Samsung announces new ‘unbreakable’ display that survives punishing UL certification

This is the direction the industry is heading.

Samsung Display has announced that it has developed a truly “unbreakable” display panel, after receiving certification from Underwriters Laboratories (UL) to verify the claim. The base feature of the panel is that it’s made of flexible OLED, like many of Samsung’s modern phones, but in this case it has a substrate that’s been designed to not give out with repeated impact.

Rather than go with a super-hard glass, Samsung is using fortified plastic that’s flexible.

The traditional way to have a super-tough screen was to simply harden the covering that went over top of it. Phone makers have been covering displays with synthetic sapphire for years, which is much stronger than traditional glass found on phones. Synthetic sapphire is extremely difficult to break when reinforced properly by the phone’s hardware, and when paired with an OLED panel underneath the entire package is very rugged. But it can eventually break, because it’s brittle. This “unbreakable” panel from Samsung is covered by a fortified plastic rather than glass, which makes it flexible during impact.

Samsung claims that the fortified plastic in use here is very similar to glass in terms of its transmissivity (how well light and RF can pass through) and hardness, while being dramatically more flexible. In UL’s testing, the display panel was subjected to 26 successive 4-foot drops without damage, and also continued working in extreme temperatures. Samsung notes that the panel was also tested for drops at 6 feet, well above the current standard test, without issue.

Though the display may not be easily breakable, the concern with a plastic-based display covering is how easily it picks up scratches with prolonged use. The last time Motorola tried that, it definitely didn’t work out for the company.

This isn’t just for phones — Samsung envisions applications in automotive, military and education.

This type of panel is still a good ways off from being put to use in any commercially available smartphones, so don’t get your hopes up for the Galaxy Note 9 — or the Galaxy S10, for that matter — to have anything like this. To that point, Samsung isn’t saying that this is being developed solely for consumer electronics. The company notes that it could also be put to good use in other applications such as car center consoles, mobile military devices, portable game consoles and education-focused tablets — it’s pretty easy to see why each one of these areas could benefit from a high-quality screen that’s also made to take extra abuse without breaking.

But Samsung’s flexible OLED panels felt like a crazy tech demo at one point too, and yet they were eventually integrated into every flagship phone the company sells over time. With rumors of Samsung working on a “foldable” smartphone, this sort of technology could definitely be a factor in those types of products being viable. At a bare minimum, being able to market an “unbreakable” display in a non-folding phone is also a nice feather in your cap.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

• Samsung Galaxy Note 9 rumors: Release date, specs, price, and features!
• Is it best to buy the Galaxy S9 or wait for the Note 9?
• Do you plan on upgrading to the Note 9?
• Galaxy Note 8 review
• Join our Galaxy Note 9 forums

Apple’s iPhone 8 Plus Was the Top Selling iPhone in the U.S. During Q2 2018

Apple’s iPhone 8 Plus was the number one selling iPhone in the United States during the second quarter of 2018 according to new data shared today by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.

The iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X accounted for 54 percent of US iPhone sales during the quarter, with the iPhone 8 making up 13 percent of sales, the iPhone 8 Plus making up 24 percent of sales, and the iPhone X making up 17 percent of sales.

Older iPhones continued to be popular as well, with the iPhone 7, 7 Plus, SE, 6s Plus and 6s making up 46 percent of sales. Apple’s Q2 2018 sales are a deviation from its Q2 2017 sales, where the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, the flagship phones at that time, made up more than 80 percent of sales.

In what is usually a quieter quarter for iPhone sales, the model breakdown is interesting, as older models persisted in popularity,” said Josh Lowitz, CIRP Partner and Co-Founder. “The latest iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X models accounted for a little more than half of sales, yet last year at this time the then-latest iPhone 7 and 7 Plus accounted for over 80%. And, the iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, and SE grabbed 20% in the past quarter, virtually the same as in the June 2017 quarter, though at lower price points. So, it looks like two-year old legacy iPhones have squeezed the newer models. Still, because Apple increased base storage and boosted prices, we expect Average Selling Price to increase nicely over the June 2017 quarter.”

