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Some of the first good news for 2012 are starting to emerge. Apple has apparently filed three Thunderbolt related patents. The applications have been published by USPTO this week and prompted some voices to say that this is a clear indicator that Apple is going to be bringing Thunderbolt to iOS devices.
"The present invention, connection may also be a new type of connection," Apple's official patent filing sais. "A connection may be provided between a portable media player and a display, a computer and a portable media player, or between other types of devices."
If your not exactly sure what Thunderbolt is, well it’s a team effort between Apple and Intel with the purpose of allowing high-resolution displays or high-performance devices to be connected through a single port. Thunderbolt has been so far available for the MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac Mini. Relocating it to the iPhones and iPads would mean faster data transfers and faster charging.
You might be wondering about the potential uses that Thunderbolt would bring on iDevices. Well, imagine transforming your tablet display into a second screen that works perfectly in tandem when connected to a MacBook Pro or Air.
The three patents demonstrate very well how the Thunderbolt technology can be included in iDevices in order to increase the speed of data transfer especially. What’s currently unclear is whether the new ports will replace Apple’s 30-pin port or have a place on its own. Time will tell.
(Source: VentureBeat)