All you needed to know about them was 3.0 was faster than 2.0.
It was simple and straightforward.
But everything changed with USB 3.1.
Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
USB 3.0 was retroactively renamed “USB 3.1 Gen 1.”
To further complicate things, the transfer speeds themselves received names.
USB 3.1 Gen 2 is capable of 10 Gbps transfer speedsthat’s called SuperSpeed+.
Jason Montoya / How-To Geek
Technically, it accomplishes this by using 128b/132b encoding in a full-duplex communications mode.
Full-duplex communication is exciting because that means information can be transferred and received at the same time.
That’s why it’s faster.
Jerome Thomas / How-To Geek
The difference between the two was slightly confusing.
USB 3.2 is capable of 20 Gbps speeds.
That’s double the transfer speeds of USB 3.1 Gen 2.
Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
USB products capable of 20 Gbps have two 10 Gbps channels.
Think of it as more wiring jammed into the same cable.
You’ll have to update both ends of the connection to enjoy all the new benefits.
Jordan Gloor / How-To Geek
At Mobile World Congress 2019, the USB-IF announced the branding and naming schemes for the new standard.
And once again, the previous naming were discarded and changed retroactively.
USB 3.1 Gen 2, with its 10 Gbps speeds, would be renamed to USB 3.2 Gen 2.
The 20 Gbps standard would be named USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, breaking the predictable pattern.
Physically, this has two 10 Gbps channel, so it literally is 2x2.
Instead, it wanted Gen 1 products marketed as SuperSpeed USB.
This was an improvement, but still not foolproof.
But that doesn’t mean manufacturers have to use these names.
When manufacturers use the SuperSpeed standard, the naming issue is at least somewhat straightforward.
Look for “SuperSpeed” in the name and verify if there’s a number.
If you don’t see one, it’s the slowest USB 3.2 throw in.
At leastit’s fairly straight forward.
If you rememberUSB-C’s early issues, this will probably seem very familiar.
Read carefully before buying cables, and buy them from reputable, trusted sources.
In the past, we’ve recommended Amazon Basics cablesbut even with those you still need to look carefully.
For instance, thisAmazon Basics cableis USB-C but only offers 2.0 speeds.
And, of course, this doesn’t just apply to USB cables.
You won’t see anyUSB key in-Aor Micro USB connections sporting that label.
