USB4 Version 2.0: transfer speeds of 80 GB/s without changing cables

The USB Promoter Group has just announced version 2.0 of USB 4, which brings considerable improvements over the current standard. The main feature of version 2.0 is the doubling of available bandwidth from 40 Gbps to 80 Gbps.

The next version of USB could be one of the fastest connectors we’ve ever seen. According to the USB Promoter Group, the new USB4 Version 2.0 standard will be able to reach speeds of up to 80 Gbps, which is twice what the original USB 4 and even the Thunderbolt 4 are capable of.

The best news is that it offers full compatibility with existing USB4 cables (40 Gbps passive) while supporting the new Type-C active 80 Gbps cables. Also, as usual, USB4 version 2.0 will also be with backwards compatibility with previous versions of USB portsincluding USB4 version 1.0, USB 3.2 and USB 2.0, as well as Thunderbolt 3.

Read also – Thunderbolt 5: its speed could double and reach 80 Gb/s according to Intel

USB changes name again, but becomes more powerful

The whole USB standard has always been a mess when it comes to naming scheme, with USB 3.0/3.1/3.2 and their many iterations (Gen 1, Gen 2, Gen 2×2), and so on. the same goes for USB4 which has reached its second variation instead of just calling it USB5. The tweet from @Ghost_motley at the end of the article also gives a good overview of the problem, and we can imagine that it is difficult for all users to follow these name changes.

Unfortunately, there is no indication yet as to when the new standard will be released to consumers. The group states that the update is specifically for developers at this time “, but we can hope that it will soon make its way to consumer devices.

We know that Apple plans to use a USB-C port on its next iPhone 15 to comply with the new rules imposed by the European Union. However, it is likely that the company will eventually decide to use a less advanced standard, because smartphones don’t really need that much bandwidth yet.