USB4 is coming soon and will (mostly) unify USB and Thunderbolt

Enlarge (credit: Wikideas1)

This Tuesday, the USB Implementers Forum published the official USB4 protocol specification. If your initial reaction was "oh no, not again," don't worry-the new spec is backward-compatible with USB 2 and USB 3, and it uses the same USB Type-C connectors that modern USB 3 devices do.

Connectors and cables

Although you'll still be able to connect old-school devices with USB Type-A or USB Type-B connectors to new USB4 laptops and hubs, you'll need to do so with dongles. The older, non-reversible connectors aren't able to support USB Power Delivery, an intelligent charging protocol that allows negotiation of faster (or slower, but less battery-draining) charge rates.

This shift to USB Type-C is one we should all be embracing. Even if you don't care about the power and data-delivery features, USB Type-C adapters are much easier to plug in. My family destroys so many Micro-USB B charging cables I've seriously considered setting up a monthly recurring delivery on Amazon-but my eight-year-old son hasn't damaged a single Type-C cable in the eight months that we've had them. The difference is enormous.

Read 11 remaining paragraphs | Comments