Perhaps one of the most widely speculated hardware changes for the new iPhone 5 may be an improvement added recently to the new iPad 2. The technology is refered to as a thunderbolt port.
The data port, developed by Intel, is a quantum lead forward over USB port technology. The thunderbolt port was added to the iPad 2 because of its much faster data transfer rate over USB 2 technology currently widespread on computers and other devices.
In response to Intel’s thunderbolt, USB 3.0 is being released. The USB 3.0 is still a little slower than tuhunderbolt, however it reportedly consumes less power. The addition of thunderbolt to the iPhone 5 may not be great news for some consumers.
Apple has come a long way in terms of making their way into the hearts and pockets of mainstream users, after a long time playing to a smaller niche of techies. If USB 3.0 gets out to the market in time, the addition of thunderbolt may throw up a wall of separation again in the eyes of consumers as thunderbolt is compatible with only 0.1% of the devices available today.
