Home > Company Information > Press Release > Sumitomo Electric Launches Thu...

Press Release

Sumitomo Electric Launches Thunderbolt™ 3 Cables on Amazon Japan

Products & Technologies

December 11, 2019
Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
*This press release was originally published in Japanese on November 25, 2019.

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. launched its Thunderbolt™ 3 cables capable of 40 Gbps transmission on Amazon.co.jp on November 20, 2019.

Thunderbolt™ is a fast general-purpose data transmission specification developed by Intel Corporation for data communications between a personal computer and peripheral devices such as a display.*1 Sumitomo Electric undertook the development of Thunderbolt™ cables based on technical specifications disclosed by Intel to Sumitomo Electric. In 2010, Sumitomo Electric acquired the world's first Thunderbolt™ certification and in November 2015 obtained another certification for Thunderbolt™ 3 cables that enable 40 Gbps transmission. Since then, Sumitomo Electric has been selling Thunderbolt™ 3 cables as a major vendor of the product.

In recent years, along with the increasing instances of handling large data such as high-resolution video data, made possible by the improved performance of personal computers and peripherals, there has been growing demand for higher-rate transmission. Moreover, since the number of Thunderbolt™-compatible peripherals has been growing, Sumitomo Electric has decided to sell its Thunderbolt™ 3 cables on Amazon.co.jp to make the product available to a larger number of users.

To guarantee ease of use, all Thunderbolt™ 3 products are obliged to pass a certification test. Certified Thunderbolt™ 3 cables have been tested and meet the following features and specifications.

1. Features
  1. Ultrafast transmission up to 40 Gbps
    Thunderbolt™ 3 cables enable high-speed transmission between Thunderbolt™ 3-compatible devices such as multiple 4K displays, external graphics boards, external high-capacity data storage (e.g. HDD, SDD) and fast gaming PCs. The cables operate at a transmission rate eight times higher than that of USB 3.0 cables currently in wide use.
  2. Maximum power delivery of 100 W
    Each Thunderbolt™ 3 cable can supply power up to 100 W (5 A at 20 V) (c.f. USB 3.0: 4.5 W). It provides stable power, eliminating the need to provide a power supply to peripherals that consume high power.
  3. Flexible and flex-resistant
    Sumitomo Electric's proprietary micro-coaxial cable technology is used to make the cables highly flexible and flex-resistant. The cables are highly durable even if pinched up to 180 degrees or tangled in knots.
2. Specifications
Max. transmission rate: 40Gbps*2
Communication protocol: Thunderbolt™3
Product length: Up to 2.0 m
Connector specification: Type-C
3. Prices
2.0 m active cable: ¥8,500 (including tax)
0.8 m passive cable: ¥4,300 (including tax)
0.5 m passive cable: ¥4,000 (including tax)
4. Launch date
November 20, 2019
To celebrate the launch of its Thunderbolt™ 3 cables, Thunderbolt™ 2 cables currently on the market are available at reduced prices for your purchase.
5. Product Page on Amazon.co.jp
https://www.amazon.co.jp/s?me=AZWTBPCQYDZ6H&marketplaceID=A1VC38T7YXB528

*1 The Thunderbolt™ technology is a specification for fast general-purpose data transmission developed by Intel Corporation in collaboration with Apple Inc.

*2 This is the maximum transmission rate achievable when the cable is used to connect between Thunderbolt™ 3-compatible devices.

  • Intel, Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries.
  • Amazon is a trademark or registered trademark of Amazon.com, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.
  • USB Type-C is a trademark of the USB Implementers Forum.
  • Other company names and product names that appear in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies.
Page Top