USB Type-C has been gradually gaining traction over the last few years, with increasing usage in smartphones, tablets, notebooks, desktops, and all sorts of other devices. Currently, the top transfer rate that can be achieved with USB-C is 10Gbps (gigabits per second), through USB 3.1 Gen 2 - but those speeds are about to get a lot faster.
The USB 3.0 Promoter Group - which includes Microsoft, Apple, Intel, HP, and others - has announced the USB 3.2 specification. USB 3.2 enables the design of hosts and devices with multi-lane solutions, with up to two lanes of 5Gbps or 10Gbps operation, "effectively doubling the performance across existing cables", the group said.
It added that "a USB 3.2 host connected to a USB 3.2 storage device will now be capable of realizing over 2 GB/sec data transfer performance over an existing USB Type-C cable that is certified for SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps."
Brad Saunders, chairman of the USB 3.0 Promoter Group, said:
When we introduced USB Type-C to the market, we intended to assure that USB Type-C cables and connectors certified for SuperSpeed USB or SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps would, as produced, support higher performance USB as newer generations of USB 3.0 were developed. The USB 3.2 update delivers the next level of performance.
Microsoft's Roanne Sones, General Manager of Strategy and Ecosystem for the Windows and Devices Group, said the company is keen to work with its partners to bring the benefits of the new specification to market, adding: "With increased performance and seamless compatibility, the new USB 3.2 specification brings even more speed and bandwidth benefits to new USB 3.2 devices, while remaining compatible with USB 3.0 and earlier devices."
USB 3.2 hasn't yet been finalized, but the specification is said to be "in a final draft review phase", and is expected to be formally released in time for the USB Developer Days North America event in September. However, it's likely to be a while longer before new devices designed around the USB 3.2 specification come to market.
Source: Business Wire
19 Comments - Add comment