Despite of slow start late in 2009, USB 3.0, or SuperSpeed USB, will get to 25% of USB-enabled devices by 2013, which is not a small amount, considering the fact that far not all products need high-speed data transfers.

Although the global recession will prompt a slight decline in USB-enabled device shipments this year, next-generation “SuperSpeed” technology will fuel the market over the next several years, reports In-Stat market research firm. SuperSpeed, USB’s new incarnation, will deliver a ten-fold improvement over high-speed USB in terms of transfer rates, which will spur demand towards various devices.

With the late 2009 introduction of SuperSpeed, the question is not whether it will be successful, but how successful it will be. For example, USB in computer mice is and will remain the single highest volume PC peripheral category, meanwhile, mice do not need extreme transfer speeds.

“All PCs, and most PC peripherals have transitioned from full-speed to high-speed. Most of these devices will eventually transition to SuperSpeed, the only issue is the speed of the transition. For PC peripheral devices, the key will be how quickly SuperSpeed is integrated into the application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and microcontrollers that are the brains of these devices,” said Brian O’Rourke, In-Stat analyst.

According to In-Stat, SuperSpeed USB will represent over 25% of the USB market by 2013. Consumer electronics devices with USB will rise at a 6.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2008 and 2013, the analysts said.

Although mini-USB ports have not made significant progress as a connector on mobile phones, micro-USB ports are expected to become the dominant standard for connectors in mobile phones by 2013, the research firm found.

With over three billion devices shipped in 2008 alone, USB is the most successful interface ever. It has been broadly adopted across PCs, PC peripherals, consumer electronics (CE), communications and automotive devices.

Tags: USB