So now that we know Apple is going to officially transitioning to ARM-based Macs later this year with customer-ready hardware, there remained at least one lingering question: would Apple still support Thunderbolt?
And now we have an answer to that, too. As reported by The Verge, Apple has confirmed that it will continue to support the USB-C Thunderbolt standard from Intel. A spokesperson for Apple said the company “remains committed” to the technology that it helped develop with Intel “over a decade ago”, and that will continue with Apple silicon-equipped Macs in the future.
Here’s the full statement:
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.
We will see the first ARM-based Mac be revealed later this year, as Apple has already said the first hardware with the first-party-designed chipset will not only be unveiled before the end of 2020, but actually launch for consumers to buy before the end of the year as well. And now we know that Thunderbolt will be supported out of the box as well, which should be good news for all potential buyers.
Are you happy about this news? Do you plan on jumping on board the ARM-based Mac bandwagon as soon as it rolls around later this year?