HOW IT WORKS Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4.0

Faster data, cleverer cables and some confusion too

- Carrie Marshall

The tech you use to connect external displays and fast external storage may get a whole lot better.

Thunderbolt 4 promises to be three times faster than USB 3 – but while it’s faster than the current USB standard, it isn’t faster than the existing Thunderbolt one. And the incoming USB 4 is just as fast, and it includes Thunderbolt 3. Confusing? You bet.

Let’s find out what Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 mean for your next Mac – and maybe your next iPad…

Thunderbolt facts

Thunderbolt, codenamed Light Peak, was developed by Intel in collaboration with Apple. The goal was to create a high-speed hardware interface for connecting external peripherals to Intel-powered computers, combining three different technologies in a single connector: PCI Express (aka PCIe), DisplayPort and a DC power supply. The first version of Thunderbolt came out on Macs in 2011 and appeared on some PCs the following year. Thunderbolt 3, which is in current Macs, began shipping in 2015. Since the demise of the 12-inch MacBook all current desktop and laptop Macs have Thunderbolt ports, even the Mac mini.

When Thunderbolt launched it was one of the fastest data ports you could get on a consumer device, delivering bi-directional speeds of 10Gbps on each of its two channels. At the time, USB didn’t go beyond 5Gbps. And because Thunderbolt enabled you to daisychain up to six devices including multiple displays from a single Thunderbolt port, it was a more elegant alternative to a USB hub for people with lots of things to connect. As a result, the Thunderbolt technology was embraced by the most demanding Mac users.