More than 50 Chinese companies have gathered in the Shenzhen 8K UHD Video Industry Cooperation Alliance, and they have left the tech world speechless, they have presented GPMI, a new connection standard that seems to renew everything we know so far! Speeds of up to 192 Gbps, support for 8K resolutions, and data transfer and power supply in a single cable, wow.
This new cable promises extremely high speeds and also to reduce the dependence on the famous HDMI and DisplayPort cables, so that Chinese technology can be placed as a reference in the middle of the 8K era. Interesting, right?
What does all this mean?
Well, until now, to connect a computer to a monitor you needed one cable for video (the HDMI) and another for power, but with this cable (the GPMI) you would only need one, you would be connecting your laptop to your monitor with a single cable that, besides showing the image, also charges it, no plugs or adapters needed. It is great, honestly.
But, what is GPMI?
A cable that transmits audio and video, it is versatile and you can also use it to send files and as a charging cable, an all in one.
The types of connector
Type-B: reaches 192 Gbps and supports up to 480W of power. It is designed for production studios, extreme gaming or professional displays, such as video editing ones.
Type-C: more compatible with what we use today, offers 96 Gbps and 240W of charging. Ideal for laptops and accessories.
Advantages over HDMI and DisplayPort
The big advantage is simplicity. With GPMI, a single cable works for everything. That means:
Less tangles and adapters.
More order on the desk or in the workspace.
High-quality video without signal loss.
No image delays, something key for video games or professional work.
And also, it is prepared to grow with the new generations of screens and devices (like future 8K TVs).
So, is it perfect?
No, not everything is won yet. HDMI and DisplayPort have been dominating for years and have an ecosystem that is integrated all over the world, for this idea to work brands like Sony, Samsung, LG or Apple would first have to adopt it, and that way it would become popular.
It is still not known if the first products with GPMI will work well from the beginning or if they will need complicated configurations. That could stop many users, especially at first.
There is also a political message, obviously…
GPMI is not only a technical project, it is also a strategic gesture. China wants to be self-sufficient in technology and, in a time of trade tensions with the U.S., controlling a global connectivity standard would be a huge blow in the market.
If it manages to prevail, we could see GPMI replacing HDMI and DisplayPort in televisions, computers, consoles and cameras. And that would mean they could end up being leaders in global connectivity!
The launch of GPMI shows that technology standards do not last forever. HDMI and DisplayPort remain the kings, but this new cable opens a scenario where speed, integration and power are going to shape the future!
Now it remains to be seen if GPMI manages to convince manufacturers and users or if it stays as another failed attempt to break that “duopoly” we currently live in, what is clear is that there is a competition and a new player on the table.
