USB 3.2 standard promises 20Gbps speeds over existing Type-C cables

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware
An upcoming revision of the USB standard, USB 3.2, should in some cases dramatically boost transfer speeds over Type-C cables -- hinting at a likely upgrade path for Apple's future Macs.




USB 3.2 connections will offer two lanes operating up to 10 gigabits per second, the USB 3.0 Promoter Group said on Tuesday. Both the originating and target devices must be 3.2-compatible, but the Type-C cable in between can be an existing 10-gigabit one.

The new standard is in a "final draft review phase," and should officially debut by September.

Apple is notably a member of the Promoter Group, making it likely to be an early adopter. The company has often been quick to adopt new connection standards, including Thunderbolt and USB itself. The 12-inch Retina MacBook was one of the first computers to ship exclusively with USB-C.

Apple could theoretically add USB 3.2 to the iMac Pro, coming in December, which will have four USB-C/Thunderbolt ports. Beyond that though the company will probably have to wait until 2018, since it has already done 2017 refreshes of the iMac, MacBook, and MacBook Pro.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 29
    appexappex Posts: 687member
    Bring back USB power-on feature from USB keyboard or USB device. As possible with former Apple ADB and USB keyboards, as well as USB dongles with USB 1.0 specifications, like the i-Cue.

    That is extremely useful and convenient to turn on the computer when it is below or behind the table/desk or far away from reach in the floor, etc. It is even a health issue (backbone health!).
  • Reply 2 of 29
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    appex said:
    Bring back USB power-on feature from USB keyboard or USB device. As possible with former Apple ADB and USB keyboards…
    Aw man, that takes me back. Not a whole lot of shutting down happens anymore, though.
  • Reply 3 of 29
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,955member
    appex said:
    Bring back USB power-on feature from USB keyboard or USB device. As possible with former Apple ADB and USB keyboards, as well as USB dongles with USB 1.0 specifications, like the i-Cue.

    That is extremely useful and convenient to turn on the computer when it is below or behind the table/desk or far away from reach in the floor, etc. It is even a health issue (backbone health!).
    Just don't shut down the Mac...problem solved! Or, have it automatically startup at a certain time. 
    andrewj5790williamlondonStrangeDays
  • Reply 4 of 29
    suddenly newtonsuddenly newton Posts: 13,819member
    macxpress said:
    appex said:
    Bring back USB power-on feature from USB keyboard or USB device. As possible with former Apple ADB and USB keyboards, as well as USB dongles with USB 1.0 specifications, like the i-Cue.

    That is extremely useful and convenient to turn on the computer when it is below or behind the table/desk or far away from reach in the floor, etc. It is even a health issue (backbone health!).
    Just don't shut down the Mac...problem solved! Or, have it automatically startup at a certain time. 
    The original 128K Mac had a physical power switch. On the back. Talk about convenience!
    watto_cobrapscooter63
  • Reply 5 of 29
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,148member
    appex said:
    Bring back USB power-on feature from USB keyboard or USB device. As possible with former Apple ADB and USB keyboards, as well as USB dongles with USB 1.0 specifications, like the i-Cue.

    That is extremely useful and convenient to turn on the computer when it is below or behind the table/desk or far away from reach in the floor, etc. It is even a health issue (backbone health!).
    Apple's sleep-mode is the best in the business.  Why not just leave It on and walk away?  I leave mine plugged into a good UPS to keep the power clean.  It's extremely rare for me to ever have to turn my Mac off.
    watto_cobrapscooter63StrangeDays
  • Reply 6 of 29
    curtis hannahcurtis hannah Posts: 1,834member
    As always, this comes right when USB C/USB 3.1 is settling, it wasn't till this year most supported USB 3.1 speed?
    1983williamlondonbshank
  • Reply 7 of 29
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member
    sflocal said:
    appex said:
    Bring back USB power-on feature from USB keyboard or USB device. As possible with former Apple ADB and USB keyboards, as well as USB dongles with USB 1.0 specifications, like the i-Cue.

