The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) announced today that the organization has finalized the technical specifications for USB4. These specs will be making their way to designers, engineers and manufacturers shortly, meaning we can expect the first USB4 products to hit shelves some time in 2020.
USB4 is the next major version of the USB, which gains a major speed boost thanks to Intel licensing its Thunderbolt 3 protocol to the USB Promoter Group on a royalty-free basis. This group includes Apple, HP, Intel, Microsoft, and Texas Instruments. USB4 will enable 40Gbps speeds equivalent to Thunderbolt 3, which is currently found in high-end computers like the MacBook Pro and peripherals.
As with earlier USB upgrades that required backward compatibility, you’ll still be able to plug old USB equipment into new USB4 ports. But USB4 requires new-style USB-C connectors — the oval ports that appear on both PCs and phones and that no longer require you to worry about which side is up. So you may need a dongle to keep those older devices working.
Beyond speed, Thunderbolt technology is helping USB4 simultaneously handle video signals for external monitors and TVs, as well as data going to and from external hard drives. That means USB4 can be used for driving multiple displays simultaneously and multiple data applications over a single link. Additionally, as Thunderbolt does today, it will let consumers plug in external graphics cards to boost graphics on laptops.
Now that the USB4 specification has been finalised and published we can expect device makers to start to implement the interface in their latest consumer products. The first USB4 devices are expected in 2020, but we are most interested about when PC enthusiasts might start to see the interface begin to appear on laptops, motherboards and PC chassis.
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