Trying to make things clearer USB-IF made them worse

Aug 28, 2015 09:24 GMT  ·  By

Although touted as the universal socket for pretty much every sort of wired connectivity, with versions ranging from 1.0 to the latest 3.1 and USB Type C, the latest being a huge departure from the original layout, the USB symbol became, in time, mired in confusion and lack of proper recognition.

According to Heise.de, the USB Implementers Forum decided to add additional logos for every USB type in order to clarify any confusion regarding the multiple USB connectors, ports and any features these come with. For instance, the SuperSpeed USB logo that comes with the USB 3.1 2nd generation that supports the 10Gbit/s transfer speed will get a small "10" above the normal symbol.

Additionally, the port that supports the fast charging feature (USB Power Delivery) will have the SuperSpeed symbol embedded on a small battery. DisplayPorts will also get additional logos that will be added to the same ports in case in case they support the DisplayPort feature as well. Although the features that every generation of USB comes with will be clearly identified, it becomes obvious that their diversity will still confuse people when looking for ways to connect their ports.

Good intentions don't always end in happy endings

For instance, it's clear that SuperSeed symbol will be quickly identified, the difference between the battery charging SuperSpeed 10/Gbs and SuperSpeed normal. Probably the battery charging and Super Speed features will be instantly recognized, the small "10" figure will be missed by most people, or simply some won't know what that means. Although the DisplayPort is a great feature that people might want to use via their USB connectors, it will probably pass unnoticed when bundled-up with so many other features like battery charging SuperSpeed USB and Display Port altogether.

Things get worse when the Thunderbolt 3 symbol is represented. Having the same connectivity as the USB Type C or the USB 3.1 2nd generation, it's represented only by a lightning symbol. People might think this is a special Thunderbolt connector, which it technically is, but it can be connected in any USB-C port, thus making it less Thunderbolt-y.

It's very likely Intel decided to keep the symbol just to maintain the Thunderbolt brand alive, even if it works just like any other USB-C connector. Funny thing is that while USB Implementers Forum hopes the new symbol collection will make things clearer for USB users, it actually made them worse, and didn't eliminate any confusion since companies won't give up their property brands in any way shape or form.

The new USB symbols
The new USB symbols

Photo Gallery (2 Images)

USB-IF struggles to impose some order in the USB fauna
The new USB symbols
Open gallery