What is the difference between USB 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1?

The difference is the maximum transfer speed:

  • USB 2.0: 480 Mbps (60 MB/s)
  • USB 3.0: 5 Gbps (640 MB/s)
  • USB 3.1 Gen 1: 5 Gbps (640 MB/s)
  • USB 3.1 Gen 2: 10 Gbps (1.25 GB/s)
 

USB 3.0 ports are fully backward compatible. This means that when a USB 2.0 drive or earlier is connected to a USB 3.0 port, the drive will work correctly. It's important to note that USB 3.0 drives are also compatible with USB 2.0 ports. However, a USB 3.0 drive has the same transfer rate as a USB 2.0 drive when connected to a USB 2.0 port. In other words, a USB 3.0 drive must be connected to a USB 3.0 port to achieve high-speed data transfer.

 

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us for help.

What is the difference between USB 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1?
50 undefined
Anker Warranty Policy
117240 views/18 likes/2022-07-22 13:47:17
Warranty of Anker cables
14799 views/1 likes/2025-04-08 13:37:22
How to verify the authenticity of Anker products?
14742 views/2 likes/2025-06-10 09:58:45
Warranty Claims for Quality-Related Issues
23313 views/2 likes/2024-03-22 09:40:45
How to verify if my cables are MFi certified?
9108 views/1 likes/2025-04-07 17:16:10
What is the difference between USB 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1?
9252 views/3 likes/2025-04-07 17:16:09
Shipping FAQ
3048 views/1 likes/2025-10-29 11:01:14
30-Day No-Reason-to-Return FAQ
4742 views/1 likes/2025-04-08 15:29:05
Anker USB-C to USB-C Cable FAQ
7721 views/1 likes/2025-04-07 17:15:51