That Thunderbolt uncertainty will change with the upcoming USB 4 standard.
USB 4 ports will support Thunderbolt 3 speeds by default while remaining
backward-compatible with USB 3. Some new devices will likely have both USB
4 and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports, both of which will make use of the physical
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market yet, however.
ADAPTERS AND CABLES
USB-C is electrically compatible with older USB 3.0 ports. But because of the
new shape of port, adapters or cables with appropriate plugs are indeed
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Sometimes a new laptop will come with these; in other cases, you may have to
purchase them separately. Apple, for instance, sells a variety of USB cables and
adapters for connecting USB-C to other technologies such as Lightning or
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retailers. Some even support older or more esoteric protocols, to ensure a device
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RS-232 serial connections.
The good news, though, is that if you invest in a couple of normal USB-C cables,
they will work with anything and everything that supports USB-C, regardless of
generation.