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Why can I connect to a non-Apple monitor via USB-C to HDMI adaptor, but NOT an Apple Thunderbolt monitor via a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adaptor. iPad says that Thunderbolt accessories are not compatible with this iPad. It seems bizarre that I cannot connect an Apple monitor, but I can connect to a third party monitor! Is there a rational reason for this?
iPad Air, iPadOS 14
USB-C is a physical standard for the physical connector only. The iPad does not implement the logical/software Thunderbolt 2/3 protocol, which is the logical/software protocol the Thunderbolt display uses to communicate with a connected device. The USB-C to HDMI adapter functions as a USB display adapter and then just outputs an HDMI signal. The Apple Thunderbolt display is actually a lot more than just a monitor; it includes an integrated USB hub, audio device, web camera, Ethernet, thunderbolt hub, etc.
I will agree this is really confusing and annoying as I'm in the same position, I have 2 Thunderbolt displays which are quickly becoming obsolete. It is blocking an upgrade because we don't want to lose the use of these great displays, but we also want to move to an iPad instead of Mac.
USB-C is a physical standard for the physical connector only. The iPad does not implement the logical/software Thunderbolt 2/3 protocol, which is the logical/software protocol the Thunderbolt display uses to communicate with a connected device. The USB-C to HDMI adapter functions as a USB display adapter and then just outputs an HDMI signal. The Apple Thunderbolt display is actually a lot more than just a monitor; it includes an integrated USB hub, audio device, web camera, Ethernet, thunderbolt hub, etc.
I will agree this is really confusing and annoying as I'm in the same position, I have 2 Thunderbolt displays which are quickly becoming obsolete. It is blocking an upgrade because we don't want to lose the use of these great displays, but we also want to move to an iPad instead of Mac.
The iPad Air4 does not support Thunderbolt. The Air4 USB-C port natively supports DisplayPort protocol over USB-C - or, with an appropriate adapter, HDMI 2.
Many thanks for the clarification. Seems daft to me that Apple do not support this conncectivity!
Thunderbolt Display with iPad Air Gen. 8
