My current setup
2 Thunderbolt 27 inch displays
15" MacBook Pro Retina, Late 2013
Various low power USB 2.0 Peripherals plugged into hub
I have the one monitor daisy chained into the other which also has an ethernet 1 Gb/s connection and the USB hub connection. This is all connected to my MacBook Pro with the Thunderbolt 2 connection.
Upgrading to 2016 MacBook Pro
I thought it would be relatively simple to simply get a Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter.However, Apple support said that this is not possible.
If that is true, why? They said I would need an adapter for each Thunderbolt Display. An adapter for the ethernet, and an adapter for the USB 2.0 hub.
That's a total of 4 adapters!
However, I'm wondering if that is true since you can buy hubs (OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock) which this guide says will run over a single Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter. These hubs can have various thunderbolt/hdmi/ethernet connections. In principle, aren't I using the Thunderbolt display in the same manner?
Best Answer
The product page indicates that you CAN use the adapter for the display.
Please note the distinction between Thunderbolt and mini-DisplayPort. The Apple 27" Thunderbolt Display ISN'T primarily a display. It's actually a Thunderbolt-connected hub with a built-in display. Why is this distinction important? Because it means that the data traveling from the computer is being transmitted via Thunderbolt, not DisplayPort protocols. While it is true that you wouldn't be able to use the Thunderbolt 2/3 adapter for a mini-DisplayPort monitor, using it to connect your Thunderbolt monitors WILL work. According to the products webpage:
Source: Apple Product page
Edit: I assume you mean the 2016 MBP, as no 2017 model has been released as of this question.