Intel makes Thunderbolt 3 royalty-free, ahead of USB4 release

Intel announced that it has contributed the Thunderbolt protocol specification to the USB Promoter Group, thus allowing other chip manufacturers to build Thunderbolt compatible silicon, royalty-free.

In addition, the company announced the pending release of the USB4 specification, based on the Thunderbolt protocol.

"Releasing the Thunderbolt protocol specification is a significant milestone for making today's simplest and most versatile port available to everyone. This, in combination with the integration of Thunderbolt 3 into upcoming Intel processors is a win-win for the industry and consumers," said Jason Ziller, general manager, Client Connectivity Division at Intel.

The Thunderbolt allows you to transfer speeds of up to 40 Gbps.

Thunderbolt 3 will support Windows 10, macOS and Linux, PCs with these ports continue to double every year into the tens of millions; and all the latest Macs have Thunderbolt 3 ports.

"Realizing HP's vision for the office of the future requires seamless connectivity, powerful performance, and total simplicity to enable people to unleash their creativity wherever their workday takes them," said Bill Gorden, vice president, Commercial Notebook Management at HP. "Thunderbolt 3 is a powerful addition to our new notebooks and docks that delivers the flexibility sought by IT departments and the experiences people love."

More than 400 PC designs have been enabled with Thunderbolt 3. Peripheral device volumes also continue to double annually with more than 450 certified devices from a wide number of product categories, including docks, displays, storage, and external graphics, Intel informed.

"Samsung Electronics is responding to increasing consumer demand for Thunderbolt 3 by offering sleek and powerful notebooks and other peripheral devices," said Mincheol Lee, vice president, PC Strategic Marketing at Samsung Electronics. "We look forward to our ongoing collaboration with Intel to bring more innovative Thunderbolt 3 products to market."