VR-Zone is reporting that Apple is still looking into implementing USB 3.0 alongside Thunderbolt.

VR-Zone has heard that the company is still looking at USB 3.0 as a potential feature to add on future products. As to when and how this might happen is not something we know, but from our understanding it’ll happen before Intel integrates USB 3.0 support into its chipsets.

According to the online publication, Apple has been looking into USB 3.0 host controllers which have just recently reached an affordable level costing somewhere between $2-3 in large quantities. In comparison, Intel’s Thunderbolt chip run somewhere between $10-15. Nevertheless, USB 3.0′s speeds are not as fast as that of Thunderbolt technology.

USB 3.0 can of course not match the performance of a device connected over Thunderbolt, but that level of performance is often not required by the consumer market and Apple is seemingly catering more and more towards consumer. Backwards compatibility is another bonus that USB 3.0 offers and in reality there’s no reason for a device with USB 2.0 ports today.

Whether or not Apple implements USB 3.0 into its devices, with its affordable price tag, the possibility is there.

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