The Anker 5-in-1 USB-C Hub gives you five connections through a single port: HDMI output, two USB-A 3.0 ports, an SD reader, and a microSD reader. Devices you connect through HDMI may include an external monitor, a television, or a projector. HDMI output is limited to 4K at 30Hz. Each of the two USB-A 3.0 ports can transfer data at speeds up to 5Gbps. Both the SD and microSD readers can read cards at the same time. The entire unit has an aluminum housing that is only a few inches long, and it includes a small cable that wraps around it when traveling.
Head over to Amazon to get the Anker 5-in-1 USB-C Hub for just $18, down from its usual price of $25. That’s a $7 discount and 28% off.
A device to help plug in multiple USB-C items at once
As manufacturers continue to eliminate ports on their laptops, users who rely on a MacBook Air with only two USB-C connectors may have to choose between charging the laptop and plugging in a mouse. With the Anker 5-in-1 USB-C Hub, you can connect multiple items to your single USB-C port, such as an external display, a keyboard, a mouse, and a camera card at the same time without needing to unplug anything while using it.
Most people buy a hub to add an HDMI connection. Being able to connect a secondary display at 3840 by 2160 allows you to create actual desktop space for things like a spreadsheet and web browser side by side, or turn a hotel television into a monitor for viewing movies and shows for the night. Running that second display at a lower refresh rate of 30Hz should meet most needs, as it will allow you to view documents, browse, and watch videos adequately, though higher refresh rates would benefit gamers.
Two USB-A 3.0 ports accommodate peripherals that don’t use USB-C. Older flash drives, keyboards, external hard drives, and wireless mouse dongles all still use the traditional rectangular connector. The Anker 5-in-1 USB-C Hub lets you keep using these products on a laptop that eliminated all its USB-A ports. You don’t need to replace anything you already own, because it will now work as before.
Both photographers and videographers will have immediate uses for the dual card slot configuration. The SD and microSD slots are designed to operate simultaneously, allowing you to pull footage from a camera card and copy files from another card, meaning a drone’s microSD, in a single pass rather than performing two separate transfers. Data transfer speed is 104MB/s, which is fast enough to move a full card of RAW photos in under two minutes.
The included cable is short and loops around the bottom of the hub, preventing tangles with other cables inside your backpack or case. The aluminum outer shell also pulls heat away from internal components during extended data transfer operations. Overall weight is about the same as a standard set of house keys. At $18, down from $25, the Anker 5-in-1 USB-C Hub works with any MacBook, iPad Pro, Dell XPS, Microsoft Surface, Lenovo ThinkPad, and any other laptop with a USB-C port, and the manufacturer offers an 18-month warranty.
