Apple Begins Selling Standalone 2-Meter Thunderbolt 3 Pro Cable for $129

Apple has quietly started selling its 2-meter Thunderbolt 3 cable priced at $129, offering a braided design and active cable technology that supports full Thunderbolt 3 data transfer speeds of up to 40Gb/s. This marks the first time the cable has been available as a standalone purchase, as it is otherwise only available included with the Pro Display XDR.

thunderbolt 3 pro cable

Featuring a black braided design that coils without tangling, this 2-meter cable supports Thunderbolt 3 data transfer up to 40Gb/s, USB 3.1 Gen 2 data transfer up to 10Gb/s, DisplayPort video output (HBR3), and charging up to 100W. Use this cable to connect a Mac with Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 3 devices such as Pro Display XDR, docks, and hard drives.

Passive Thunderbolt 3 cables like Apple's standard version are limited to shorter lengths of less than a meter, as they are unable to maintain maximum speeds over longer lengths. Active electronics in the cable connectors are required for longer-length cables, which adds significantly to the cost. Even so, Apple's Thunderbolt 3 Pro Cable carries a price premium over many other active cables, including an $80 Belkin one also carried by Apple.

Lengths beyond two or three meters require optical cables that are even more expensive, and optical Thunderbolt 3 cables are only just now starting to come to market with prices starting at several hundred dollars.

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Top Rated Comments

xnsys Avatar
64 months ago
Hopefully comes with a jar of Vaseline at that price...
Score: 57 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xnsys Avatar
64 months ago

It is not cheap and not expensive considering it is driving a PCIe connection with 40GB/s speed for 2 meters. It is not for everyone.
So does the $80 Belkin one - what's so special about the apple one that warrants a 162% price increase?
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dz5b609 Avatar
64 months ago
For people saying this is expensive, you don't know what you're talking about.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
japanime Avatar
64 months ago
I was trying to decide whether to spend my summer allowance on this cable or one of the Mac Pro wheels. But then I found out those wheels are only available in a four-pack. So, the cable it is!
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
entropys Avatar
64 months ago
I wonder why thunderbolt isn’t more popular...
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Westside guy Avatar
64 months ago
$129?! Is this some sort of co-venture with Monster Cable? No, can't be... the connectors aren't gold-plated.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)