Combined, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus made up 37 percent of purchases, far exceeding purchases of the iPhone X, according to CIRP’s data.

This is likely attributable to the high price of the iPhone X, with pricing that starts at $999 vs. the iPhone 8’s $699 starting price. Given the popularity of the two lower-cost devices, Apple plans to continue offering consumers an affordable option in 2018 with the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone that rumors suggest will be sold alongside more expensive 5.8 and 6.5-inch OLED models.

As for iPads, the low-cost iPad continues to be the best selling tablet, with CIRP lumping the 5th and 6th-generation models together. 31 percent of customers bought a low-cost iPad during the quarter, but the iPad Pro was also popular with a combined 40 percent of sales for the 10.5 and 12.9-inch models.

While CIRP’s data can provide an interesting look at the iPhones customers in the United States are choosing to purchase, it’s worth keeping in mind that CIRP’s numbers are aggregated from surveys that encompass just 500 customers who purchased an iPhone, iPad, or Mac during the second quarter of 2018, which spans from April to June.

Tag: CIRP
Discuss this article in our forums

Google’s Street View App for iOS Gets iPhone X Update

Google today updated its Street View app for iOS, finally adding support for the iPhone X’s display eight months after the device’s launch.

Google Street View is designed to allow users to explore different locations and landmarks around the world using the Street View feature. The app also allows users to create photo spheres with the iPhone’s camera, and today’s update also improves support for rendering 360 degree panos.

What’s New
– Support for iPhone X
– Improvements for rendering 360 panos

Google had been slow to update some of its apps for the iPhone X, but made progress this month first with Inbox by Gmail and now Street View.

Many of Google’s most popular apps now work properly with the iPhone X, two months ahead of when Apple is expected to release new iPhone models that will use the same notched design and taller display.

Tag: Google
Discuss this article in our forums

Samsung Announces UL-Certified Unbreakable OLED Panel for Smartphones

Samsung Display today announced an unbreakable OLED smartphone panel that’s been certified by Underwriters Laboratory (UL), an official testing company for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor.

The UL test indicates that Samsung’s unbreakable display withstood 26 drops from 1.2 meters (4 feet) with no damage and held up to extreme temperature testing. Samsung says that the display was also subjected to a drop of six feet with no sign of damage.

According to UL, the unbreakable display developed by Samsung Display passed the rigorous real-time durability test that is based on military standards set by the U.S. Department of Defense. After a drop test administered at 1.2 meters (nearly 4 feet) above the ground 26 times in succession, and accompanying high (71 degrees) and low (-32 degrees) temperature tests, the Samsung unbreakable panel continued to function normally with no damage to its front, sides or edges.

According to Samsung, its flexible OLED panel uses an unbreakable substrate that’s adhered to an overlay window, a deviation from other, more breakable flexible OLED panels that use a glass-covered window.

Samsung says that the unbreakable panels are being developed for use on smartphones but are likely to find viable markets with other products like display consoles for automobiles, mobile military devices, portable game consoles, and tablet PCs.

“The fortified plastic window is especially suitable for portable electronic devices not only because of its unbreakable characteristics, but also because of its lightweight, transmissivity and hardness, which are all very similar to glass,” said Hojung Kim, general manager of the Communication Team, Samsung Display Company.

While UL-certification for the panel is being announced today, Samsung first showed off its technology at DisplayWeek in May, in the form of a 6.22-inch display that was targeted at automotive customers. Samsung has been developing flexible display technology for years.

As CNET’s Shara Tibken points out, Samsung’s announcement comes just two weeks ahead of when it plans to unveil the Galaxy Note 9, so it’s possible Samsung’s upcoming flagship smartphone could use this new display technology. With UL certification, the panel is ready to be used in consumer products.

Apple uses displays sourced from Samsung in its iPhone lineup, so it’s not unreasonable to think that the Cupertino company could potentially adopt this technology in the future, should it meet Apple’s demands for quality.

