Apple's new 'pro' Thunderbolt 4 and six-foot USB-C cables are bad, and you shouldn't buy t...

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in General Discussion

At the "Wonderlust" event, Apple unveiled the iPhone 15 lineup with USB-C, and now the company has overpriced accessories to go with them. There are better options.

The iPhone 15 Pro with USB-C connected to a MacBook Pro
The iPhone 15 Pro with USB-C connected to a MacBook Pro



Apple pricing is an art form on its own, seemingly completely detached from the rest of the market. Sometimes it's justified, and other times it's often worth looking at less expensive options.

In the case of Apple's new Thunderbolt 4 USB-C cable and the newly-added 240W USB-C Charge Cable, it's the latter situation. There are multiple reputable third-party accessory makers offering similar cables, usually at a significant discount.

While Apple adds the "pro" title with the Thunderbolt 4 USB-C cable, it doesn't warrant the designation. It's a standard Thunderbolt 4 cable, capable of transfer speeds up to 40Gb/s, just like plenty of alternatives.

Meanwhile, the new 240W USB-C Charge Cable is overkill for basically everything Apple -- or anybody else -- makes in 2023. Worse, it is only capable of USB 2.0 transfer speeds, which top out at 480Mbps. That price is ridiculous for that combo.

The good news for both cables is that they feature a braided design, which reduces tangling. But that hardly calls for the significant price increases attached to these cables.

So, here are some solid brand alternatives to consider, if you're in the market for either cable:

Insignia Thunderbolt 4 USB-C cable



Insignia's Thunderbolt 4 USB-C cable features a braided nylon design and has a 3.28ft, or 1m, length. The USB-C to USB-C cable is capable of handling a variety of tasks, including data transfer, charging devices, and connecting to external displays.

Insignia's Thunderbolt 4 USB-C cable
Insignia's Thunderbolt 4 USB-C cable



With Thunderbolt, the USB-C cable is capable of data transfer speeds up to 40Gb/s. It also supports 240W of power delivery, so it can quickly charge more power-hungry devices, like a MacBook Pro or 12.9-inch iPad Pro.



The cable also supports connecting to one external display at 8K resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate, or 4K at 240Hz. Connecting two displays will top out at 4K at 60Hz.

Insignia's Thunderbolt 4 USB-C cable is available from Best Buy for $44.99.

Belkin Thunderbolt 4 USB-C cable



The Belkin Thunderbolt 4 USB-C cable is 2.6 feet in length, but it is not a braided cable. It is certified as being fire-resistant.

Belkin's Thunderbolt 4 USB-C cable
Belkin's Thunderbolt 4 USB-C cable



The cable is capable of high data transfer speeds up to 40Gb/s, and it can connect to multiple external monitors. It is also backwards compatible, with Belkin noting the cable supports USB 3.2, USB 2.0, and Thunderbolt 3 ports.



Belkin's Thunderbolt 4 USB-C cable is capable of 100W passthrough and Power Delivery. This means the cable can output enough power to charge devices like a MacBook Pro, while also transferring data at high speeds.

The Belkin Thunderbolt 4 USB-C cable is available now from Best Buy for $29.99.

Plugable Thunderbolt 4 240W USB-C cable



The Plugable USB4 240W USB-C cable is fully Thunderbolt-compatible and comes in a 3.3ft length. It can support a maximum of 240W Power Delivery, to keep even the most power-hungry devices charged up.

Plugable 240W Thunderbolt 4 USB-C cable
Plugable 240W Thunderbolt 4 USB-C cable



The Plugable Thunderbolt 4 cable is also backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 3.



Plugable's cable is also capable of connecting to external monitors, with a single connection offering 8K resolution at 30Hz. The cable also supports a pair of displays up to 4K resolution with a 60Hz resolution.

The Plugable Thunderbolt 4 240W USB-C cable is available from Amazon for $29.95.

And if you want to save a few bucks on a 240W USB-C to USB-C charging cable, here's an option:

Insignia 240W USB-C cable



The Insignia 240W USB-C to USB-C cable is mostly designed to handle charging. It is technically capable of data transfer, but the speeds are limited.

