IF you’ve purchased a laptop over the last few years, you’ve probably noticed that the ever-reliable USB ports are slowly but surely going the way of the dodo bird.
You’d be lucky to get one or two USB ports at best on a laptop these days, while devices such as MacBooks no longer feature USB ports and other connections such as HDMI at all, instead opting for USB-C, a newer format that is smaller yet far more powerful.
Not having access to ports such as USB and HDMI can quickly become a headache if you need to connect your device to an additional display or make use of computer peripherals such as keyboards and mice, but thankfully USB-C allows for the use of adapters that can reunite you with the crucial ports that you miss so dearly.
One such USB-C adapter is the Satechi USB-C Slim MultiPort Adapter V2, a stylish and small device that when plugged in via a single USB-C port, grants you access to various connections such as two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, separate MicroSD and SD Card readers, alongside another USB-C port.
Although my HP Envy X360 laptop has 2 USB Ports, I often find myself using them up with my mouse and portable HDD. This shortage of ports is made worse when I want to use additional accessories such as my wired mechanical keyboard and headset for gaming. Thankfully, the slim and easily transportable design of the Satechi USB-C Slim MultiPort Adapter afforded me to use the myriad of accessories on my laptop while on the go.
The two USB 3.0 ports function largely as you’d expect them to, allowing for quick and easy plug and play with USB-A devices. It’s important to note however that they don’t support charging.
The USB-C port does support charging, with power delivery up to 60W, meaning that you can charge USB-C devices such as a phone or headphones. Attempting to charge my Samsung Galaxy S20+ through the port on the adapter only provided me with standard charging instead of fast charging, which was a bit disappointing, but it was still more than capable of charging my device.
The HDMI port allows for video up to 4K 30Hz, making it more than suitable for use with the vast majority of displays currently on the market. I used the device predominately on 1080p displays and had no issues whatsoever.
Although I don’t make much use of the MicroSD and SD card readers, they are a nice additional connection on the adapter. I found it handy when needing to get screenshots moved from my Nintendo Switch to my computer for review purposes.
Overall, the Satechi USB-C Slim MultiPort Adapter V2 is a great product. If you’re in desperate need for ports that your laptop or tablet doesn’t have, or simply want to make use of the USB-C port to get access to other connections, this sleek and aesthetically pleasing adapter is well worth the roughly AUD$100 price of admission.
This review utilised a Satechi USB-C Slim MultiPort Adapter V2 provided by Rocket Comms.
