Apple is reportedly arming its upcoming iPad Pro with Thunderbolt port

Posted on by Nadeem Sarwar

A host of new  Apple devices – including iPad Pro, iPad Mini and the AirTags object tracker – are rumored to debut in April. Of course, the hype and speculations are everywhere, especially around the upcoming iPad Pro refresh and the upgrades it will bring to the table, with two of the key changes being a Mini-LED display and mmWave 5G support. But there might be another huge surprise. As per a Bloomberg report, we might see a Thunderbolt port on Apple’s upcoming iPad Pro models. Here’s what it says: 

“In testing, the new iPad Pros have used a Thunderbolt connector, the same port on the latest Macs with custom Apple processors. The port doesn’t require new chargers, but it would enable connectivity with additional external monitors, hard drives and other peripherals. It’s also faster at syncing data than the USB-C technology used in the current models.”

Now, the 2020 iPad Pro employs a USB Type-C port, which actually looks identical to a modern Thunderbolt port, unless you see that ‘lightning’ logo. But there is a key difference. A Thunderbolt port does everything a USB-C port can do, but a LOT faster. Be it charging or data transfer, everything is speedier. Plus, it is tailor-made for driving high-resolution models and transferring heavy video signals. 

For example, the Thunderbolt 3 port on the new M1 MacBook Pro allows a theoretical data transfer rate of 40Gb/s. Plus, it can drive up to a 6K external monitor with 60Hz screen refresh rate. If the 2021 iPad Pro refresh indeed comes with a Thunderbolt port, it will be a major boost to its appeal as a serious computing machine.

The A-series chip inside it is reportedly as powerful as the M1 silicon inside the new Macs, so you won’t have to worry about running low on firepower either. However, it is unclear if Apple will give the same treatment to both sizes, or a Thunderbolt port will be exclusive to the larger 12.9-inch model.

The post Apple is reportedly arming its upcoming iPad Pro with Thunderbolt port appeared first on Pocketnow.

USB 4 standard based on Thunderbolt, cross-compatible back to USB 2.0

Posted on by Jules Wang

USB 4 will bring the Type-C connector and pair it with the massive capabilities of Thunderbolt. Specs are to be finalized this year.

The post USB 4 standard based on Thunderbolt, cross-compatible back to USB 2.0 appeared first on Pocketnow.

LG UltraFine 5K display discounted by Apple, 4K as well

Posted on by Jules Wang

In addition to its sale on USB-C adapters and accessories, the Apple Store has also put its two biggest Thunderbolt peripherals on the price chopper.

The 27-inch LG UltraFine 5K Display, introduced with the MacBook Pro (2016) a couple of weeks ago, is now $974 — down from $1,299.95. The 21.5-inch UltraFine 4K Display will run you a cool $524 instead of $699.95 it launched at.

Both displays run on a single Thunderbolt 3 connection and execute the DCI-P3 color gamut.

As with the cables and dongles, the discount on these screens last until December 31.

The post LG UltraFine 5K display discounted by Apple, 4K as well appeared first on Pocketnow.

Apple USB-C dongles on sale through end of the year

Posted on by Jules Wang

It’s expected that USB Type-C ports will be the future of any connected accessory. Today is not the future. And Apple has been unforgiving in helping its customers make the transition over by not including adapters and USB-C accessories with its new MacBook Pro, a computer with four Thunderbolt 3.0 slots.

After much gnashing of the teeth, the company has relented and is offering discounts on dongles sold through its physical and online stores until December 31. Here are a list of them:

  • USB-C to full USB: $9 ($10 off)
  • Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2: $29 ($20 off)
  • USB-C to Lightning, 1 meter cable: $19 ($6 off)
  • USB-C to Lightning, 2 meter cable: $29 ($6 off)
  • USB-C to HDMI and USB: $49 ($20 off)
  • USB-C to VDA and USB: $49 ($20 off)

Third-party USB-C accessories are also on sale by up to 25 percent, except for the SanDisk SD carder — it’s now $29 from its original price of $49.

Here is Apple’s statement on why it’s offering this sale as found through The Verge:

“We recognize that many users, especially pros, rely on legacy connectors to get work done today and they face a transition. We want to help them move to the latest technology and peripherals, as well as accelerate the growth of this new ecosystem. Through the end of the year, we are reducing prices on all USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 peripherals we sell, as well as the prices on Apple’s USB-C adapters and cables.”

Infinite Loop’s transition prerogative isn’t completely consistent with industrial realities reflected in cameras that use SuperDrive-compatible cards as well as its own iPhones and iPads that use the Lightning connector, lest Apple refer to it as a “legacy connector”. The company and its customers either are effectively waiting on the slow wheels of change or maybe it just wants a few cheap bucks from adapter sales.

