by Dan Moren
Intel announces Thunderbolt 5: fast new speeds, same great port
Just a few hours ahead of Apple’s impending iPhone event, Intel has taken the wraps off the latest version of the Thunderbolt spec:
Thunderbolt 5 will deliver 80 gigabits per second (Gbps) of bi-directional bandwidth, and with Bandwidth Boost it will provide up to 120 Gbps for the best display experience. These improvements will provide up to three times more bandwidth than the best existing connectivity solution, providing outstanding display and data connections.
In short: it’s a lot faster, allows for flexible use of bandwidth if certain types of usage needs more, and can provide up to 240W of power.
Thunderbolt 5 will still use the same USB-C style connector, and maintain backwards compatibility with Thunderbolt 4. Which is great, though it also means you increasingly never quite know what you’re going to get when you plug in a cable.
Intel says that Thunderbolt 5 controllers will be available next year, so the earliest Apple devices you’re likely to see these on are probably M3 Macs—and even the earliest of those are probably a little bit too far along at this point.
There are more details over at the More Than Moore newsletter if you feel like getting technical.
[Hat tip: Six Colors subscriber Adrian]