After being rumored for so long, it's finally official: the iPad Pro (2021) has Thunderbolt 3 support in its USB-C port. So, you're going to need the best Thunderbolt accessories for your iPad Pro (2021) to utilize it in new and exciting ways. Whether you've been dying to hook this device up with a display, dock, or hard drive, you finally have the option. This brings the iPad Pro (2021) closer to being a very powerful laptop-like experience, or, as some may call it, the best iPad ever. If you want to make the most out of your new iPad, here are the best Thunderbolt accessories for the iPad Pro (2021).
Incredibly fast SSD
If you're used to dealing with giant file sizes and need a hard drive that can handle transfer data fast, the Samsung X5 is one of the fastest SSD's you'll find. Its read and write speeds are 2,800MB/s and 2,300MB/s, respectively, and the entire body is made of metal, making it much harder than plastic drives. Plus, the internal frame on the inside is shock resistant for drops from two meters. It's available in 500GB, 1TB, or 2TB sizes.
Extremely powerful
Not only does this diminutive box power up to 85 watts of charge, but it also has two Thunderbolt 3 ports with 40Gbps of data transfer. You also get a DisplayPort support, USB-C, Digital Optical Audio, three USB-A ports (one of which supports 15 watts of device charging), a separate headphone, and a microphone jack—and an SD card reader. It's the workhorse of multi-port docking stations.
Thunderbolt display
With two Thunderbolt 3 ports on this 23.7-inch display that can handle 4K video, audio, and data all at once, on top of supplying up to 85W of charging power, it's the perfect monitor for hooking up to your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air. Additionally, three USB-C ports allow you to connect other peripherals like a USB-C hub or a hard drive, and LG's beautiful IPS panel with P3 wide color gamut carries a 3840-by-2160 resolution for impeccable clarity.
Rugged hard drive
LaCie hard drives have always been good for people on the go because of the rugged design. The LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt can withstand dust, dirt, and even a tiny bit of water being splashed on it. Its 7200 RPM Hard drive keeps things running smoothly. And the included USB-C cable — which supports Thunderbolt 3 — makes it perfect for the new iPad Pro (2021)! It comes in 2TB, 4TB, 5TB, or 8TB sizes.
Compact Thunderbolt dock
The Elgato Thunderbolt 3 Dock features two Thunderbolt 3 ports with high-speed data transfer, two USB-A 3.0 ports, a DisplayPort port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. With this versatile machine, you can connect a 5K or 4K display plus one additional display. Plus, it's a pretty compact design, meaning you don't have to carry around something too bulky with your iPad Pro.
Large external display
LG's big 32-inch 32UL950-W is not only a Thunderbolt 3 monitor, meaning you can daisy chain monitors together but also has quite a few ports. With one Thunderbolt 3 port, one USB-C, two USB-A, an HDMI, DisplayPort port, and a headphone jack, this monitor has tons of connectivity to attach all your favorite devices. Plus, its 60hz screen refresh rate, 600 nits brightness, and beautiful P3 wide color gamut make this screen look amazing right out of the box.
Thunderbolt on iPad Pro is a game-changer
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Thunderbolt has been around on Mac for a few years now, but the iPad Pro (2021) is the first iPad ever to feature the lightning-fast transfer speeds and power capabilities that Thunderbolt affords you. You'll be able to connect your iPad Pro to a ton of accessories that will let you do more, making it easier to fit your iPad Pro (2021) into your workflow.
A blazing fast external SSD is a welcome addition to any workspace, and now you can use the Samsung X5 with the iPad Pro (2021). Transferring data and large files is no problem when this drive can achieve read and writes speeds of up to 2,800MB/s and 2,300MB/s respectively.
Since the iPad Pro (2021) still has all the portability of the iPad, you don't always want to carry around big, bulky accessories. The Elgato Thunderbolt 3 Dock gives you plenty of ports to use with your iPad Pro and compact enough to easily carry around.