As for its progressive stance on USB-C, we consider this move a good one overall, no matter how token it may appear — quick stab discounts are fairly uncouth coming from Apple.

The post Apple USB-C dongles on sale through end of the year appeared first on Pocketnow.

Welcome to the Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro (2016)

Posted on by Jules Wang

With a shiny new macOS name and platform with features like Siri integration and Apple Pay, Apple really ought to provide some new hardware to partner with it. Well, in time for the 25th anniversary of the Macintosh PowerBook 170, the company’s first notebook ever, CEO Tim Cook decided to tie that Easter egg to the development of the new MacBook Pro.Apple’s SVP of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller, described the all-aluminium laptop as “the new gold standard in notebook computers” that comes in 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch sizes. Whether it’s in Silver or Space ...

Continue reading »

The post Welcome to the Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro (2016) appeared first on Pocketnow.

Nostalgia overload: Sprint’s upcoming HTC Bolt to be dubbed 10 evo ‘globally’

Posted on by Adrian Diaconescu

Poor HTC. The financially (and creatively) struggling Taiwanese device manufacturer looks to finally have a couple of (moderate) box-office hits on its hands, but at least from a marketing perspective, it can’t take any credit, due to Google’s express wish that people identify the Pixels as phones “made” by ...

Continue reading »

The post Nostalgia overload: Sprint’s upcoming HTC Bolt to be dubbed 10 evo ‘globally’ appeared first on Pocketnow.

HTC Bolt trademark a sign the company wants to regain its “Thunder”?

Posted on by Jules Wang

There’s nothing right now to indicate that HTC is working on anything mind-blowing or groundbreaking or buzzword buzzword buzzword, but perhaps we should be looking for something, right? No, we’re not talking about another Desire phone. In fact, what we’re talking about may not be even a phone at all.HTC has applied for a trademark in the US, protecting the term “HTC BOLT,” on September 2.We can’t tie this to HTC and Verizon’s first LTE ...

Continue reading »

The post HTC Bolt trademark a sign the company wants to regain its “Thunder”? appeared first on Pocketnow.

Should our phones move from USB Type C to Thunderbolt 3?

Posted on by Juan Carlos Bagnell

Increasingly, our phones are the center of our various data strategies. For a lot of our messages and notifications, we turn first to our phones. Increasingly, we push the limits on what our phones can do. Document management, multimedia, content creation. Mobile devices are moving from being support gadgets to front line devices. If phones are becoming primary, might it make sense to improve the connection standard we use to move information on and off of our phones?

Continue reading »

The post Should our phones move from USB Type C to Thunderbolt 3? appeared first on Pocketnow.

What is USB Type C, and what is it not?

Posted on by Juan Carlos Bagnell

We’re a year into a tech transition. Cables and ports are a big deal. Regardless if you use Android, Windows, or iOS on your phone, you likely have some gadget or accessory with a Micro USB port. Micro USB has become a phenomenally well represented standard, but to move into a new era of devices and services, even a port this ubiquitous eventually needs to evolve.The new standard is USB Type C, and it’s already arrived on a handful of devices. Current Nexus phones, HTC 10, LG G5, OnePlus, and the Lumia 950 all sport this new symmetrical port. So what does USB Type C do? How is it ...

Continue reading »

The post What is USB Type C, and what is it not? appeared first on Pocketnow.

Update News: Thunderbolt ICS Now Arriving, T-Mobile Confirms No Lumia 710 WP7.8

Posted on by Stephen Schenck

We’ve got a few updates on phone updates (no pun intended) which we’ve already talked to you about before, concerning the long-awaited Ice Cream Sandwich update for the HTC Thunderbolt on Verizon and the lack of Windows Phone 7.8 for Nokia’s Lumia 710 on T-Mobile. Right at the end of January, we got a big surprise when we saw that Verizon had posted documents on its HTC Thunderbolt support page indicating that the phone’s Android 4.0.4 update was finally going to arrive. The update was ...

Continue reading »

ICS Finally Ready to Come to HTC Thunderbolt; Better Late Than Never!

Posted on by Stephen Schenck

HTC’s Thunderbolt launched as Verizon’s first LTE smartphone nearly two years ago. That makes it practically ancient by smartphone standards, and its single-core 1GHz SoC, tiny 1400mAh battery, and low-res WVGA screen sound like the kind of phone you couldn’t even give away in today’s market. Still, it manages to lumber on, while its users eagerly await the arrival of the phone’s long-promised Ice Cream Sandwich update. We last updated you on progress towards that end in August, when it seemed clear that ...

Continue reading »