Insignia's 240W USB-C charge cable
Insignia's 240W USB-C charge cable



The cable is capable of delivering 240W of power, which means it can quickly charge many devices. And while it's overkill for most Apple devices, it can keep the more powerful devices, like the 12.9-inch iPad Pro or 16-inch MacBook Pro, powered up with ease.



This white-gray braided design comes in an 8-foot length. It tops out at USB 2.0 data transfer speeds, which are 480Mbps.

Insignia's 240W USB-C cable is available now from Best Buy for $19.99.

Read on AppleInsider

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 22
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,763member
    When I see “bad” in the title I equate that with a functional deficiency. Maybe “overpriced” or “ridiculously overpriced” or “a bad deal” would be more appropriate since the cables do work as intended, but at a price that only true believers would find acceptable.
    edited September 2023 Fidonet127davmuthuk_vanalingamStrangeDayswilliamlondonapplguy9secondkox2Alex1Nunbeliever2watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 22
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,930administrator
    dewme said:
    When I see “bad” in the title I equate that with a functional deficiency. Maybe “overpriced” or “ridiculously overpriced” or “a bad deal” would be more appropriate since the cables do work as intended, but at a price that only true believers would find acceptable.
    This is addressed in the lede.
    Oferwilliamlondongrandact73watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 22
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,763member
    dewme said:
    When I see “bad” in the title I equate that with a functional deficiency. Maybe “overpriced” or “ridiculously overpriced” or “a bad deal” would be more appropriate since the cables do work as intended, but at a price that only true believers would find acceptable.
    This is addressed in the lede.
    But that’s beneath the headline. Having “bad deal” in the headline would immediately clarify the intent. If my wife announced that the milk in the refrigerator was “bad” I wouldn’t think she was possibly complaining about how much I paid for it. But it’s your call. 
    muthuk_vanalingamforegoneconclusionStrangeDayswilliamlondontwokatmewSpitbath9secondkox2bestkeptsecretAlex1Nunbeliever2
  • Reply 4 of 22
    When I read bad, I expected there to be a flaw. Like too wide to fit when a case is used, an actual issue I've had with some non apple cables.

    Instead bad simply meant overpriced, which isn't unusual from Apple. I didn't even see the prices of Apple's cables mentioned, just a claim they are overpriced.

    The phone itself comes with a USB-C charging cable. Most people won't need anything else.
    StrangeDaysjfabula19secondkox2Alex1Nwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 22
    alandail said: Instead bad simply meant overpriced, which isn't unusual from Apple. I didn't even see the prices of Apple's cables mentioned, just a claim they are overpriced.
    It's really just the Thunderbolt 4 cable that has a price that makes you do a double-take...$59 for 1 meter. The USB-C is $19 for 1 meter and $29 for 2 meters. 
    OferAlex1Nwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 22
    Ridiculous heading and silly article.

    If you need a 3 metre TB4 cable what you gonna buy? Is there an alternative when you need 3 metres? 

    My Apple TB4 Pro 3 metre cable is really, really nice and does everthing I want with a price I’m happy with. It’s far nicer than my 2m Caldigit TB4 cable for example. I’ll stick to buying the best even if it costs more. 


    williamlondonjas999secondkox2Alex1Nunbeliever2watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 22
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,930administrator
    aderutter said:
    Ridiculous heading and silly article.

    If you need a 3 metre TB4 cable what you gonna buy? Is there an alternative when you need 3 metres? 

    My Apple TB4 Pro 3 metre cable is really, really nice and does everthing I want with a price I’m happy with. It’s far nicer than my 2m Caldigit TB4 cable for example. I’ll stick to buying the best even if it costs more. 


    This isn't a three meter cable, it's a one-meter cable for $70.

