The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), an independent technology standards group, has officially rung in the era of USB 3.2 at MWC 2019. However, USB 3.1 and USB 3.0 – as you know they – aren’t going anywhere.
While USB 3.2 marks a new level of data transfer speed reached for the standard at 20 Gigabits per second (Gbps), it also will see previous USB technologies become rebranded “USB 3.2” in technical product listings, Computer Base reports.
This means that what is known as USB 3.1 Gen 1 today, which offers 5Gbps data transfer speeds, will henceforth be known as USB 3.2 Gen 1. Likewise, what we call USB 3.1 Gen 2 today will now be called USB 3.2 Gen 2, which still offers 10Gbps transfer speeds.
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Ports and devices carrying the new level of transfer speeds that USB 3.2 introduces – again, 20Gbps – will be known as USB 3.2 Gen 2×2. This increase in transfer speed is achieved by placing another 10Gbps data transfer channel within the connector, which is only possible in the Type-C format that is all but taking over smartphones and laptops.
