USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 will soon be available on a device port near you, adding a few new options to the maze of possibilities that USB-C offers.
USB4 is a huge mess
The good news is that Thunderbolt 4 is simple. The bad news is that USB4 isn’t going to be any less confusing. Either way, all your old USB and Thunderbolt devices will still work if you plug them into the new ports. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Thunderbolt is still better, just not as good. And USB4 is faster, but still fragmented and still far too reliant on identical-looking cables.
"Thunderbolt 4 cables are about the most universal cable you can get right now. Compatible with all versions of Thunderbolt, and with all USB-C specifications, including USB 4," Thunderbolt accessory maker CalDigit said on Twitter.
The first point of confusion is the name. USB-C is the name of the port and plug. USB-3.0, 3.1, 3.2 gen.2 and 4.0 are the names of the different USB standards that use the same port. Thunderbolt also uses the same port and plug. And to add to the confusion, the same port can only be used to provide power, not data.
