In 2007, when SuperSpeed USB was introduced, the name made sense as a difference.
The word was introduced along with USB 3.0, which increased the maximum data transfer rate from USB 2.0’s meager 0.48Gbps to 5Gbps.
Customers could choose from three different SuperSpeed USB connector types by 2022, along with the USB4 standard, which may be quicker.
Looking ahead, USB goods will continue to have varying performance capabilities while maintaining a consistent aesthetic, but there is at least one point on which we can all agree: “SuperSpeed” is no longer a useful difference.
By 2019, the USB-IF, which creates USB standards, had renamed USB 3.0 to USB 3.1 Gen 1, USB 3.1 to USB 3.1 Gen 2, USB 3.2 to USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, and SuperSpeed branding already felt somewhat commonplace.
The committee wanted to make things simpler for customers, therefore they suggested to suppliers that they label items with “SuperSpeed USB” followed by the maximum speed rather than the specification name (USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, for example, would be SuperSpeed USB 20Gbps).
The USB-IF now advises vendors label goods as, simply, USB 20Gbps (for USB 3.2 Gen 2×2), USB 10Gbps (for USB 3.2 Gen 2), etc., in accordance with updated guidelines and logos that started coming out this quarter and that you may see before 2022 ends.
SuperSpeed is not required.
The USB-IF recommends USB 40Gbps and USB 20Gbps branding for USB4, while USB3 receives the same treatment.
When it is released, USB4 Version 2.0 ought to be known as USB 80Gbps. The USB-language IF’s usage guidelines, which were updated in September [PDF], state that although terms like “USB4 Version 1.0, USB Version 2.0, USB 3.2, SuperSpeed Plus, Enhanced SuperSpeed, and SuperSpeed+ are defined in the USB specifications, these terms are not intended to be used in product names, messaging, packaging, or any other consumer-facing content.”
The USB-IF continues to advise manufacturers to refer to USB 2.0, which comes in a variety of forms including USB-C, USB-A, and USB-B, as “Hi-Speed USB” without a performance indicator.
According to Jeff Ravencraft, president and COO of the USB-IF, the majority of goods that use the USB 2.0 protocol are peripherals, such as keyboards and printers, therefore the business association doesn’t believe that consumers will mistake the technology for being quicker than, example, USB 5Gbps.
Due to the bigger amount (we imagine “USB 0.48Gbps” doesn’t look that nice), the USB-IF also feared that users would mistake “USB 480Mbps” for USB 5Gbps.
The USB-IF representative said, “Since Hi-Speed USB has been around for more than 20 years and is well known in the industry, we concentrated our rebranding efforts to 5Gbps and up.”
Meanwhile, the branding for Recommended USB 1.0 has not changed.
The USB-IF now suggests that packaging and logos for USB-C cables display both the maximum data transfer rate and power delivery.
This doesn’t change much
The revised recommendations follow the practice of several vendors, who list speeds only without spec names or the term “SuperSpeed.”
Some vendors merely list the names of the USB spec.
With all of this in mind, the official death of SuperSpeed branding is hardly shocking, especially since the USB-IF revealed its optional, SuperSpeed-free USB-C emblems a year ago.
The core problem at the root of USB ambiguity is still present.
Even as USB-C spreads around the world and, in certain regions, is eventually made mandatory by law, USB-C products can still be equipped with a variety of features, including data transmission rates of 0.48 to 40 Gbps.
Other features, such as Intel Thunderbolt support, whether a cable is active or passive, and PCIe tunneling are not specified by the USB-IF specifications either.
The average person, though, doesn’t actually care about any of those things, according to Ravencraft.
According to consumer study groups, most consumers only worry about “the best data performance level the product can attain” and “the highest power level I can receive or drive from this product,” the executive told The Verge.
He told The Verge that the majority of users don’t grasp USB branding, marketing, revision control, or spec names.
Everything’s optional
The USB-IF makes an effort to make what consumers perceive simpler, but it is unable to guarantee the broad use of its optional certifications and badges.
2,500 goods are on the list of USB-IF-certified products despite the fact that there are innumerable USB-using devices, cables, and accessories.
Ravencraft acknowledged to Ars that some businesses would find the costs of obtaining USB-IF certification to be “prohibitive,” including passing the USB-IF compliance exam and signing a USB-IF trademark license agreement.
The USB-IF offers discounts to its members.
Ravencraft also noted that some businesses would avoid certification if they are aware that they have made cost-saving compromises and won’t pass compliance audits.
Therefore, USB labeling will likely remain somewhat of a Wild West, but buyers also have options.
If present, USB-IF emblems on products let you know right away how much power delivery and speed to anticipate.
You decide whether or not that speed qualifies as a super speed.
