{"id":2508,"date":"2019-09-11T18:08:10","date_gmt":"2019-09-11T18:08:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/officesuppliesphoenix.com\/?p=1649"},"modified":"2020-08-14T07:17:18","modified_gmt":"2020-08-14T07:17:18","slug":"usb4-ready-twice-fast-smaller-hitting-devices-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.officesuppliesphoenix.com\/office-supplies-el-mirage\/usb4-ready-twice-fast-smaller-hitting-devices-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"USB4 is ready: Twice as fast, smaller, and hitting devices in 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

The official Thunderbolt-based USB4 specification is complete, the group that designs it\u00a0announced on Tuesday<\/a>.<\/p>\n

USB4 is the next major version of the USB, which gains a major speed boost thanks to Intel\u00a0licensing its Thunderbolt 3 protocol to the USB Promoter Group<\/a>\u00a0on a royalty-free basis. This group includes Apple, HP, Intel, Microsoft, and Texas Instruments.<\/p>\n

SEE:\u00a0<\/strong>IT pro’s guide to GDPR compliance<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(free PDF)<\/strong><\/p>\n

USB4 will enable 40Gbps speeds equivalent to Thunderbolt 3, which is currently found in high-end computers like the MacBook Pro and peripherals.<\/p>\n

That’s twice as fast as the current USB 3.2. However, as\u00a0noted by CNET’s Stephen Shankland<\/a>, many consumers are still using computers with earlier versions of USB that offer 5Gbps or 10Gbps.<\/p>\n

Thunderbolt 3’s incorporation into USB4 should bring higher speeds to lower-end devices and peripherals. And those higher speeds will be useful for connecting multiple displays and getting data from external hard drives.<\/p>\n

The longer-term promise of the speedier USB4 is that device makers will stop using old rectangular USB-A ports and USB Micro B ports in favor of the newer USB-C connectors, which USB4 requires to work.<\/p>\n

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The USB Implementers Forum told CNET that consumers could expect to see devices, including laptops, external hard drives, and dongles with USB4 support in the “second half of 2020”.<\/p>\n

USB-IF notes three key benefits of USB4:<\/p>\n