iLoungeiLounge
  • News
    • Apple
      • AirPods Pro
      • AirPlay
      • Apps
        • Apple Music
      • iCloud
      • iTunes
      • HealthKit
      • HomeKit
      • HomePod
      • iOS 13
      • Apple Pay
      • Apple TV
      • Siri
    • Rumors
    • Humor
    • Technology
      • CES
    • Daily Deals
    • Articles
    • Web Stories
  • iPhone
    • iPhone Accessories
  • iPad
  • iPod
    • iPod Accessories
  • Apple Watch
    • Apple Watch Accessories
  • Mac
    • MacBook Air
    • MacBook Pro
  • Reviews
    • App Reviews
  • How-to
    • Ask iLounge
Font ResizerAa
iLoungeiLounge
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • News
    • Apple
    • Rumors
    • Humor
    • Technology
    • Daily Deals
    • Articles
    • Web Stories
  • iPhone
    • iPhone Accessories
  • iPad
  • iPod
    • iPod Accessories
  • Apple Watch
    • Apple Watch Accessories
  • Mac
    • MacBook Air
    • MacBook Pro
  • Reviews
    • App Reviews
  • How-to
    • Ask iLounge
Follow US

News

News

Apple DTK does not support Thunderbolt 3

Last updated: Jun 28, 2020 11:42 am UTC
By Abhay Ram
Apple DTK does not support Thunderbolt 3

Apple has announced its plans to move away from Intel chips on the Mac to using its own custom ARM based chips. While the move sounds exciting for a lot of reasons, it will take years before we see its benefits come to fruition. 

Advertisements

Macs have long supported Intel’s Thunderbolt technology to enable faster data transfer, power delivery, display output, and external GPU support. The thunderbolt 3.0 which works on the same USB-C port is by far the most interesting port as it enables the use of docking stations which are powerhouses.

Apple DTK does not support Thunderbolt 3

However, by moving to ARM based chips on the Mac, the future of Thunderbolt 3.0 on the Mac is unclear. Apple has released a developer transition kit (DTK) for developers to create apps for the new architecture Macs. The DTK runs on Apple’s A12Z chip – the same chip that powers the current generation iPad Pro.

Advertisements

The interesting point to note is that the DTK does not support Thunderbolt 3.0 ports as it lacks Intel’s hardware. Thunderbolt has been Intel’s proprietary technology which companies have to pay royalties to use. However, Intel has been relaxing its conditions, as it recently approved a AMD Thunderbolt motherboard.

Will Apple figure out a way to include Thunderbolt 3.0 support on the ARM based Macs? We do not know but it’s totally possible if Apple can include a smaller chip like the T2 security chip just for adding Thunderbolt 3 support. We do not know if that’s actually possible but it would be nice to have Thunderbolt 3 on the upcoming Macs.

On the other hand, the USB Implementers forum has been hard at work to create USB 4 which will include all the features of Thunderbolt 3. If USB 4 is successfully released, companies can switch to USB 4 from Thunderbolt and skip paying royalties to Intel.

Advertisements

Latest News
iPad
The 11th-Generation iPad is $50 Off
1 Min Read
iPhone
iPhone 8 and iPhone 7 plus enter the Apple Vintage list
1 Min Read
AI App
AI app integration arriving on iOS 19
1 Min Read
Bono: Stories of Surrender
‘Bono: Stories of Surrender’ appears at the Cannes Film Festival
1 Min Read
Fortnite
Apple approves Fortnite return to App Store after 5 years
3 Min Read
iPad Mini 7
The iPad Mini 7 Wi-Fi 256GB is $100 Off
1 Min Read
AirPods Max
New USB-C AirPods Max firmware launches
1 Min Read
Fortnite
The iOS version of Fortnite is now live
1 Min Read
iPad Air
2024 iPad Air added to UK refurbished store
1 Min Read
Donald Trump at Mac Pro factory
Trump threatens to impose 25% tariff on the iPhone
3 Min Read
Foxconn
Apple expanding Indian supply chain through a $1.5 billion manufacturing plant
3 Min Read
Apple Smart Glasses
Apple planning to release AR glasses in 2026
3 Min Read

iLounge logo

iLounge is an independent resource for all things iPod, iPhone, iPad, and beyond. iPod, iPhone, iPad, iTunes, Apple TV, and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc.

This website is not affiliated with Apple Inc.
iLounge © 2001 - 2025. All Rights Reserved.
  • Contact Us
  • Submit News
  • About Us
  • Forums
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?