Question: are usb c and thunderbolt 3 cables the same?
Answer: All Thunderbolt 3 cables will work as USB-C cables. ... Thunderbolt 3 is backward-compatible with earlier versions of Thunderbolt, but due to the new port type, adapters are required to use legacy Thunderbolt devices. Any USB-C device (like a Google Pixel) plugged into a Thunderbolt 3 port will function normally.