OWC unveils its first Thunderbolt 4 dock

The storage-upgrade and accessory seller OWC has launched its first product aimed at the impending Thunderbolt 4 market. This up-to-date port offers extra-speedy data-transfer and charging rates even compared to its predecessor; however, it is also likely to be in relatively short supply on new notebooks in the immediate future.

To this end, OWC has developed a hub that might extend the functionality of each Thunderbolt 4-enabled port for the user. It is a slim, flat box that connects to a compatible PC via an included 0.7 meter (m) to offer 3 additional ports with the same technology.

They can then be used to connect other devices, which may include external drives and other peripherals at up to 40 gigabits per second (40Gb/s). Being Thunderbolt 4, 2 of these ports can be used for a dual 4K display set-up; alternatively, 1 can connect a 5K, 6K, or 8K monitor.

Furthermore, OWC asserts its new dock can manage the indiscriminate daisy-chaining (for example, a portable SSD can be placed at any point along a given "branch") that is also an upgraded feature of the new technology. The Thunderbolt 4 dock can be pre-ordered from now on the OEM's macsales.com platform for US$149, and will be shipped from the end of October 2020.