A 3-meter version of the Apple’s Thunderbolt 4 cable can now be ordered. The extra-long cable connects Macs to peripherals at up to 40Gbps and 100W of power.
It’s $159, or two or three times the cost of a high-quality 2-meter Thunderbolt 4 cable from rival companies. Trouble is, the 3-meter cable doesn’t have any direct competition.
Apple’s 3-meter Thunderbolt 4 Pro Cable is a lot of connectivity
If you want to put your Mac about 10 feet away from a monitor, drive or other accessory, your best option is Apple’s new Thunderbolt cable with USB-C connectors on either end.
“Use this cable to connect a Mac with Thunderbolt 3 or 4 (USB-C) ports to Thunderbolt (USB-C) and USB displays and devices such as Studio Display, Pro Display XDR, docks, and hard drives,” notes Apple.
Computers that support Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3 or USB 4 can transfer data as fast as 40Gbps, but that requires a top-quality cable like this one. And it’s also backward compatible with older USB-C standards that transfer data up to 10Gbps.
Plus, Apple’s three-meter cable can safely handle up to 100 watts of power to let plenty of juice flow to and from your Mac. It offers a black braided cover that’s designed to coil without tangling.
The Apple Thunderbolt 4 Pro Cable (3 m) is available now from the online Apple Store. It can also be found in many of the Mac-maker’s retail locations.
Size matters
As noted, the price for Apple’s latest cable is a whopping $159. But anyone who really needs a 3-meter Thunderbolt 4 cable doesn’t seem to have any cheaper options.
Several other rival companies make good-quality 2-meter Thunderbolt cables that are significantly cheaper than Apple’s own 2-meter version. But those accessory makers don’t produce 3-meter versions of the high-speed cable.
In this case, if you need a full 9.84 feet of Thunderbolt 4 cable, it’s Apple’s way or the highway.
