About the Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) Cable
Connect a device that has a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port to a device that has a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) or USB-C port.
The Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) Cable (0.8m) connects a Mac that has a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port to a device that has a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) or USB-C port.
Video
Use this cable to connect your Mac to a display that uses Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) or USB-C for video, such as the LG UltraFine 5K Display or LG UltraFine 4K Display. It supports DisplayPort High Bit Rate 3 (HBR3) video output.
Data transfer
Use this cable to connect your Mac to a device that uses Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) or USB-C for data transfer, such as an external hard drive or dock. It supports Thunderbolt 3 data-transfer speeds up to 40Gbps, and USB 3.1 Gen 2 data-transfer speeds up to 10Gbps. It also supports Target Disk Mode. Check the specifications of your device to determine which data-transfer standard it supports.
Charging
This cable also connects to Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) or USB-C devices for charging your Mac notebook computer or other device. It delivers a maximum of 100W power to any connected device.
Compared with Apple USB-C Charge Cable
The Apple USB-C Charge Cable is longer (2m) and also supports charging, but data-transfer speed is limited to 480Mbps (USB 2.0) and it doesn't support video. The Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) cable has Thunderbolt logo on the sleeve of each connector. Either cable can be used with the Apple USB-C Power Adapter.
Learn more
Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) allows six devices in a chain, so you can use this cable between your Mac and each device in the chain.
Adapters for connecting to the Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port on your Mac