14 DAY TRIAL // Forecasts fail to come true as often as they prove right, which is why we won't be too quick to believe that the latest report on the USB 3.0 industry will pan out.
It does have some weight though. USB 3.0 technology has been rising in prominence, and it never hurts to have a way to connect several different devices to a PC via a single port. Charging them all at once is a nice side benefit too.
That is why Digitimes' latest report didn't pass by unnoticed. It suggests that USB 3.0 chipmakers expect USB 3.0 hubs to flourish in 2013.
Besides the convenience of hubs, there is one other reason why USB 3.0 chip makers will bet so much on this segment.
Both Intel and AMD are including USB 3.0 support in their chipsets, so the third-party controller processors are no longer required. Hubs are one of the few markets where they can still be used.
The only obstacle is that the UDB-IF (USB Implementers Forum) hasn't been very generous in approving hub processors so far, due to failed compatibility tests.