Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports are found on countless computers and electronic devices. Whether you own a desktop, a laptop or both, you’ll probably discover that it has several USB ports. Using these ports, you can connect a variety of peripherals to your computer, including a mouse, keyboard, printer or even an external storage drive.
There are different generations of USB technology, however, the latest of which is USB 3.2. To the naked eye, USB 3.2 ports may look the same as earlier generations of USB technology. With that said, USB 3.2 offers several key advantages over its predecessors.
USB 3.2 Explained
Originally released in 2017, USB 3.2 is the latest generation of USB technology. Also known as USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, it offers the fastest data-transfer speeds of all USB technologies, including USB 3.0 and USB 3.1. The new specification still uses ports and connectors in the same size, as well as shape, as older generations of USB technology. Nonetheless, it’s able to deliver faster downloading and uploading speeds.
Benefits of USB 3.2
The greatest benefit of USB 3.2 is its blazing-fast downloading and uploading speeds. The new specifications supports a maximum data-transfer rate of 20Gbps. To put that number into perspective, USB 3.0 — also known as SuperSpeed USB — has a maximum data-transfer rate of just 5Gbps. Based on those numbers, USB 3.2 is about four times faster than its USB 3.0 counterpart.
It’s also worth mentioning that USB 3.2 is cross-compatible with all other USB technologies. In other words, if your computer has a USB 3.2 port, you can connect USB 3.1, USB 3.0 and earlier generations of USB peripherals to it. Thanks to its cross-compatible technology, USB 3.2 devices and peripherals are interchangeable.
Furthermore, USB 3.2 supports a new feature known as Power Delivery 2.0. Basically, this feature allows USB 3.2 ports to transmit up to 100 watts of power to connected peripherals. Why does this matter? With Power Delivery 2.0, USB 3.2 is able to charge connected peripherals. If you have a battery-powered peripheral, for instance, you can recharge it by connecting it to a USB 3.2 port — something that isn’t possible with earlier generations of USB technology.
In Conclusion
To recap, USB 3.2 is the latest generation of USB technology. It’s faster and more versatile than previous generations, with a maximum data-transfer speed of 20Gbps. Of course, not everyone needs such fast speeds. USB 3.0 is still capable of achieving data-transfer speeds in excess of 5Gbps. But if you’re looking to maximize your productivity, you may want to invest in a computer with USB 3.2 ports. It’s four times faster as USB 3.0, and it also supports Power Delivery 2.0.
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