The Universal Serial Bus (commonly referred to simply as USB) is one of the great innovations of modern technology. The proliferation of USB ports has made interconnecting most common devices with one another far easier than deciding what to have for lunch.
But even with all the wonderful advantages of connecting devices via USB, there has always been one headache associated with it: the plethora of different cables used by different devices. While the small USB Micro-B connector has helped standardize the cables used to connect most smart phones in recent years, there are still a number of other non-compatible cables in use today.
Now for the good news: In addition to doubling the speed of USB 3.0, the upcoming USB 3.1 specification will also standardize the cables and connectors used to connect all USB 3.1 devices. That means you’ll no longer have to keep half a dozen USB cables on hand for connecting all of your various USB devices. A single cable will work with all of them as long as they support USB 3.1.
What’s more, the new spec will also call for cable connectors that can be inserted into a USB 3.1 device without having to figure out which way is “up”. In other words, there will no “wrong way” to plug the cable in. This is especially good news for me because even though your chances of inserting the cable correctly even without looking are 50/50, it usually takes me at least three tries to get it right. Go figure!
In addition to all the above, the new USB 3.1 cables will also be thinner as well as better at transferring data between devices and charging their batteries.
Bottom line: When it is finally released, USB 3.1 is going to be a major improvement over the already awesome USB 3.0.