USB4 is twice as fast as USB 3.2, will make the dongle life twice as complicated

The dongle life is set to get even more complicated, eventually.

In what seems like an effort to confuse consumers further, hot on the heels of the reveal of USB 3.2 2×2, a new 20Gbps version of USB 3.2 that features two 10Gbps channels, the USB Promoters Group has revealed yet another new format, USB4.

During an event in Taipei, Taiwan, Intel revealed USB4, the next-generation version of USB that’s set to utilize dual channels to hit 40Gbps speeds. Intel says that current 40Gbps-certified USB cables will also be compatible with this new format.

More importantly, though, Intel says that Thunderbolt 3 will soon be available to all manufacturers through a new open licensing system. USB4 is set to feature Thunderbolt 3 compatibility as well. This means that the simultaneous transfer of data and display protocols would theoretically be possible with a USB4 port and cable that supports Thunderbolt 3.

As expected, USB 4 is also still compatible with USB 2.0 and all forms of USB 3.2. That said, it’s unlikely that we’ll see products featuring USB4 anytime soon given that the technical specifications for USB 3.2 2×2 have only just been revealed. The official technical specs for USB4 likely won’t be published until mid-2019, which means the upcoming port format won’t hit hardware until 2020.

Effectively, this means that 40Gbps will soon be the new universal standard for all future USB ports. Further, it’s likely that Thunderbolt 3 will soon be featured in more devices now that Intel has adopted an open standard for the port format and plans to directly layer it on top of USB4.

Image credit: Intel 

Source: Engadget

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