Apple launched a 1.8-meter-long Thunderbolt 4 Pro cable last month, priced at $129, which caused a lot of complaints from social platform. Recently, ChargerLAB teardown the cable, introduced the internal high-quality materials and structure of the cable, and told you why it is so expensive.
It shows that the cable is a coaxial cable with 19 wires inside. Six of the wires are tinned copper wires that provide power. There are also two cables that support USB 2.0 transport, making the cable backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 3, USB 3 and USB 2. Additionally, many cables are plated with silver and copper.
The cables themselves also feature premium components contained in a durable brass housing, as well as 24 gold-plated pins per connector. In addition, the connector is equipped with an Intel chip for signal reconstruction and signal jitter reduction inside, and the outside is wrapped with a waterproof and dustproof braid, which increases the durability of the cable.
ChargerLAB notes that the cable performs very well, but may not be useful to the average customer as there are cheaper alternatives.
According to the description on Apple’s webpage, the wire has the following highlights:
Data transfer rate up to 40Gb/s
USB 3.1 Gen 2 data transfer rates up to 10Gb/s
DisplayPort video output (HBR3)
Connect to Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, or USB-C and USB-enabled devices and displays
Power supply up to 100 watts
Woven design, not easy to tangle when rolled
The Thunderbolt logo is easy to identify and won’t be confused with other cables
Daisy-chain up to six Thunderbolt 3 devices
