The physical form of the port was a mini DisplayPort connector with a little lightning-strike icon next to it. Introduced by Intel and Apple, Thunderbolt first showed up on a MacBook Pro in 2011. Thunderbolt: A Bit of Historyīefore we get into the specifics of the new Thunderbolt 4 protocol, let’s first back up and explain what Thunderbolt is and does, and how we got here.
To help you sort out how Thunderbolt 4 differs from Thunderbolt 3, as well as from USB4, we've prepared a little primer on the state of play. Thunderbolt 4 isn't a speed play it is more about minimum requirements than maximum speeds. Thunderbolt 4-equipped PCs also typically have USB4 connectivity, and sometimes, on the same actual ports, so there is bound to be some confusion.Īlso muddling up the picture is Thunderbolt 4’s lack of a single headline-grabbing feature-such as a faster top-end speed than its predecessor. This move toward open source didn’t mean, however, that Intel stopped developing its traditionally proprietary Thunderbolt specification. (And yes, the USB team dropped the space in "USB4." That's not a typo.) Indeed, the fates and directions of the two new "4" specs are intertwined. Intel opened up the Thunderbolt 3 protocol to USB's controlling consortium (the USB-IF) for royalty-free use in the development of next-generation USB4, delivering faster speeds and interoperability to USB4 devices.
The story of the latest flavor of the Thunderbolt interface-Thunderbolt 4-starts with a change in direction, however.
This port looks like one of the new-style, oval USB Type-C connectors, but it does a bunch more: It can carry a video signal using the DisplayPort protocol, charge connected devices, and allow for data transfers at speeds beyond what simple USB can manage.
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