Finally, A Real Contender For Apple’s Pricey Thunderbolt 4 Cable Is Here

OWC has released 2 caller super-long progressive optical USB4 cables, disposable successful lengths of astir 10 feet (3 meters) and 15 feet (4.5 meters) and offering up to 40Gbps of accusation throughput. According to OWC’s spot materials, they’ll group you backmost $98.99 and $129.99, respectively, though its website presently lists them for somewhat less. That’s a bargain, compared to what Apple is charging.

Data throughput aside, OWC says you tin too expect nan 3m action to proviso up to 240W of power, while nan 4.5m cablegram manages 60W. The cables are covered pinch braided nylon, too, which hopefully intends they’re bully and flexible. And though they aren’t Thunderbolt 4 cables, they’ll activity nan measurement you’d expect pinch different Thunderbolt 3- or- 4-capable devices, including docks and hubs.

Intel mostly guarantees Thunderbolt 4 capacity astatine up to 2 meters complete accepted copper cables. Those cables petition emblematic tech incorrect to support throughput up complete longer runs, which is apt information of why Apple’s 3-meter 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 cablegram costs $159.

You tin find immoderate USB4 cables arsenic agelong arsenic OWC’s for overmuch small than that, but nan longer ones don’t bladed to relationship nan aforesaid precocious throughput, which OWC credits to nan electromagnetic interference immunity of fiber-optics.

OWC’s cables are a spot of a throwback to Thunderbolt’s roots arsenic Light Peak, which was initially codeveloped by Intel and Apple arsenic a fibre optic cablegram modular that made its measurement to a Sony laptop conscionable arsenic nan companies decided to spell pinch copper, instead. Optical, data-only Thunderbolt lives connected astatine companies for illustration Corning, which has you covered if you petition a $480 164-foot (50 meters) 5K optical show cablegram successful your life.

Cables aside, OWC too precocious announced a $189.99 Thunderbolt 5 hub, which went up for preorder successful November and is disposable now. It’s sewage 4 Thunderbolt 5 ports and a azygous USB-A larboard and supports 3 simultaneous 8K displays astatine 60Hz.