Apple sources its OLED displays for the iPhone X from Samsung and is expected to continue using Samsung as a supplier for the foreseeable future, though the company is working on securing additional display suppliers for diversification purposes.
Discuss this article in our forums

Zapping your brain while you sleep could actually improve your memory

Technologies like Elon Musk’s proposed Neuralink promise augmentation of the human memory, courtesy of a special brain chip. If you’re not quite ready to dive into the world of brain implants to improve your memory function, however, you might appreciate a piece of research carried out recently by scientists at the Society for Neuroscience.

They have demonstrated a noninvasive overnight brain stimulation technique that promises to improve people’s ability to remember things. And you won’t have to worry about an overzealous engineer taking a miniature hacksaw to your skull – this technique won’t even disturb your sleep!

“We have shown that we can improve the integration of recent experiences into a more general form of memory through the process of sleep-dependent consolidation,” Dr. Nicholas Ketz, one of the researchers on the project, told Digital Trends. “We do this by selectively enhancing the natural slow-wave oscillations that occur during sleep, which are essential in this consolidation processes. Further, we’ve shown that we can use a fully closed-loop system that automatically detects these oscillations and stimulates at the matching frequency and phase of the ongoing slow waves, greatly improving our ability to influence the underlying brain state and thus the consolidation process.”

Participants in the researchers’ study were trained and then tested on a visual discrimination task in which they had to identify objects and people in a scene. Those who had been given the brain stimulation while sleeping were noticeably better at detecting those same targets in similar, but novel, situations.

Ketz said that there is still further work to be done, though.

“While the average response across the group of participants shows increased performance and enhanced slow-wave oscillations, many participants showed varying degrees of responsiveness to the intervention,” he said. “Future work related to this approach would try to understand, within each individual, how to minimize the duration of the intervention, and maximize the response to stimulation.”

This isn’t the first time the power of brain stimulation has been shown off in experiments. Previous research has suggested that a quick brain jolt could help with everything from improving creativity to curbing Tourette syndrome tics or weaning people off heroin.

A paper describing this latest memory-improving work was recently published in The Journal of Neuroscience.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Addicted to sugar? Neuroscientists could soon reprogram your brain to hate it
• Fussy, hungry, or in pain? This app accurately translates your baby’s cries
• How to calibrate your TV
• How to calibrate your monitor
• Feast your eyes on the world’s most detailed image of a fruit fly brain

Gene editing can reverse balding and wrinkling in mice — and maybe humans, too

From the potential 3D bioprinting of organs for transplants to ultra-ambitious attempts to upload human consciousness into a computer, there are plenty of tech-heavy initiatives aimed at extending life spans way beyond what is currently possible. Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham added one more fascinating breakthrough to this mission: Finding a way to reverse wrinkled skin and hair loss — both hallmarks of the aging process — in mice. Using gene editing, they were able to reverse an artificially induced aging process in a way that could one day be used to counteract the effects of, well, actually getting old.

“Decline in mitochondrial DNA content and mitochondrial function has been observed in aging humans,” Keshav Singh, a professor of Genetics, Pathology and Environmental Health, told Digital Trends. “We created [a] mouse to mimic those condition to show that decline in mitochondrial function leads to development of wrinkles and loss of hair. The main finding is that by restoring mitochondrial function, we can reverse skin wrinkles to normal healthy skin and also regain hair growth.”

For their study, the scientists carried out a two-month mitochondrial DNA depletion process, essentially robbing the mouse’s body of its ability to convert the energy from food into something its cells can use. As a result, the mouse developed wrinkled skin and visible hair loss, both of which are effects of the normal aging process. When they later restored mitochondrial function by turning off the gene responsible for the mitochondrial dysfunction, the mouse’s smooth skin and thick fur returned. Following the experiment, the mouse was indistinguishable from any other healthy mouse the same age.

The researchers believe these results could be used be applied to humans in the future. As Singh noted, humans experience a decline in mitochondrial function as they age. In addition to changing skin and hair loss, this may also help drive diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, age-associated neurological disorders, and certain cancers.

