Now that Apple has brought a USB-C port to the iPhone 15, it’s time to review how USB-C differs from Thunderbolt.

Similarities:

• They look alike.
• They are compatible with each other.

How to identify similar cables:

• A Thunderbolt connector will have a lightning bolt symbol on it.
• No lightning bolt? Then it’s a USB-C connector.

Keep in mind:

• Use Thunderbolt cables between Thunderbolt devices to get the fastest transfer speeds.
• Thunderbolt 4 runs at 40Gbps, up to four times faster than USB-C.
• USB-C cables marked SS (for Super Speed) are faster than USB 2.0 cables.

(See Cult of Mac for more.)

My take: turns out, a cable is not just a cable! I wonder if there’s a plug in device to tell you if your cable is legit and what speeds it supports. But whatever you do, don’t check out this video if you’re paranoid.