Are the new connectors backwards compatible?
A7: Yes. Existing USB 2.0 peripherals will continue to work with 3.0 ports and vice-versa. However, plugging an USB 2.0 device into a 3.0 host will only be able to achieve the maximum speed and power allowed by the 2.0 standard. In other words, the speed and power allowed will be limited by the slowest standard connected.