“We are [currently] developing agents which can restore mitochondrial function in aging individuals so wrinkles do not develop, [as well as protecting] loss of hair,” Singh continued. “Further, it may improve quality of life in old age.” The most immediate goal, he said, is to find a way to help cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, who lose their hair as a result of the treatment.

A paper describing the research was recently published in the journal Cell Death & Disease.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Scientists have mapped the genome of the most common cancer among younger men
• Yale scientists edit genetic diseases out of mice before birth; humans are next
• Scientists will use use stem cells to grow ‘mini brains’ using Neanderthal DNA
• New study suggests CRISPR gene editing might have unforeseen side effects
• 8 Amazing CRISPR projects that could change life as we know it

Lenovo ThinkPad T480s vs. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

Lenovo’s ThinkPad is one of the most iconic lines in notebook history, going back decades and representing one of the most recognizable business brands around. They’re conservatively designed and well-built, and they offer a few specific design cues that appeal to a specific niche of users.

That’s not to say that the brand is boring or static, though. It has a few members ranging from standard clamshell notebooks to convertible 2-in-1s to detachable tablets, giving ThinkPad fans some choices to make. One such decision is between the ThinkPad T480s and the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, and we decided to compare these two similar but different notebooks to see which is better for you.

Design

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

If you place the ThinkPad T480s and X1 Carbon far enough apart, you’ll have a hard time telling the difference between them. They both adopt the usual jet-black color scheme with a soft-touch surface, and they both sport the usual ThinkPad logo with glowing red “i.” Hold them in your hand with your eyes closed, and they’d both dish up the same robust build quality that’s been engineered to meet MIL-STD-810G specifications.

You would eventually notice, though, that the X1 Carbon is considerably thinner and lighter (0.62 inches and 2.49 pounds) than the T480s (0.72 inches and 2.9 pounds). The latter’s additional heft didn’t add much in terms of advantages, either, as connectivity was almost identical between the two with the T480s alone having an integrated Ethernet port. They both support Lenovo’s innovative ThinkPad Pro Dock.

Both notebooks also build in the usual ThinkPad keyboard design, similar touchpads, and the obligatory red TrackPoint nubbin in the center of the keyboard that’s de rigueur for ThinkPad fans. We did find the X1 Carbon’s keyboard to be snappier and more precise and the T480s version to be somewhat stiff.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is thinner, lighter, and has a snappier keyboard, beating out its chunkier sibling in this category.

Performance

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Lenovo configured our review units differently, so it’s difficult to compare their performance too precisely. The T480s had an 8th-generation Core i7-8550U CPU while the X1 Carbon had a core i5-8250U, while both made due with 8GB of RAM and a fast 256GB PCIe SSD.

Unsurprisingly, both notebooks performed similarly, and in line with other notebooks in the same class. The T480s did hold a slight advantage in our Handbrake benchmark that encodes a 420MB video as H.265. Here, the thicker T480s seemed to benefit from some extra cooling, as it churned through the encode process in a shorter time than could be explained by the CPU difference alone.

In terms of storage speeds, the X1 Carbon’s PCIe SSD performed almost twice as fast as the one inside the T480s. That’s not to say that the latter is slow by any means, as both notebooks can access data as quickly as the typical productivity task is going to ask for it.

The performance deal-breaker difference between the two notebooks is regarding their very dissimilar Full HD displays. Both are 14-inch panels with anti-glare coatings, but the similarity ends there. The X1 Carbon’s display had better contrast, vastly wider color gamut, more accurate colors, and higher brightness.

Ultimately, you won’t notice much difference between these two notebooks in day-to-day use, but you’ll certainly enjoy the X1 Carbon’s display a lot more. And you can even upgrade to a WQHD (2,560 x 1,440) display with high dynamic range (HDR) support on the X1 Carbon, meaning that your experience can be even better if you’re willing to spend the money.

