But will these be enough to set it apart from the already amazing iPad Air?
And whats the point of Thunderbolt anyway?
“USB-C is capable of delivering display signals up to 4K.
Jeremy Zero / Unsplash
Thunderbolt would allow 5K,” musician Krassmanreplied in an Audiobus forum threadstarted by Lifewire.
So, like using an external 4K monitor and an SSD."
But they are not compatible with each other.
Sirisvisual / Unsplash
Even the cables are not interchangeable.
Thunderbolt speeds are only possible with (expensive) Thunderbolt cables.
Theres another element to add to the confusion.
USB-C can support USB 3 or USB 4.
USB 4 is essentially USB with Thunderbolt included inside, and is currently available on very few devices.
It’s likely that the next iPad Pro will use this connection because thats what thecurrent M1 Macs use.
This brings us to the main difference between the two: speed.
USB-C supports up to 10Gbps, while Thunderbolt can shift data four times as fast.
These connections allow for some extra features.
“This development is purely about increased bandwidth.
You dont need Thunderbolt to match display resolutions or extend displays.
Thats basic functionality that any Chromebook can do,” MacRumors forum member JPackreplied to a threadstarted by Lifewire.
“Thunderbolt means Apple is serious about the iPad Pro being a computer.
Theres enough bandwidth for a pair of 4K displays, peripherals, and gigabit Ethernet connection.”
What Can Thunderbolt Do That USB-C Cant?
A single Thunderbolt connection could drive four external USB-C SSD drives, all at full speed.
Another big difference is docks.
There are plenty of Thunderbolt docks available, though.
External storage, cameras, high-end audio interfaces.
Hardware-wise, USB-C is already good enough, unless you want to hook up multiple displays.
Thunderbolt means Apple is serious about the iPad Pro being a computer.
The bottleneck is software support.
Dual-monitor support would even beat the M1 MacBook Pro, which only can drive a single external display.
“To be hugely productive you cannot get away from real estate size as the limiting/increasing factor.”
If Apple is serious about the iPad Pro actually being pro, it needs to improve iOS.
