Intel’s technological event in Israel provided the world with a first demonstration video for the next incarnation of the device which is designed to succeed the Thunderbolt 4 as the most advanced and diverse in the PC market – in addition to another intriguing product that goes by the name of Project Galactico
The organization responsible for the development of the USB standard was indeed ahead of Intel in announcing the next generation of the USB 4 interface that will double the maximum transfer speed – but the Thunderbolt standard (which turned from a competitor to a partner and then to a competitor again) does not stop either, when the hardware of the next generation are already in the labs under examination with the aim of providing users with two-way transfer speeds of up to 80Gbps.
The chip maker chose the Intel Tech Tour event that took place in Israel to reveal to the public for the first time the next advancement in its Thunderbolt standard, so far without an official name (we hope it will avoid the strange and somewhat confusing branding methods of USB technology), while providing up-to-date data About the welcome gradual expansion in the adoption of the Thunderbolt 4 standard – with over 650 new computer products that include this technology among them, of which over 90 percent of the laptops are based on the 12th generation Core processors, including very popular models at recommended prices of 350 dollars and above.
The situation in the field of peripherals that support Thunderbolt 4 is a little less bright, on the face of it, with about 90 different products supporting the standard out of nearly 1,000 peripheral Thunderbolt accessories of all generations created since the early days of the standard in 2010 until now. However, a 40 percent growth in the scope of use and interest in the last year should indicate that the best is yet to come, when the entry of more approved manufacturers for Thunderbolt controllers beyond Intel itself could lower the entry bar into the category and greatly help us, the consumers, who sometimes may find it difficult to produce The most from the device when there is not a sufficient supply of external accessories at sane prices that will take advantage of it.
In order to encourage the adoption of Thunderbolt 4 technology by the accessory manufacturers at Intel, they continue to work on their own original and interesting ideas – such as the concept of a universal stand for a desktop computer screen that also includes various additional connections, built-in speakers, an advanced webcam and a built-in wireless charging stand for smartphones and other supporting devices , with everything interfacing to your laptop (or desktop) with a single Thunderbolt 4 connection.
Intel does not plan to produce and market this stand to consumers directly, but hopes that its concept can be used as a reference design for other companies that do so – and we will keep our fingers crossed that those who pick up the glove will be able to do so also in a configuration that supports a pair of computer monitors or even three screens, instead of just a single screen which is no longer satisfactory in the eyes of many users.
Back to the future double-speed Thunderbolt, it’s currently unknown when we’ll see it on our PCs – with the Raptor Lake generation naturally out of the question, and the early stage of testing likely putting next year’s Meteor Lake generation under wraps as well a question. Will we have to wait for 2024 and the Arrow Lake generation to get the new benefits? If the answer is yes, it should at least provide the opportunity for Thunderbolt 4 to gain widespread adoption in the industry, including in competitor AMD’s products that have already begun to show such buds.
