Check the physical ports on your computer: If you see a blue USB port, it's USB 3.0.
If you see a blue USB port, it's USB 3.0. It may also be marked on the outside of the port with either “SS” or “3.0.
All Mac models after 2012 have USB 3.0 ports. The only exception is the 2015 MacBook, which used USB 3.1 Gen 1 and a USB-C connector. No Mac models had dedicated USB 2 ports because Apple created its own version of that standard, instead, called Lightening.
The MacBook is one of just a few devices to carry the new USB port. USB 3.1 can technically transfer data between the host computers and peripherals at maximum speeds of up to 10Gbps (bits per second), which is two times faster than the current USB 3.0.
The updated MacBook Airs now come with USB 3 in addition to USB 2. There's still a single USB port on each side of the laptop, but each incorporate both standards so you don't have to think about which one to plug into, according to Apple senior vice president of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller.
Select USB located under Hardware in the Contents column on the left side of the window. If you have USB 3.0 ports, you'll see a USB 3.0 selection.
The theoretical transfer speed of USB 3.0 is 4.8 Gbit/s (600MBps) vs. 480 Mbit/s (60MBps) which is a 10X improvement. Sustained transfer speeds (real life) for external hard drives are about 85MBps for USB 3.0 and about 22MBps for USB 2.0, so about a 5X improvement but still a significant advancement in transfer speed.
Compared with ordinary older UBS ports, USB 3.0 ports usually have a bit of blue around or within the jack itself. Some laptop makers will also label the faster port with a “3.0” or sometimes “SS,” which stands for SuperSpeed USB.
Compared with ordinary older UBS ports, USB 3.0 ports usually have a bit of blue around or within the jack itself. Some laptop makers will also label the faster port with a “3.0” or sometimes “SS,” which stands for SuperSpeed USB.
USB 2.0 Connectors are colored white or black inside while USB 3.0 is colored blue inside. USB 2.0 has 4 connector wires while USB 3.0 has a total of 9 connector wires. USB 2.0 offers a transfer rate of 480 Mbps and USB 3.0 offers speed up to 5 Gbit/s, which is 10 times faster.
For faster speed, you might look for a Thunderbolt 3 to FW800 adapter. FW800 is nearly twice as fast as USB 2.0.
USB 3 and Your Apple Device All Mac models after 2012 have USB 3.0 ports. The only exception is the 2015 MacBook, which used USB 3.1 Gen 1 and a USB-C connector. No Mac models had dedicated USB 2 ports because Apple created its own version of that standard, instead, called Lightening.
However, if you want a drive for frequent use and speed is vital, particularly if you're transferring large files around, you'll need a USB 3.0 drive. Tip: If you use USB 3.0 hard drives or flash drives with your current USB 2.0 ports. They'll work simply fine, but at USB 2.0 speeds.