    That is extremely useful and convenient to turn on the computer when it is below or behind the table/desk or far away from reach in the floor, etc. It is even a health issue (backbone health!).
    Apple's sleep-mode is the best in the business.  Why not just leave It on and walk away?  I leave mine plugged into a good UPS to keep the power clean.  It's extremely rare for me to ever have to turn my Mac off.
    People that turn off their Macs constantly are probably the same people that all clean out apps from Fast App Switch on iOS.
    StrangeDays
  • Reply 8 of 29
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member
    As always, this comes right when USB C/USB 3.1 is settling, it wasn't till this year most supported USB 3.1 speed?
    1) Most devices still don't support USB 3.1 speeds.

    2) I'm not sure what your trying to imply with your post. New standards suggestions, new standards ratification, HW design, and user adoption are always spaced out. Are you suggesting that the USB-IF shouldn't work on 3.2 until everyone is using 3.1, because that's literally impossible?
  • Reply 9 of 29
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Soli said:
    2) I'm not sure what your trying to imply with your post. New standards suggestions, new standards ratification, HW design, and user adoption are always spaced out. Are you suggesting that the USB-IF shouldn't work on 3.2 until everyone is using 3.1, because that's literally impossible?
    I think he’s worried about USB looking more like Android and less like iOS. Without proper handling of the rollout, you get such fragmentation that accessory manufacturers have incentive not to bother spending the R&D on the newer versions of USB because basically no one uses them. I still see USB 2 flash drives for sale everywhere. I say to myself, “Wouldn’t you think the company would want to adopt USB 3 as a selling point? Even if it meant investing in slightly costlier, higher throughput NAND for the internals to take advantage of it?” And then I remember we’re still basically in a recession and teetering on the brink of a global depression and that product weights keep shrinking while the prices stay the same, so I stop worrying about seeing yet another sign of societal collapse and just add another box of 6.5 Creedmoor to the tail end of my shopping list.
    bshank
  • Reply 10 of 29
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member
    tallest skil said:
    Soli said:
    2) I'm not sure what your trying to imply with your post. New standards suggestions, new standards ratification, HW design, and user adoption are always spaced out. Are you suggesting that the USB-IF shouldn't work on 3.2 until everyone is using 3.1, because that's literally impossible?
    I think he’s worried about USB looking more like Android and less like iOS. Without proper handling of the rollout, you get such fragmentation that accessory manufacturers have incentive not to bother spending the R&D on the newer versions of USB because basically no one uses them.
    No you don't. It doesn't make a lick of difference if your USB-C peripheral only supports USB 3.1 speeds and on your Mac with USB 3.2 in 5 years time.
  • Reply 11 of 29
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Soli said:
    No you don't. It doesn't make a lick of difference if your USB-C peripheral only supports USB 3.1 speeds and on your Mac with USB 3.2 in 5 years time.
    Given that 3.1 is a slower speed than 3.2, the difference it matters is the difference in speed between them. Not sure how that’s confusing.
    bshank
  • Reply 12 of 29
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member
    Soli said:
    No you don't. It doesn't make a lick of difference if your USB-C peripheral only supports USB 3.1 speeds and on your Mac with USB 3.2 in 5 years time.
    Given that 3.1 is a slower speed than 3.2, the difference it matters is the difference in speed between them. Not sure how that’s confusing.
    Fragmentation requires breaking, but if your old USB 3.1 device still works on a new Mac that supports up to USB 3.2 then nothing has FRAGMENTED.
    edited July 2017 watto_cobraStrangeDays
  • Reply 13 of 29
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,857member
    Soli said:
    sflocal said:
    appex said:
    Bring back USB power-on feature from USB keyboard or USB device. As possible with former Apple ADB and USB keyboards, as well as USB dongles with USB 1.0 specifications, like the i-Cue.

