At WWDC 2020, Apple confirmed the transition from Intel processors to its own ARM chips, known as "Apple Silicon." Now the company has answered an important question regarding Thunderbolt support.
Although many fans are excited about the new Apple Silicon Macs, some are also concerned about the future of Thunderbolt support. For this reason, Apple has now confirmed to The Verge that ARM-based Mac devices will continue to support Thunderbolt connections – a hardware interface developed by Intel in collaboration with Apple. This is stated in the opinion:
"More than a decade ago, Apple and Intel designed and developed Thunderbolt, and today our customers enjoy the speed and flexibility it delivers on every Mac. We remain committed to the future of Thunderbolt and will support it in Macs with Apple Silicon," an Apple spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge.
Further details will follow in the coming months
According to this, users will still be able to use Thunderbolt accessories such as external drives or displays with Apple Silicon Macs. It is worth noting that the confirmation came at the same time as Intel's presentation of the fourth generation of Thunderbolt. The chip manufacturer only yesterday introduced the Thunderbolt 4 standard, which is also based on a USB-C port. Exact details regarding Thunderbolt with Apple Silicon Macs are not yet known. However, it is expected that more details will be presented in the coming months, as the first ARM-based Mac devices are due to be released at the end of this year. According to Apple, the conversion of the entire Mac range will take about two years. The process should therefore be completed by the end of 2022. (Photo by hadrian / Bigstockphoto)
