Many have established long-term supply relationships with international PC and consumer electronic product makers such as Dell, Lenovo, Sony and Panasonic.