The iPad Pro doesn’t get all of Thunderbolt 4’s capabilities, but it can do much more than your average smartphone. Developed in concert with Intel, Thunderbolt 4 is a desktop-level spec that offers amazing performance compared to basic USB-C, and it’s lightyears beyond Lightning.

That’s why Apple’s best tablet, the iPad Pro, uses Thunderbolt 4 for its USB-C port. The Thunderbolt 4 standard, which uses the same USB-C pin design, is a huge leap beyond Lightning. What privilege, exactly? Lightning was a great design, but it was never technically superior to USB, and it launched more than 10 years ago! Since then, the USB-C port, with it’s USB 3.2 specification, has surpassed what micro-USB can handle. You can currently find unlicensed Lightning gear, but if you buy something with an official Apple logo, you know that company paid Apple for the privilege. Every integrated circuit needs to be licensed through Apple. I don’t think Apple is really so concerned about malicious accessories or an experience that doesn’t live up to Apple’s standards. Lightning was a great design, but it was never technically superior to USB, and it launched more than 10 years ago! No need to lock down my phone against sub-par accessories. It’s a fluke of manufacturing or design, I’d guess.

My Belkin hub works better than my Samsung, but you can’t tell me it’s because Samsung is an unreliable vendor. I have keyboards, mice, memory card readers, dongle hubs, and adapters to work with Ethernet, HDMI, and even older Thunderbolt devices.

In practice, though, is this really a problem? I’ve purchased dozens of USB cables and accessories for my laptop, my Samsung Galaxy tablet, and my Android smartphones.

Locking usb c