The USB4 specification is coming soon, and with it, we'll see a few changes that should make our connected lives simpler. While the official spec isn't due to be released until mid-2019, we do know plenty about what we will see when it arrives. Let's have a look at what the changes will be and how they might make a difference.

Faster data speeds

One of the key points of the new USB4 specification is "two-lane operation using existing USB Type-C cables and up to 40 Gbps operation over 40 Gbps certified cables." You may have seen companies advertising "SuperSpeed USB" data transfer rates before, but for now, those are all limited to the USB3 specifications and top out at 20 Gbps (Gigabits per second). 40 Gbps is double the current fastest speeds.

This is accomplished by using two data channels (that's the two-lane reference) on one cable and port. The USB firmware on the devices you are connecting will be able to split the data you are transferring into two individual streams on the device sending it and put it all back together into a stream of data that the device receiving it can read correctly.

Note that this only applies if all the pieces of the chain — both devices, cables and any hubs in the middle — are USB4 compliant. And those cables will need to be USB-C cables, so this will hasten the death of the old-style USB-A interface.

Better ways to handle data

USB4 also offers support for more data and display protocols so you'll be better able to take advantage of that higher transfer rate.

At its base, data is just data; a stream of ones and zeros that a microprocessor can turn into something we interact with. But it's much more complicated than that when you consider that there are plenty of different types of data and each is just a stream of ones and zeros. You have things like the signal that tells a screen what to display, or a file being transferred, or even network data. You can send almost anything over USB as long as it is a supported protocol.

By supporting more data protocols, USB4 will open up to more types of device data transfer. And the USB-IF (USB Implementers Forum, the group that oversees what USB is capable of and how it does things) is stressing that this will handle multiple data protocols that can share the bandwidth across the bus. That means you will be able to send a 4K HDR signal over a USB cable and use the same cable for something like transferring a file or as a connection to a Wi-Fi interface.

This will make a big impact on both the utility and performance of USB hubs and larger devices like PC or laptop motherboards where a centralized USB controller is used for multiple interfaces. In theory, anyway; we'll have to wait and see just how a 40 Gbps connection handles the things we throw at it.