    That is extremely useful and convenient to turn on the computer when it is below or behind the table/desk or far away from reach in the floor, etc. It is even a health issue (backbone health!).
    Apple's sleep-mode is the best in the business.  Why not just leave It on and walk away?  I leave mine plugged into a good UPS to keep the power clean.  It's extremely rare for me to ever have to turn my Mac off.
    People that turn off their Macs constantly are probably the same people that all clean out apps from Fast App Switch on iOS.
    It always makes me chuckle when I see all the 'I never turn my Mac off ' comments as if it is a badge of honor or criticisms usually accompanied by supercilious comments about those of us that do, in my case, many times a day, simply because they do not have a need.  Not everyone is sitting there all day reading blogs or posting pearls of wisdom.

    Some of us are involved testing hardware, beta versions of macOS, file systems, Windows releases (betas) and various other OSs from a load of different external SSDs not to mention beta versions of software that can be problematic, different LANs that can really screw up USB, heck even requiring the PRAM zapping on occasions.  Warm restarts to blessed externals or using option to get the disk start up selection can fail without a full shut down and restart very often.  Thank heavens for the new Mac Pro that can sit by my right hand on the desk!  The cheese graters were a nightmare to get at for me, under a desk in the dark with the dust bunnies lol.

    edited July 2017 williamlondon
  • Reply 14 of 29
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    tallest skil said:
    Soli said:
    2) I'm not sure what your trying to imply with your post. New standards suggestions, new standards ratification, HW design, and user adoption are always spaced out. Are you suggesting that the USB-IF shouldn't work on 3.2 until everyone is using 3.1, because that's literally impossible?
    I think he’s worried about USB looking more like Android and less like iOS. Without proper handling of the rollout, you get such fragmentation that accessory manufacturers have incentive not to bother spending the R&D on the newer versions of USB because basically no one uses them. I still see USB 2 flash drives for sale everywhere. I say to myself, “Wouldn’t you think the company would want to adopt USB 3 as a selling point? Even if it meant investing in slightly costlier, higher throughput NAND for the internals to take advantage of it?” And then I remember we’re still basically in a recession and teetering on the brink of a global depression and that product weights keep shrinking while the prices stay the same, so I stop worrying about seeing yet another sign of societal collapse and just add another box of 6.5 Creedmoor to the tail end of my shopping list.
    We've the longest sustained period of economic and employment growth in modern history.   No recession.  But it made a good political spiel...
    imemine
  • Reply 15 of 29
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    As USB keeps progressing I have to wonder how long till Apple switches from Lightening to USB on its mobile products.   It seems to me the argument for Lightening was (correctly) based on functionality and size -- but it seems that USB has caught up and, while matching Lightening on size, may be surpassing lightening on functionality.

    Think of what an A11 processor in an iPhone could do if able to be connected to peripherals such as a keyboard and large screen.  Plus, it would provide better compatibility with Macs...
  • Reply 16 of 29
    smaffeismaffei Posts: 237member
    Think of what an A11 processor in an iPhone could do if able to be connected to peripherals such as a keyboard and large screen.  Plus, it would provide better compatibility with Macs...
    Um, what part of "Apple makes tons of money by licensing their proprietary connector" don't you get? They like it that way.
    williamlondonbshank
  • Reply 17 of 29
    fullesfulles Posts: 7member
    GeorgeBMac said:.
    We've the longest sustained period of economic and employment growth in modern history.   No recession.  But it made a good political spiel...
    I've assumed you are in US so apologies if you aren't. If you are in the US the facts don't back up your statement.

    Unemployment actually grew in the US in June so your current sustained period of employment growth is 0 months. It also grew in Dec 2016 and Jan 2017.

