Apple has launched a 3-meter (10-feet) long Thunderbolt 4 Pro cable at a whopping $159, which is a good $30 more than what the 2nd-gen AirPods sell for. Apple is known for pricing its products at exorbitant levels, and some of its accessory pricing has often come under extreme derision from buyers and social media users. A case in point is the $19 'Polishing Cloth' that became the butt of all jokes and an instant meme last year.
The Thunderbolt interface was developed by Apple in collaboration with Intel, and was initially marketed under the name 'Light Peak.' The standard was originally introduced in 2009 before Apple launched its first MacBook Pro with the new port in 2011. Devices with Thunderbolt 2 went into production in 2013, while devices with Thunderbolt 3 began shipping in late 2015. Thunderbolt 4 was announced at CES 2020 and just before the pandemic shut everything down.
Apple has launched a new Thunderbolt 4 Pro Cable that's now available for purchase from the company's official online store for a hefty $159. With a total length of three meters, it is the longest Thunderbolt 4 cable currently available. The company is also offering a 1.8-meter long version, priced at $129. The cable offers super-fast connectivity and can transfer data at speeds of up to 40 Gigabits per second (Gbps). It supports multiple standards, including Thunderbolt 3/4, USB 3.1/4, DisplayPort video output, and up to 100 watts of power delivery.
High-End Features, Premium Pricing
According to Apple, the cable can connect Macs that have Thunderbolt 3 or 4 (USB-C) ports to Thunderbolt (USB-C) and USB displays. It also supports multiple Thunderbolt devices, such as Apple's Studio display, Pro Display XDR, docks, and hard drives. In terms of compatibility, Apple lists a slew of devices that work with the new cable, including a range of iPad models going back to the 4th-generation and select MacBook devices going back to 2016.
While the Thunderbolt 4 Pro cable is priced at a premium, it also offers a number of high-end features that might justify its price to a certain degree. One of the reasons for its high pricing is that it is an 'active' cable, which means it has chips and retimers that help reduce signal jitter unlike cheaper, passive cables that are incapable of doing that. It is also a braided cable, which is probably the least one might expect from something this expensive. The store listing also points out that its "Thunderbolt logo helps it stand out from other cables," but that's not necessarily a critical feature for most buyers. For Apple users that are ready to forego the logo, the braided niceness, and the extra length, there are plenty of options available in the market at under $100.
Source: Apple