Today Apple announced the M4 Mac mini, which includes Thunderbolt 5 connectivity for advanced data transfer speeds. Now, the online Apple Store has also been updated to include a new Thunderbolt 5 USB-C cable for separate purchase.
Faster data transfer speeds enabled by Thunderbolt 5
Thunderbolt 5 is a new addition to the Mac, and there’s a good chance we’ll see it as part of the new M4 MacBook Pro expected to be announced tomorrow.
In the meantime though, if you’re buying an M4 Mac mini, there are three Thunderbolt 5 ports built in.
As my colleague Chance notes, “Apple says that Thunderbolt 5 support enables up to 120 Gb/s data transfer speeds on Mac mini, and more than doubles the throughput of Thunderbolt 4.”
You can unlock those fastest possible data transfer speeds only by using a Thunderbolt 5 cable.
Apple sells a new Thunderbolt 5 USB-C braided black cable in its online store for $69.
Here’s the description:
Featuring a black braided design that coils without tangling, this 1-meter cable supports Thunderbolt 5 data transfer up to 120Gb/s;¹ Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, and USB 4 data transfer up to 40Gb/s; USB 3 data transfer up to 10Gb/s; DisplayPort 2.1 video output; and charging up to 240W.
Use this cable to connect a Mac with Thunderbolt 3, 4, or 5 (USB-C) ports to Thunderbolt (USB-C) and USB displays and devices such as Studio Display, Pro Display XDR, docks, and external drives. You can also use this cable to connect iPhone and iPad models with USB-C to your Mac.
Expect to see more announcements regarding the possibilities for Thunderbolt 5 before long—maybe as soon as tomorrow’s MacBook Pro debut.
Perhaps the pulled info regarding the new iMac supporting an 8K monitor at 120Hz was intended for another Mac, and Thunderbolt 5 is part of that equation.
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