Portability

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

As we’ve already discussed, the X1 Carbon is significantly lighter and thinner than the T480s, and it’s going to slip more easily into a backpack for carrying from place to place. That’s not to say that the T480s is thick and heavy — it’s technically a thin and light notebook as well, just not quite so much as the X1 Carbon.

In terms of battery life, though, the T480s wins out. And it’s odd, because they both pack in 57 watt-hours of battery capacity in spite of their differing girths. The X1 Carbon lasted longer in our most demanding web benchmark test, but it fell short against the T480s when browsing the web and playing video.

While the T480s isn’t a class leader in its longevity away from a charger, it does manage to best the X1 Carbon, which may or may not last you a full day’s work on a single charge. That makes your decision a little easier — if you want the thinning and lightest, then the X1 Carbon is the victor. But if battery life matters, then the T480s wins this category.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon’s svelte frame wins out

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Although the X1 Carbon seems to be positioned as the more premium of the two devices, the T480s is just as premium a notebook. A relatively mundane configuration of a Core i7-855U, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a Full HD display comes in at a hefty $1,700 retail (on sale for $1,360). At the high end, the T480s runs $2,665, which adds the benefit of a WQHD display and a discrete Nvidia GeForce MX150 GPU.

The X1 Carbon is just slightly more expensive, at $1,754 for the same low-end configuration (on sale for $1,579). And you can spend $2,620 at the high end, or slightly less than the T480s only with an HDR-ready WQHD display.

The ThinkPad T480s provides better battery life than the X1 Carbon, but that’s about all it has going for it. Given that there’s not a lot of money separating the two, and the X1 Carbon’s high-end configuration is even slightly less than the T480s’s, we recommend going with the thinner and lighter of the two.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Lenovo ThinkPad T480s review
• Acer Spin 5 vs. Lenovo Yoga 730
• Lenovo Yoga 730 13 vs. HP Spectre x360 13
• Lenovo Yoga 920 review
• Lenovo’s first VR-certified 15-inch mobile workstation packs a six-core CPU

Google offers its own ‘Titan’ USB security key for password-free logins

Google introduced the Titan Security Key during its Google Cloud Next ’18 convention, a physical USB-based device that eliminates the need to enter usernames and passwords. The FIDO-based device includes firmware developed by Google’s engineers that verifies its integrity, so you can log onto your favorite sites worry-free. It’s available now for Google Cloud customers followed by a full mainstream availability “soon.”

“We’ve long advocated the use of security keys as the strongest, most phishing-resistant authentication factor for high-value users, especially cloud admins, to protect against the potentially damaging consequences of credential theft,” the company states.

Google’s key is based on the FIDO U2F protocol, short for “universal 2nd factor.” Borrowing from the smart card concept, you merely insert the key into a USB port or tap it against an NFC-compatible smartphone. When you create an online account (or update your existing security preferences), your PC will create two encrypted tokens: one public and one private.

Later when you log into the account, the service containing the public token will send a “challenge” requiring you to touch a button on the key, thus unlocking the private token for verification. There’s no personal information sent across the internet, and the private token used to unlock the service remains solely on the physical key.

Google and Yubico originally developed this protocol along with support by NXP but now its maintained by the FIDO Alliance. Yubico already offers its YubiKey series for desktop and mobile, such as the YubiKey 4 supporting multiple protocols, the Android-friendly YubiKey NEO, and the Security Key with out-of-the-box support for Gmail, Facebook, and more.

That said, Google’s new Titan Security Key will be in direct competition with Yubico’s products. The difference is that one of Google’s models will rely on a Bluetooth Low Energy component, a standard Yubico helped build but decided not to use because “it does not meet our standards for security, usability, and durability.” Bluetooth, according to Yubico, doesn’t offer the same security level as NFC and USB.

There’s no information about the Titan Security Key’s manufacturer, but Google plans to sell both USB- and Bluetooth-based models in a bundle for $50 or separately for around $25 each — possibly in the sub-$10 range in the future. Moreover, the Titan Security Key won’t have anything to do with Google’s Titan-branded chip used to protect cloud-based servers.

