Thunderbolt

Kensington hub uses Thunderbolt 5 to transfer files at an amazing 120Gbps

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Kensington SD5000T5 Thunderbolt 5 Dock
Thunderbolt 5 means this upcoming Kensington multiport dock offers transfers at up to 120Gbps.
Photo: Kensington

Kensington on Monday unveiled one of the first docks using Thunderbolt 5, a new version of the networking standard that’s up to three times the speed of its predecessor. The SD5000T5 will sport an array of ports, and support dual 8K displays.

Also at CES 2024, the accessory-maker took the wraps off a trio of USB-C docks.

X-rays show crazy complexity of Apple’s Thunderbolt 4 cable

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X-rays reveal the differences between high-quality Thunderbolt and USB-C cables versus cheaper options.
X-rays reveal the differences between high-quality Thunderbolt and USB-C cables versus cheaper options.
Photo: Lumafield

Thunderbolt cables cost far more than standard USB-C ones, and a series of X-ray scans of various options reveals why. The virtual teardown shows that the Apple Thunderbolt 4 (USB‑C) Pro cable has far more features than one might expect for such a simple accessory. Cheaper ones are as bare-bones as could be expected.

The scans are both beautiful and informative.

Thunderbolt 5 doubles or even triples speed of wired data standard

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Thunderbolt 5 doubles or even triples speed of data transfers
Transfer data at crazy fast speeds with Thunderbolt 5.
Graphic: Intel

Those working with very large files should be pleased that Intel keeps improving the Thunderbolt standard. The newly announced Thunderbolt 5 doubles the speed of its predecessor, and can even go up to three times faster for video connections.

It’s virtually certain Apple will build support the system for high-speed data transfers into future Macs.

What’s the difference between USB-C and Thunderbolt? [Updated]

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This 2021 iMac shows two of its four rear ports have Thunderbolt capability.
This 2021 iMac shows two of its four rear ports have Thunderbolt capability. Note the lightning-bolt symbol.
Photo: Apple

Apple might mix up connector types among its four iPhone 15 models, and that might confuse people even more over the differences between USB-C and Thunderbolt. They look alike, work similarly and accept the same cables. Yet they’re not the same.

Let’s look at the key differences, how Thunderbolt 4 improves on Thunderbolt 3, and which kind of port and cable best suits your tasks like charging and data transfer.

And Intel announced speedy Thunderbolt 5 Tuesday, but that’s not out yet.

Apple might release Thunderbolt cable for iPhone 15 Pro

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New evidence points to high-speed Thunderbolt connector in iPhone 15
The USB-C port in the iPhone 15 series could be blazing fast.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Good news for those hoping iPhone 15 Pro will support very high-speed data transfers: Images supposedly showing a Thunderbolt cable specifically for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max just leaked out. This offers yet another indication that Apple’s next handsets will be able to move data at up to 40Gbps.

Whether the iPhone Thunderbolt cable will be released is open to question — it’s almost completely redundant.

iPhone 15 Pro could support Thunderbolt over USB-C

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iPhone 15 already in trial production
iPhone 15's USB-C port could be a lot faster than a regular USB port.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac/Pixabay/Pexels

Apple will seemingly equip the USB-C port on the iPhone 15 Pro lineup with Thunderbolt 3 capabilities. This opens the door to connecting high-bandwidth storage devices and other accessories to the upcoming iPhone.

Apple already includes a Thunderbolt 3 port as standard across its iPad Air and iPad Pro lineups. This allows the tablets to drive external monitors with up to 6K resolution.

Trio of new Kensington docks pack in the ports

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Kensington SD5780T Thunderbolt 4 Dual 4K Docking Station
Add very high-speed ports to your Mac with Kensington's latest Thunderbolt 4 dock.
Photo: Kensington

Kensington used CES 2023 to take the wraps off a Thunderbolt 4 docking station that adds eleven ports to Mac or PC.

The accessory-maker also announced at the trade show a smaller, portable USB4 hub with six ports, plus a portable USB-C hub with six ports and a built-in wireless charger.

USB4 2.0 jumps past Thunderbolt to an amazing 80 Gbps

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USB4 2.0 jumps past Thunderbolt to an amazing 80 Gbps
80 Gbps over a USB-C cable is hard to beat.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

USB connections are about to get a whole lot lot faster. USB4 Version 2.0 doubles the top speed of wired connections to 80 Gbps.

Although Thunderbolt gets more attention, Apple builds USB4 into the USB-C ports of Macs, too.

Hub adds 3 high-speed Thunderbolt ports without the bulky power brick [Review] ★★★★★

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Sanho HyperDrive Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub review: You can never have too many high-speed data ports, and the HyperDrive Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub adds three more to your Mac or iPad Pro.★★★★★
You can never have too many high-speed data ports, and the HyperDrive Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub adds three more to your Mac or iPad Pro.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Thunderbolt hubs add super-fast ports to your Mac, speeding up your workflow. But these hubs also require a really bulky power adapter … usually. The just-announced Sanho HyperDrive Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub is the exception. It’s small enough to travel with.

I tested the Thunderbolt hub in my home office for a couple of weeks to see how it stands up to real-world use.

Add 3 HDMI or DisplayPort monitors to your Mac with this USB-C docking station [Review]

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Plugable UD-6950PDZ Docking Station review
Plugable’s latest USB-C hub lets you add a trio of monitors, and it sports six USB-A ports.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Plugable UD-6950PDZ Docking Station includes a trio 4K HDMI Ports and the same number of 4K DisplayPort ports. These allow users to mix and match up to three monitors. That includes M1 MacBooks that natively support only one.