    We're on record about the three-meter cable being good.
    edited September 2023 Oferwilliamlondontwokatmewgrandact73Alex1Nwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 22
    Why does the article keep referring to the 12.9" iPad Pro as some sort of "power-hungry" device suitable for the 240W charging cables (alongside the MacBook Pro)?
    The iPad Pro 12.9 ships with a 20W adapter.  Hardly a candidate for needing a 240W charging cable.
    edited September 2023 OferdewmeAlex1Nwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 22
    OMG the Belkin and Plugable cables are not Thunderbolt cables they're USB4 cables. The USB4 logo are printed on the cables.
    Alex1Nwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 22
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,930administrator
    mretondo said:
    OMG the Belkin and Plugable cables are not Thunderbolt cables they're USB4 cables. The USB4 logo are printed on the cables.
    OMG they still work as Thunderbolt cables, and will charge devices better than long active Thunderbolt 3 cables.
    muthuk_vanalingamwilliamlondongrandact73Alex1Nwatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 22
    mknelsonmknelson Posts: 1,147member
    mretondo said:
    OMG the Belkin and Plugable cables are not Thunderbolt cables they're USB4 cables. The USB4 logo are printed on the cables.
    https://www.usb.org/usb4

    "The USB4 Specification complements and builds upon the existing USB 3.2 and 2.0 architectures. Based on the Thunderbolt™ protocol specification contributed by the Intel Corporation, USB4 doubles the maximum aggregate bandwidth of USB and enables multiple simultaneous data and display protocols.

    The USB4 architecture defines a method to dynamically share a single high-speed link with multiple end device types to best serve the transfer of data by type and application. As the USB Type-C connector has evolved into the role as the external display port of many host products, the USB4 specification provides the host the ability to optimally scale allocations for display data flow. Compatibility with existing USB 3.2, USB 2.0, and Thunderbolt 3 hosts and devices is supported, and the resulting connection scales to the best mutual capability of the devices being connected.  "
    muthuk_vanalingamAlex1Nwatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 22
    dewme said:
    When I see “bad” in the title I equate that with a functional deficiency. Maybe “overpriced” or “ridiculously overpriced” or “a bad deal” would be more appropriate since the cables do work as intended, but at a price that only true believers would find acceptable.
    This is addressed in the lede.
    No, it’s buried in the lede, which is an old and ethically questionable journalistic trick.

    The article doesn’t actually get to a legitimate spec to price critique until the fourth paragraph. 
    Alex1Nwilliamlondontenthousandthingsunbeliever2watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 22
    mretondo said:
    OMG the Belkin and Plugable cables are not Thunderbolt cables they're USB4 cables. The USB4 logo are printed on the cables.
    OMG they still work as Thunderbolt cables, and will charge devices better than long active Thunderbolt 3 cables.
    The Thunderbolt “4” symbol is also there in the Amazon pics for the Plugable cable. Haven’t dug into the specs, but all my TB4 cables from them have the number on them, while the strictly USB-C cables have the throughput (10, 40, 100, etc) on them.

    IMPORTANT: If you get longer cables for your docks and hubs keep your old ones where you can get to them. Service techs will often ask you to use the original (or same brand) cables during diagnostics. Both OWC and Plugable have requested this from me, in the past.

    Of note, both companies have good customer service, in my experience. But I prefer Plugable in general. Especially since OWC’s pricing for SoftRaid XT updates has become ridiculous — more than Office, Parallels, and many other software packages.
    Alex1Nwatto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 22
    mknelson said:
    mretondo said:
    OMG the Belkin and Plugable cables are not Thunderbolt cables they're USB4 cables. The USB4 logo are printed on the cables.
    https://www.usb.org/usb4

    "The USB4 Specification complements and builds upon the existing USB 3.2 and 2.0 architectures. Based on the Thunderbolt™ protocol specification contributed by the Intel Corporation, USB4 doubles the maximum aggregate bandwidth of USB and enables multiple simultaneous data and display protocols.