“Titan Security Key gives you even more peace of mind that your accounts are protected, with assurance from Google of the integrity of the physical key,” Google says.

Although smartphones are good for two-factor authentication, SMS-based messages can be intercepted. Even more, if your smartphone is lost or damaged, it takes your private keys with it. A USB-based key can get damaged as well, but it can hang on a keychain and doesn’t require a network connection. According to Google, the Bluetooth model can supposedly remain active for six months on a single charge.

Google will initially target customers who need the Titan Security Key the most: Journalists, business executives, politicians, and the like.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Google Assistant: Everything you need to know
• Here’s how and where to buy the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL
• Google Project Fi: Phones, Plans, Pricing, and Perks Explained
• A cure for phone fatigue? Apple’s Screen Time vs. Google’s Digital Wellbeing
• Chrome now supports the new password-free login standard

Google offers its own ‘Titan’ USB security key for password-free logins

Google introduced the Titan Security Key during its Google Cloud Next ’18 convention, a physical USB-based device that eliminates the need to enter usernames and passwords. The FIDO-based device includes firmware developed by Google’s engineers that verifies its integrity, so you can log onto your favorite sites worry-free. It’s available now for Google Cloud customers followed by a full mainstream availability “soon.”

“We’ve long advocated the use of security keys as the strongest, most phishing-resistant authentication factor for high-value users, especially cloud admins, to protect against the potentially damaging consequences of credential theft,” the company states.

Google’s key is based on the FIDO U2F protocol, short for “universal 2nd factor.” Borrowing from the smart card concept, you merely insert the key into a USB port or tap it against an NFC-compatible smartphone. When you create an online account (or update your existing security preferences), your PC will create two encrypted tokens: one public and one private.

Later when you log into the account, the service containing the public token will send a “challenge” requiring you to touch a button on the key, thus unlocking the private token for verification. There’s no personal information sent across the internet, and the private token used to unlock the service remains solely on the physical key.

Google and Yubico originally developed this protocol along with support by NXP but now its maintained by the FIDO Alliance. Yubico already offers its YubiKey series for desktop and mobile, such as the YubiKey 4 supporting multiple protocols, the Android-friendly YubiKey NEO, and the Security Key with out-of-the-box support for Gmail, Facebook, and more.

That said, Google’s new Titan Security Key will be in direct competition with Yubico’s products. The difference is that one of Google’s models will rely on a Bluetooth Low Energy component, a standard Yubico helped build but decided not to use because “it does not meet our standards for security, usability, and durability.” Bluetooth, according to Yubico, doesn’t offer the same security level as NFC and USB.

There’s no information about the Titan Security Key’s manufacturer, but Google plans to sell both USB- and Bluetooth-based models in a bundle for $50 or separately for around $25 each — possibly in the sub-$10 range in the future. Moreover, the Titan Security Key won’t have anything to do with Google’s Titan-branded chip used to protect cloud-based servers.

“Titan Security Key gives you even more peace of mind that your accounts are protected, with assurance from Google of the integrity of the physical key,” Google says.

Although smartphones are good for two-factor authentication, SMS-based messages can be intercepted. Even more, if your smartphone is lost or damaged, it takes your private keys with it. A USB-based key can get damaged as well, but it can hang on a keychain and doesn’t require a network connection. According to Google, the Bluetooth model can supposedly remain active for six months on a single charge.

Google will initially target customers who need the Titan Security Key the most: Journalists, business executives, politicians, and the like.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Google Assistant: Everything you need to know
• Here’s how and where to buy the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL
• Google Project Fi: Phones, Plans, Pricing, and Perks Explained
• A cure for phone fatigue? Apple’s Screen Time vs. Google’s Digital Wellbeing
• Chrome now supports the new password-free login standard

What is USB 3.1?

Pixabay

Although USB connections are some of the most common for all sorts of cables and external devices, there are a lot of ways the universal standard can be confusing. There are a number of different generations and many types to consider, even if the more common offerings tend to fall into just one or two categories. One of the most common ones today is USB 3.1, but what is USB 3.1? How is it different from the ones that went before and came after? That’s what we’re here to explain.

