That means the Note 3 can suck up a 900mAh current when you’re charging it from your PC as opposed to microUSB 2.0’s 500mAh current, resulting in faster charging.
The newer port also offers faster data rates for media transfer, but that won’t stop the Jony Ive brigade from shielding their eyes from the rather ugly connector while holding their minimalist Lightning cables close for comfort.
Don’t set alight to your tangle of microUSB 2.0 cables just yet, though, because they can still plug into the right-hand section of the Note 3’s port. Backwards compatibility for the win.