[maxloh]

I once heard that the USB naming is misleading by design so that vendors could still sell older generations accessories they had in stock. The USB-IF just rebrands the old ones to make them sound current.

Imagine the following naming:

  USB 3.0 / USB 3.1 Gen 1 / USB 3.2 Gen 1 -> USB 3 5Gbps
  USB 3.1 / USB 3.1 Gen 2 / USB 3.2 Gen 2 -> USB 3 10Gbps
  USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 -> USB 3 20Gbps

Isn't that much clearer? I think USB 4 is finally going to the right direction.

[sgjohnson]

> I think USB 4 is finally going to the right direction.

USB 4 is actually going into an even worse direction. USB 4 = Thunderbolt 4, except everything is optional. e.g. USB 4 might not even support DP Alt mode. Thunderbolt 4 always will.

[brigade]

Even backwards compatibility is optional in USB4. There are USB4 devices (SSDs at least) that will not function when connected to USB 3 ports.

[privacyking]

That’s not backwards compatibility

[crote]

That is exactly how the USB IF has been branding it for consumer use. They explicitly tell[0] implementers to not call it "USB 3.2 Gen2x2", but "USB 20Gbps".

The problem is just that the manufacturers and the tech press keep ignoring it...

[0]: https://www.usb.org/sites/default/files/usb_performance_logo...

[the_lucifer]

Which is why I honestly believe they should have fixed this in the design stage itself. Post-facto reframing/renaming never seems to go well.

Especially once the mass produced cheap stuff starts being churned out, and there's no cost incentive to go back and fix wrong messaging. USB-IF constantly drops the ball around this ngl, feels like they're a pure scientific community that doesn't think about consumer adoption and UX.

[QuantumNomad_]

I have a USB hub that I bought recently, that has very nice markings on it that are almost like you say :)

I connects via USB4 to the host, and has the following markings on its ports:

- Power in/USB 10Gbps

- USB 10Gbps

- USB 10Gbps

- 8K HDMI

Pretty happy with this one so far.

[phatskat]

I got a jCreate5 hub at clearance from an Office Max (rip) and the ports are labeled just like this, no futzing on which port is the PD

[QuantumNomad_]

Maybe we even have the same one :)

Mine's this one:

j5create USB4 8K Slim Hub - 8K60/4K144 HDMI, 1 x USB-C 10Gbps with PD charging, 1 x USB-C 10Gbps, 2 x USB-A 10Gbps | Compatible with MacBook, Windows Laptops (JCH453)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C8NDXH8S

I bought it because unlike many other USB hubs, the host connection is USB4 / Thunderbolt 4, instead of just USB3 for the host connection.

> Ultimate Connectivity: JCH453 combines the latest USB4 controller with Thunderbolt 4 and USB compatibility, ensuring seamless connectivity with various devices. Experience the power of multiple ports in one hub.

Manufacturer product page:

https://info.j5create.com/products/jch453

> A USB4® multi-port hub incorporates the latest USB4® controller offering compatibility with Thunderbolt™ 4 and older USB™ specifications.

> With up to 40Gbps of throughput, dynamic data, and display bandwidth allocation for efficient display data flow, you can easily create a high-definition monitor setup.

[kubik369]

I think this practice is rather blatantly what you say. The same thing with HDMI forum folding HDMI 2.0 into HDMI 2.1. They made the new 2.1 features optional, therefore manufacturers were able to call their 2.0 devices 2.1 without actually supporting the 2.1 features. AMD has been recently doing similar things, releasing “new” generation of mobile processors where half of them are just rebrands of the older generation.

[xzjis]

Or it could be: 5 Gbps --> USB 3 10 Gbps --> USB 3.1 20 Gbps --> USB 3.2

Higher number = better