

Just a snippet of the reviews on Apple’s website: 4K Mini DisplayPort displays that don’t have Thunderboltīut it’s not noted directly on the product page, which is confusing for some consumers who assumed DisplayPort compatibility and purchased without realizing. DisplayPort devices or accessories, such as Mini DisplayPort to HDMI or Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapters The Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter doesn’t support connections to these devices: Also, this adapter supports only one powered Thunderbolt 2 device on a USB-C equipped Mac. Note that although it uses a Mini DisplayPort connector, the Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter doesn’t support connections to Mini DisplayPort displays. Indeed a couple of Apple support docs for the adapter ( here and here) mention the limitation:

T MAC 3 2016 PRO
So, if you bought the new MacBook Pro and were hoping to use it with an Apple Cinema display or other Mini DisplayPort monitor like this guy, you won’t be able to do so with Apple’s official adapter. Thunderbolt 2 uses the same physical connector as Mini DisplayPort, but Apple’s new Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter won’t work with DisplayPort displays. Something like Apple’s Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter, for example.īut here’s where some users have been confused and accidentally purchased the wrong adapter: If you don’t have a display that uses a Thunderbolt 3/USB-C port- like the new 4K and 5K LG displays being sold exclusively by Apple for the new MacBook Pros- then you’ll need an adapter to go from Thunderbolt 3 to whatever I/O your display has (DisplayPort, HDMI, Thunderbolt 2, etc). There is a bit of confusion over what displays are supported via the new MacBook Pro’s Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports.
