The USB 3.0 Promoter Group has announced the new USB 3.2, an incremental update that brings many advantages, such as double the data transfer speed without a cable upgrade.
In other words, devices will have double the data transfer speeds using existing cables, thanks to an implementation that has been available since the original USB Type-C standard was launched.
Specifically, USB Type-C cables were designed from the beginning to support multi-lane operation, but USB 3.2 is the first to fully exploit this application.
Thus, USB 3.2 hosts and USB devices will be designed as multi-lane solutions, offering two different approaches: either 2 lanes of 5 Gbps or 2 lanes of 10 Gbps.
Between the two, it's not hard to see which approach leading device manufacturers will choose, especially since a USB 3.2 storage device will offer data transfer performance exceeding 2 GB per second when using a USB Type-C cable that is certified for SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps.
“When we introduced USB Type-C, we intended to ensure that USB Type-C cables and connectors were certified for SuperSpeed USB or SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps, to deliver the highest USB performance as new generations of USB 3.0 were developed,” said Brad Saunders, President of the USB 3.0 Promoter Group. “The USB 3.2 update delivers the next level of performance.”
The USB 3.0 Promoter Group includes leading members such as Microsoft, Apple, Intel, HP, and many others. However, Microsoft does not yet see USB 3.0 as a mature standard, and is refusing to implement it in the latest Surface models, citing that it would cause more confusion for customers.
Microsoft said that if the correct cable is not used, customers could experience slower performance, which would ultimately lead to more criticism that would affect the image of both the device itself and the company as a whole.
