Having Apple’s latest MacBook Pro is a gift and a curse. While I love the touch bar, enjoy the aesthetics, one thing I dread is the fact seems to be trying to force USB-C on us before it’s widely accepted everywhere. Not everyone has “USB-C everything”.
Luckily if you don’t Hypershop has a USB Type-C Hub that can solve many of the first-world problems we 2016 MacBook Pro users have.
Hyper is the maker of everyday products that are not only functional but help create more productivity than what your products don’t already give you. One of those is the HyperDrive USB Type-C 5-in-1 Hub with pass Through Charging for the 2016 MacBook Pro. At only $49.95 the HyperDrive is a do-all USB-C hub that eliminates one thing Apple loves – confusion, and dongles. Versus buying an accessory for charging and syncing your iPhone, another for uploading photos, and another for charging your MacBook while doing other tasks, the HyperDrive USB-C gives you everything you want, all in one complete space. Featuring two USB 3.0 ports, a micro SDXC slot, an SDXC slot, and pass through USB Type-C charging port, the HyperDrive is always in my tech bag wherever I go. Here are some specs:
Dimensions: 84 x 28 x 8.4mm
Weight: 25g
Operating Voltage: 5V
Standby Current: <50mA
Operating Current (Power Consumption): 150180mA
Smart Charging Voltage/Current/Power: 14.5V/2A, 30W
Temperature Range: 0ºC50ºC (working), -40ºC50ºC (storage)
Humidity Range: 40%90% (working, non-condensate), 20%95% (storage, non-condensate)
Atmospheric Pressure Range: 80106KPa (working), 80106KPa (storage)
Too many times have I been in a space where I needed to immediately sync my iPhone, more recently I needed to save wipe my device and restore from backup. Since connecting to iTunes is relatively faster than using iCloud, I grabbed my Lightning cable, and attempted to plug it into my MacBook Pro. You can see where I immediately failed right? Not having a Lighting to USB-C cable meant that there was nothing I could do to charge and sync my MacBook Pro. Luckily though, there’s the HyperDrive. Available in three colors (Gold, Silver and Space Grey), the Space Grey that I have saved the day. Not only was I able to actually get work done, but since the HyperDrive actually allows for pass-through charging (unlike some other USB-C Hubs I’ve tried recently), I was able to charge up my laptop all while getting work done.
Available in three colors (Gold, Silver and Space Grey), the Space Grey that I have saved the day. Not only was I able to actually get work done, but since the HyperDrive actually allows for pass-through charging (unlike some other USB-C Hubs I’ve tried recently), I was able to charge up my laptop all while getting work done.
Although I wish it had three USB ports, since I tend to charge up my iPad and iPhone while doing work from my laptop, there are some small cases where I have to use my external hard drive to pass through images and documents that an extra USB port would be really helpful. This could just be a completely isolated case, but it does happen.
What’s more, Hyper has gone the extra mile with the HyperDrive USB-C hub by adding an LED light to signify when the laptop itself is charging. This is something that I truly miss coming from the MagSafe MacBook’s where when plugged into an outlet you would know if the laptops charge status simply by looking at the LED light. While I’m not really a fan of the Blue LED of the HyperDrive, and would much rather it be green, it’s not a huge loss.
Overall, the HyperDrive USB-C Hub for the MacBook Pro is a delight to use and is a mainstay in my daily tech bag. No longer do I have to suffer from forgetting a dongle thanks to having everything all in one with this affordable hub.
For more information on the HyperDrive USB Type-C 5-in-1 Hub, head over to Hyper’s Shop page today.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review unit
What I Like: Having everything all in one is excellent, no more dongles!
What Needs Improvement: I would’ve really liked to also see an HDMI option