Hands on with Apple's new $70 Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable

Apple has introduced a new Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable to coincide with the addition of the new IO to its latest Macs. We picked one up and wanted to also compare it to Apple's last-gen Thunderbolt 4 Pro cable.

The newly-released Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable isn't cheap. It will run you $69 for only a meter in length.

As we've seen in the past though, Apple's professional cables are no joke. Just like with its chargers, Apple puts in a significant amount of engineering to make sure its cables are up to the highest standards compared other the cheaper alternatives.

Thunderbolt 5 is a big upgrade

Compared to Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 5, the fifth-generation of Thunderbolt technology was a significant upgrade. It was big enough that we already did a detailed comparison between them.

Some of the highlights though include a big increase in bandwidth. Bidirectional bandwidth has doubled from 40Gb/s to 80Gb/s and asynchronous tripod to 120Gb/s.

For displays, three 4K-resolution monitors can be run at 144Hz. Plus, multiple 8K displays can be run at the same time.

Finally, Thunderbolt 5 boosts power. It will now deliver up to 240W. Thunderbolt 4 capped at 100W while Thunderbolt 5 has a minimum supported rate of 140W.

Apple's new Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable meets all these requirements.

Apple's pro cable

The new cable is a meter long. Currently, it is not available in the 1.8m or 3m length that Apple offers in its Thunderbolt 4 Pro cable.

Closeup of the braided cable texture

It's braided and feels like a sturdy, hefty cable. It doesn't feel cheap by any means.

Since it's braided, it also resists any kinks or tangles. It's very easy to unspool and connect.

The new (top) and old (bottom) Thunderbolt Pro cables from Apple

One difference from Apple's old cable is that it now has metal overmolds on the connectors versus plastic. It's black metal and gives it an even more premium feel.

There's a big problem with Thunderbolt cables, and we'll lump USB-C cables in there too, in knowing what they actually support. Or even what version of USB or Thunderbolt they are.

With USB-C cables, you always have to worry about data speed, display support, charging speed, the and more. Apple wanted to get rid of this issue.

A new etched "5" designates which version of Thunderbolt the cable is

They opted to support the maximum capabilities of Thunderbolt 5. They also etched a very tiny "5" on the end of the cable, making it easier to identify which version of the Thunderbolt spec is supported.

There will be other Thunderbolt 5 cables on the market and they may not support the full power bandwidth or may not be as durable. If you want to ensure that your cable is meeting all the requirements, Apple's Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable is the one to choose.

Available to order now

Thunderbolt 5 is brand new. There are very computers, accessories, or cables that support this latest spec as of now.

Overtime, this will likely grow. We saw a handful of prototype Thunderbolt 5 devices at CES earlier this year and more will start shipping in the months ahead, especially as Apple is on board.

Apple's new Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable can be ordered from Best Buy for $69. It only comes in black and one meter.

Eventually, we expect Apple to launch other lengths, but for now, the short one is all that's available. It's compatible with the new 2024 MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro and M4 Max chip as well as the M4 Pro Mac mini.

The cable is also fully backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 machines and peripherals.