Archive notice: This article was originally published on February 4, 2013. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
What comes after SuperSpeed, the name of the previous USB 3.0 transfer mode at 5 Gbit/s? The update child does not yet have a name, but the USB 3.0 Promoters Group announced at CES 2012 in Las Vegas that SuperSpeed’s maximum transfer rate had been doubled to 10 Gbit/s. USB 3.0 would therefore have caught up with Thunderbolt.
According to the USB 3.0 Promoter Group, which consists of of HP, Intel, Microsoft, Renesas, ST-Ericsson and Texas Instruments, the higher speed is achieved primarily through improved data encoding, and energy efficiency is also intended to be improved. The new USB 3.0 standard is intended to be compatible with previous USB 3.0 and even USB 2.0 devices, although all connected devices would have to support the new USB 3.0 update for the full speed to be achieved.
The first specification for the 10-gigabit data-transfer rate is intended to be submitted for review as early as 7 February. The USB Implementers Forum expects the specification to be completed in the first half of 2013.
You can find all further information here.
As a reminder, here is the USB Implementers Forum’s video on SuperSpeed:
SuperSpeed USB from USB IF on Vimeo.
Image: Shot USB Implementers Forum