The reliable Universal Serial Bus port standard is among the most commonly used on the planet. But the USB Implementers Forum — a compendium formed between companies like Intel, Microsoft, Apple, and HP to oversee the standard’s development — is constantly working on improving it. USB 3.1 is just one of many advancements that have been made over the past two decades.

By the numbers

USB 3.1 is a generational number that mostly refers to the data transfer speed of the USB connector, not its shape or size. Officially launched in July 2013, USB 3.1 (confusingly sometimes referred to as USB 3.1 Gen 2) has a maximum transfer rate of 10 gigabits per second (GBps). That works out to 1,250 megabytes per second (MBps) — note the capitalization. It superseded USB 3.0, which had a maximum transfer rate of 5Gbps and has since been supplanted by the still uncommon USB 3.2, which has a maximum transfer rate of 20 GBps.

All of these speeds are the theoretical maximums of the USB standard and are unlikely to be seen in everyday use, but you will certainly see an increase in transfer speed for files of most sizes when using a USB 3.1 device over one that is rated USB 3.0 only.

A standard Type-A cable, used for most current PC accessories.

USB 3.1 isn’t supported by all modern devices but has slowly seen greater support over the past few years. A good example of a change between hardware generations is with Dell’s XPS 13 laptop. The 2017 XPS 13 9360 laptop shipped with two USB 3.0 ports, while the 2018 9370 version replaced those with USB 3.1 connections.

Another big advantage of USB 3.1 is that it can support a feature known as Power Delivery 2.0. It allows compatible ports to provide up to 100w of power to the device they’re connected to, thereby allowing for the charging of larger devices like laptops through a single USB cable. This is most commonly seen in laptops that utilize the new, USB-C standard.

USB-C isn’t the same as 3.1

A MacBook with its single USB-C connector. Maurizio Pesce/Flickr

While often associated with USB 3.1, USB-C is not the same thing. USB types, like A, B, and C, denote the shape and form-factor of the port and connector, rather than the data transfer speed. Many modern devices have moved away from the classic USB-A, USB-B, and microUSB ports to USB-C which is small, reversible, and often goes hand in hand with USB 3.1 transfer speeds — though not always.

USB-A is still offered on a number of devices to offer legacy support for older accessories and cables that still use that standard, but it’s becoming increasingly common for laptops and smartphones to ship with just USB-C connectivity.

Whether a laptop, tablet, or smartphone has USB-A, USB-C, or some other connection in that wheelhouse though, it does not guarantee that it is USB 3.1. The Microsoft Surface Book 2 ships with two USB-A ports and a USB-C port, all of which are “USB Gen 1” which is actually USB 3.0, not 3.1. It’s confusing but shows how important it is to read between the lines if you care about your new hardware having the latest standards.

Thunderbolt 3

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

To make things even more confusing, USB-C can also be compatible Thunderbolt 3 ports. Thunderbolt 3 is a standard that utilizes the USB-C port and offers data transfer rates up to 40GBps — four times that of USB 3.1 and even two times that of USB 3.2. Although it can be cross-compatible with USB 3.1 cables, that’s not always the case.

Where USB 3.1 is designed more for data transfers and charging, Thunderbolt 3 targets a broader array of abilities. It is simultaneously a charging and data-transfer medium, as well as a content streaming solution. Its developer, Intel, touts its ability to charge devices, as well as send data and video to externally connected displays at the same time. By leveraging the USB-C port, its compatibility is expanded considerably over the previous generations’ miniDisplayPort connector.

Editors’ Recommendations

• USB-C was supposed to be a port paradise, but it’s become a nightmare
• Your next virtual reality headset will require just one USB-C cable to connect
• What is MHL, exactly, and how does it work with your TV?
• Apple could make MagSafe a reality on USB-C MacBooks if it really wanted
• Best Lightning cables for iPhone