USB 3.2 Gen 1 vs Gen 2
USB 3.2 Gen 1 transfers data at up to 5 Gbps and Gen 2 at up to 10 Gbps; the names replaced USB 3.0 and USB 3.1, and both can use a USB-C connector.
USB speed names have been renamed so often that the label on a cable rarely helps. USB 3.2 Gen 1 is the 5 Gbps speed first sold as USB 3.0, then renamed USB 3.1 Gen 1. USB 3.2 Gen 2 is 10 Gbps, once called USB 3.1 Gen 2. Gen 2x2 doubles that to 20 Gbps using two lanes of a USB-C cable. Below all of them sits USB 2.0 at 480 Mbps, which many USB-C cables still are.
The connector shape tells you nothing about speed: USB-C can carry anything from USB 2.0 to the fastest standards.
How it works
Faster USB generations add extra wire pairs and better signalling. A link runs at the speed of its slowest part — the camera's port, the cable and the phone or computer. Base iPhone 15 models, for example, have USB 2 speeds on their USB-C port, while Pro models support USB 3 at up to 10 Gbps with a suitable cable. Cameras vary in the same way, so check the specification for the port's USB generation.
An example: offloading versus tethering
Copying 2,000 RAW files off a camera at the end of the day is a bulk transfer, and a 10 Gbps link with a fast card saves real minutes. Tethering is different: each shot moves on its own the moment it's taken, so per-file overhead and how fast the camera hands over the file matter more than the cable's ceiling.
USB speed and CloudTether
In CloudTether's own app logs a Canon EOS R5 Mark II JPEG reached the phone in a median 0.06 seconds over USB, against 0.20 seconds over Wi-Fi, so even a modest USB link is rarely the bottleneck — the upload over mobile data usually is. A cable that carries data reliably matters far more than its generation. The USB vs Wi-Fi speed test has more figures, and the cable guide covers what to buy.
Reading cable labels
Look for the data rate (5, 10 or 20 Gbps) rather than the version number, and be wary of cables sold only by wattage — those are often USB 2.0 for data.
Tips and common mistakes
- Test a new cable with a few shots before a job; charge-only cables are common.
- Shorter cables are more reliable at higher speeds.
- For RAW-heavy shoots, send JPEGs live and offload RAW at a desk with your fastest cable.
Put it into practice
CloudTether tethers your camera to your phone and delivers every shot to the cloud, live as you shoot — no laptop.