Will likely use USB 3-compatible MicroUSB ports

Rahman Ismail, chief technology officer for the USB Implementers Forum, announced today that USB 3 ports will be coming to smartphones and tablets by late this year or early next, likely using the MicroUSB standard port, PCWorld reports. However, USB 3 transfer speeds on mobile devices will be significantly slower than the theoretical maximum of USB 3, up to perhaps as high as 100MB per second, still much faster than USB 2.0.

Mobile devices will also recharge faster using USB 3 ports, and will be backward-compatible with USB 2 on host devices, he added. Ismail explained that mobile devices will be limited in their speed compared to the theoretical maximum of desktop USB 3 ports, which in theory can reach five gigabits per second in transfer speed. USB's design, he said, requires more power to move data at higher speeds, which does not "fit the profile" of mobile devices.

"It's not a failure of USB per se," he said, "it's just that in tablets they are not looking to put the biggest, fastest [connectors in them]." Indeed, the relatively large size of a full USB 3 connector could be a hindrance to adoption as so-called "ultrabooks" and notebooks focus on thinner designs.

"The height of laptops is being limited by VGA [ports], and we're next in line," Ismail said. The organization is looking to reduce the size of USB 3 implementations in future designs with "new specs, new areas where we will make it very power efficient," he added.

Intel has said it will continue to push its faster Thunderbolt technology, but peripherals that use the standard have been slow to arrive to market. While USB 3 was years late in arriving, mainstream acceptance is finally beginning to pick up steam, with many PC manufacturers including the ports as standard in upcoming models and with a growing market of third-party devices. A number of new models plan to include both USB 3 and Thunderbolt, particularly in lines that cater to professional users. [via PCWorld]

By Electronista Staff