The USB-C dock also includes half a dozen USB-A ports, Ethernet and more.

I put this powerful accessory through a battery of hands-on tests to see how it performed. And it lived up to my expectations.

Belkin’s Thunderbolt hub packs a whopping 12 ports

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Belkin’s Thunderbolt hub packs a whopping 12 ports
The Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock can be the center of your home office.
Photo: Belkin

With a dozen ports, the Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock lets users connect a Mac to multiple accessories for data, video, Ethernet and power. All through a single high-speed cable connection.

Belkin also introduced a Thunderbolt 4 cable capable of handling data transfers at 40 Gbps.

HyperDrive Turntable Dock for iMac will get your head spinning

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HyperDrive Turntable Dock for iMac will have your head spinning
Take your iMac for a spin with the HyperDrive Turntable Dock
Photo: Hyper

The HyperDrive Turntable Dock for iMac includes a 360-degree swivel mechanism that makes turning the computer a breeze. Plus, it has room for an SSD and 10 useful ports.

Hyper also unveiled on Monday the HyperDrive Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub, which combines a docking station and 100W computer charger.

Both are nominated for CES Innovation Awards.

New Satechi Mac dock adds multiple Thunderbolt and USB-A ports, plus more

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New Satechi Mac dock adds multiple Thunderbolt and USB-A ports, plus more
The Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Dock adds almost a dozen ports. And it enables high-speed data transfers over most of them.
Photo: Satechi

Satechi’s just-launched Thunderbolt 4 Dock includes a whopping eleven ports, including three Thunderbolt 4 and four USB-A ports. And there’s also a range of other ports for connecting additional peripherals.

Plus, Satechi launched a pair of USB-C hubs on Wednesday.

Accell’s new Thunderbolt 4 dock offers high-speed data transfers, plenty of ports

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Accell’s new Thunderbolt 4 dock offers high-speed data transfers, plenty of ports
The Accell Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station is ready for professional workloads.
Photo: Accell

The Accell Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station allows multiple peripheral connections to Mac through a single Thunderbolt 4 cable. It turns a single Thunderbolt port into two, while also offering DisplayPort, USB-A, Ethernet and more.

The professional-grade hub is available for purchase starting Monday.

Add a trio of blazing-fast ports to your Mac with new Plugable Thunderbolt 4 hub

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Add trio of blazing-fast ports to your Mac with new Plugable Thunderbolt 4 hub
Plugable’s just-launched Thunderbolt 4 hub makes your Mac more useful by adding accessories that require very fast connections.
Photo: Plugable

The new Plugable TBT4-HUB3C hub turns a single Thunderbolt 4 port into three of them, expanding the number of high-speed accessories that can be connected to a Mac or iPad Pro. That includes big displays and large-capacity drives.

And Plugable also launched new 1-meter and 2-meter Thunderbolt cables Thursday.

This portable Thunderbolt SSD is so tough it’s been to space [Review]

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OWC Envoy Pro FX review
OWC Envoy Pro FX
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

No matter how hard you are on your gear, you aren‘t going to destroy the OWC Envoy Pro FX. The 2 terabyte SSD is waterproof and offers military-level drop toughness. Plus the USB-C accessory supports Thunderbolt 3 so data transfers are super fast.

I put the solid state drive through testing. Here’s how it stood up.

OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock adds 14 powerful ports to your Mac [Review]

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OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock review
Put the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock on your desk and you’re ready for high-speed connections to a wide range of accessories.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

You need a powerful dock to make your Mac the center of a highly capable office. The OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock has fourteen ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals. That includes multiple USB-C ports, something you won’t find on USB-C hubs. Plus there’s USB-A, Ethernet, a headset jack and more.

I added this dock to my office. Here’s how it performs in real-world use.

Intel chief accidentally spills big upgrade for Thunderbolt 5

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MacBook Thunderbolt 3 ports
Speeds of up to 80 Gbps?
Photo: Apple

Thunderbolt 5 could double the speed of data transfers in future Mac and iPad Pro models, according to an accidental leak from one Intel executive.

The technology will use the same USB-C connector we’re now accustomed to, but with double the effective bandwidth — from 40 Gbps in Thunderbolt 4 to a staggering 80 Gbps.

Keep your Mac going strong with this high-end Thunderbolt gear

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Expand the life and capability of your Mac setup with OWC Thunderbolt products.
Expand the life and capability of your Mac setup with OWC Thunderbolt products.
Photo: Other World Computing

This post is presented by Other World Computing, owner of MacSales.com.

For 30 years, Other World Computing and its website, MacSales.com, have offered Mac users great ways to upgrade and extend the life of their equipment rather than buying a new computer.

That goes for practically any product an Apple customer could want or need. But when it comes to Thunderbolt connectivity equipment — external drives, docks, hubs, cables — OWC really goes the distance.

5 things you might not have noticed about the 2021 iPad Pro

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5 things you might not have noticed about the 2021 iPad Pro
Even beyond the better screen and processor, there’s a lot to like about the 2021 iPad Pro. But not every change is good.
Photo: Apple

There are some changes in the 2021 iPad Pro that shouldn’t be overlooked, even as most of the attention has gone to the speedy M1 processor and gorgeous mini-LED display. Some of the differences are good, but not all.

Here are five things you shouldn’t miss about Apple’s new top-tier tablet.