SEPTEMBER 2020 MACWORLD 21Thunderbolt 4 is meant to clean up the USB type-C mess.MacBook, now
discontinued, had a
USB-C port with no
Thunderbolt as well.
Will future Macs
support Thunderbolt
4? The ones that are
based on Intel
processors probably
will. Intel will introduce
Thunderbolt 4 controllers in its “Tiger
Lake” processors, due for release near the
end of the year. Macs using those chips
will probably hit the market in the first half
of next year. A standalone Intel controller
chip will follow at a later date.
Apple recently announced that it will
transition Macs from Intel processors to its
own silicon (go.macworld.com/owpr). That
throws a bit of a wrinkle in things.
Macs that use Intel processors (there will
still be some of those for the next year or two)
will probably support Thunderbolt 4, once
Macs with Tiger Lake processors show up. It
won’t make a huge difference in practical
terms—Apple’s Thunderbolt 3 implementation
is usually so robust that it meets most of the
Thunderbolt 4 minimum specs.
What about Macs that use Apple’s own
silicon? One requirement for Thunderbolt
4 certification is “Intel VT-d DMA
protection” which is a security measure
that prevents memory access from
connected devices. PCWorld points out
(go.macworld.com/t4sp) that Intel says it
would certify an “equivalent” DMA
protection technology, though. So Apple
could conceivably have its own
Thunderbolt 4 controller that meets Intel’s
certification process, or it could use an
Intel controller chip when one becomes
available in the future.
Apple confirmed to The Verge (go.
macworld.com/cnvr) that it does intend to
continue supporting Thunderbolt on Macs
with Apple silicon: “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.”
This doesn’t tell us what version of
Thunderbolt we can expect, or whether
Apple will use an Intel or Apple controller,
but we can probably expect at least the
same level of compatibility and support
present on current Macs. ■