Thunderbolt support will still be available on future Apple Silicon powered devices as guaranteed by the company itself.
WWDC 2020 marked the end of the Intel era with Apple. Tim Cook announced that the company is taking the next step in its computer development phase. As such, the Apple Silicon change was announced. Chipsets will power future Apple computers. Chipsets that the company itself will design.
The main purpose of the shift is for the company to be able to control its progress better. Next year, Apple Silicon powered laptops will start shipping. However, no one knows what the hardware part will look like and how it will work.
Thunderbolt survives the transition
The first concern of the developers concerning the Apple Silicon shift was software. However, the company itself guaranteed that the move to the new chipset would be smooth. Despite this fact, developers are still wary about the hardware part of the move.
As soon as the announcement was made, one of the first things that popped into the developers’ head was the Thunderbolt support. Intel and Apple worked on making these advanced ports possible. Dropping Intel for Apple Silicon naturally meant that the partnership is gone too.
However, Apple is still committed to the Thunderbolt moving forward. It said in an interview with The Verge,
“Over a decade ago, Apple partnered with Intel to design and develop Thunderbolt, and today our customers enjoy the speed and flexibility it brings to every Mac. We remain committed to the future of Thunderbolt and will support it in Macs with Apple silicon.”
MacBook lineup of the future
The Apple Silicon shift amounts to an overhaul of the company’s plan in its computer lineup. Rumors are stating the fact that redundancy will be a problem once Apple Silicon powered laptops start shipping.
ARM-based devices require less real estate to provide high-powered performance. This reality can be seen in Apple’s iPhone and iPad. The latest A12x Bionic chip on the iPhone SE outpaces the speed of the latest Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra.
Another benefit of the new chipset is it can power a fanless device. Applying this strategy means that the MacBook Pro can now be as thin as the MacBook Air. Despite shaving off a few millimeters, the MacBook Pro will not compromise its high-performance promise. In turn, the MacBook Air loses its main selling point of thinness and lightness.
This rumor still hasn’t been confirmed. However, analysts think it to be true because of the advantage given by the Apple Silicon.
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