    In terms of economic growth the last quarter with negative growth was Q1 2014. That means your current sustained period of economic growth is 12 quarters. Between Q2 1991 and Q4 2001 the US had 39 consecutive quarters of economic growth. Unless you don't count 2001 as "modern history" you have quite a way to go before you reach that target.
  • Reply 18 of 29
    curtis hannahcurtis hannah Posts: 1,834member
    Soli said:
    Soli said:
    No you don't. It doesn't make a lick of difference if your USB-C peripheral only supports USB 3.1 speeds and on your Mac with USB 3.2 in 5 years time.
    Given that 3.1 is a slower speed than 3.2, the difference it matters is the difference in speed between them. Not sure how that’s confusing.
    Fragmentation requires breaking, but if your old USB 3.1 device still works on a new Mac that supports up to USB 3.2 then nothing has FRAGMENTED.
    OK, what I'm more worried of is the vice versa, you buy a new mac right now that is USB 3.1 speed, which Apple first adopted in October last year with the macbook pros, then in about 6 months everything goes to USB 3.2 and you can't use the newer accessories with your new mac, you only have about a year of the standard on use before it is replaced, and sure you can go backwords with USB 3 or 2 speeds, but 3.1 is never truly popularized and you do have fragmentation on the device you use, of course you can buy the newer 3.2 USB computers, but that is costly to the consumer for true speed access.
    williamlondonbshank
  • Reply 19 of 29
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,038member
    MacPro said:
    Soli said:
    sflocal said:
    appex said:
    Bring back USB power-on feature from USB keyboard or USB device. As possible with former Apple ADB and USB keyboards, as well as USB dongles with USB 1.0 specifications, like the i-Cue.

    That is extremely useful and convenient to turn on the computer when it is below or behind the table/desk or far away from reach in the floor, etc. It is even a health issue (backbone health!).
    Apple's sleep-mode is the best in the business.  Why not just leave It on and walk away?  I leave mine plugged into a good UPS to keep the power clean.  It's extremely rare for me to ever have to turn my Mac off.
    People that turn off their Macs constantly are probably the same people that all clean out apps from Fast App Switch on iOS.
    It always makes me chuckle when I see all the 'I never turn my Mac off ' comments as if it is a badge of honor or criticisms usually accompanied by supercilious comments about those of us that do, in my case, many times a day, simply because they do not have a need.  Not everyone is sitting there all day reading blogs or posting pearls of wisdom.

    Some of us are involved testing hardware, beta versions of macOS, file systems, Windows releases (betas) and various other OSs from a load of different external SSDs not to mention beta versions of software that can be problematic, different LANs that can really screw up USB, heck even requiring the PRAM zapping on occasions.  Warm restarts to blessed externals or using option to get the disk start up selection can fail without a full shut down and restart very often.  Thank heavens for the new Mac Pro that can sit by my right hand on the desk!  The cheese graters were a nightmare to get at for me, under a desk in the dark with the dust bunnies lol.
    Way to get defensive for no reason. If you're "involved testing hardware, beta versions of macOS, file systems, Windows releases (betas) and various other OSs from a load of different external SSDs…" etc. then you have a fucking reason.

    No reason is turning it off because you think it works like a TV without understanding that it go into a hibernation mode that will use virtually no power.
    Bad reason is killing all your apps in FAS because you think it will make your system faster and retain battery life.
    StrangeDays
  • Reply 20 of 29
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 13,135member
    smaffei said:
    Think of what an A11 processor in an iPhone could do if able to be connected to peripherals such as a keyboard and large screen.  Plus, it would provide better compatibility with Macs...
    Um, what part of "Apple makes tons of money by licensing their proprietary connector" don't you get? They like it that way.
    Oh really? How much money? And how come they don’t use it on the MBP?

    No. iPhone engineering is driven by engineers, not licensing conspiracy. Lightning predates USBC and is still smaller and better in certain ways. They aren’t going to force everyone to change over just to make your OCD better. They will however ship with USBC to Lightning cables one day, I imagine. 
    Soliwilliamlondonanome
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