In 2013, Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 3, introducing a USB 3.0 micro-B port, designed to enhance data transfer speeds for users recording high-quality 4K video. This port theoretically supported speeds up to 5Gbps, significantly faster than the 480Mbps limit of the earlier micro-USB standard. While real-world speeds typically reached around 60–70MB/s, this was still a considerable improvement over the previous technology.
The Galaxy Note 3's release was critical for power users, who needed efficient file transfers for large video files. Alongside the Note 3, the USB 3.0 micro-B port was also featured in the Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 tablet, indicating Samsung's commitment to this connector. However, when the Galaxy Note 4 debuted in 2014, it unexpectedly reverted to the older micro-USB standard, raising questions about the future of the USB 3.0 micro-B port in Samsung's lineup.