    The USB4 architecture defines a method to dynamically share a single high-speed link with multiple end device types to best serve the transfer of data by type and application. As the USB Type-C connector has evolved into the role as the external display port of many host products, the USB4 specification provides the host the ability to optimally scale allocations for display data flow. Compatibility with existing USB 3.2, USB 2.0, and Thunderbolt 3 hosts and devices is supported, and the resulting connection scales to the best mutual capability of the devices being connected.  "
    I know all about USB4 and Thunderbolt. All I was saying is the author put pictures of USB3 or USB4 cables and in the captions below called them Thunderbolt 4 which they are not. Thunderbolt 4 cables can do more than USB4 cables which is why they cost more. If they were Thunderbolt cables the icon on the cable would have a lighting bolt followed by either a 3 or a 4. The pictures clearly show the USB icon.
    edited September 2023 Alex1Nwatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 22
    To clarify, USB-C tells you nothing about wether the cable is a USB3, USB4, Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4. USB-C just means USB TYPE "C" connector (the fiscal shape). All the mentioned protocols I mentioned use the USB-C type connecter but tells you nothing about what kind of cable it is, that's where the icon on the end of the cable comes in. If there is no icon then you can assume its USB3 and definitely NOT Thunderbolt which requires the icon. You can use a Thunderbolt 4 cable on any device that has a USB-C connecter because Thunderbolt 4 supersedes all the rest. But you can't use a USB4 cable for everything a Thunderbolt 4 cable can do. It will be fine if you just need it to transfer data at 40Gbps since USB4 cables can do 40Gbps like Thunderbolt 4. The other nice thing about Thunderbolt cables is they are required to be first certified by Intel. 
    edited September 2023 Alex1Nwatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 22
    FYI to everyone, don't buy a Thunderbolt cable that doesn't have a lighting bolt followed by 3 or 4 or in the future a 5. If they don't then you know they haven't be certified and are fake crap. Thunderbolt is an open standard from Intel and it's free i.e. no licensing. There's no reason for a Thunderbolt cable not to be certified unless the company is trying to sell inferior cables. 
    Alex1Nwatto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 22
    ITGUYINSD said:
    Why does the article keep referring to the 12.9" iPad Pro as some sort of "power-hungry" device suitable for the 240W charging cables (alongside the MacBook Pro)?
    The iPad Pro 12.9 ships with a 20W adapter.  Hardly a candidate for needing a 240W charging cable.
    Bruv,

    my 12.9” iPad Pro is extremely demanding when it comes to charging compared to my iPhone. I’m pretty sure that’s where ithe coming from. 

    People need to chill with the headline and some of the other terms. Yes, Apple’s cables are “bad” as in a very bad deal. The headline isn’t actually cramping on apple. It’s a bit tongue in cheek and much appreciated in a too serious world full of bland wordsmithing. And the iPad Pro takes a while to charge, so it’s “power hungry” in comparison to the iPhone and even other iPads. if you’re getting faster speeds, great. 

    My God man. 


    watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 22
    Y'all don't even put in the article how much the Apple offerings are! 
    WTF? The ONLY reason y'all cite for them being "bad" is the price, yet I have absolutely no idea what the prices for them are after reading the article (before doing MY OWN research to find out)
    Classic AppleInsider
    Alex1Nmretondowilliamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 22
    Bart YBart Y Posts: 73unconfirmed, member
    An article about supposedly “bad” Apple cables, as in overpriced, not defective.  AI gives a number of alternatives, then provides links to Best Buy to purchase them.  Shall we presume AI gets a commission on any purchases?  Does that mean this is more of a revenue generating article which may influence the content?  

    Sorry, that’s the way it looks to me.
    Alex1Nmretondowilliamlondonapplebynaturewatto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 22
    aderutter said:
    Ridiculous heading and silly article.

    If you need a 3 metre TB4 cable what you gonna buy? Is there an alternative when you need 3 metres? 

    My Apple TB4 Pro 3 metre cable is really, really nice and does everthing I want with a price I’m happy with. It’s far nicer than my 2m Caldigit TB4 cable for example. I’ll stick to buying the best even if it costs more. 


    This isn't a three meter cable, it's a one-meter cable for $70.

    We're on record about the three-meter cable being good.
    Yes, and this from Apples website. There are alternatives to Apples cables and they all will work up to 3 feet and usually will work at 6 feet, but at 10 feet you want the best as that's when cables start to work or don't work. Do not skimp on money when you're buying 10 foot cables!

    Thunderbolt 4 (USB‑C) Pro Cable (3 m)

    $159.00
    watto_cobra
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