There has always been this tension with Apple’s devices. Some people want no ports, and some people want them all. I can argue both sides, but the trend is clearly moving toward fewer ports. Satechi’s new MagSafe 7-in-1 hub is one of the first accessories I have used that actually fills that gap in a smart way. It gives the iPhone some of the flexibility of a Mac without adding much clutter or complexity, but can also serve as a portable hub for your Mac as well.
MagSafe Monday: Every Monday, Bradley Chambers looks at the latest MagSafe and wireless charging gear to help you get more out of your Apple devices.
A iPhone hub that finally makes sense
The idea of a hub that attaches magnetically to the back of an iPhone feels obvious once you use it. Most hubs are designed for laptops, which means they work well on a desk but not when holding your phone in a hotel room or trying to offload footage in an airport seat. Satechi built this one specifically around the iPhone experience. It is small, the cable wraps neatly around the base, and the magnet keeps everything securely in place, preventing anything from swinging or dangling. It is the closest thing I have used to a Swiss Army knife for an iPhone, thanks to all the ports packed into a tiny footprint.
- HDMI port with 4K support
- Two USB-A ports
- SD and microSD card readers that support up to 2TB
- Gigabit Ethernet
- USB-C power pass-through with up to 100-watt input and up to 80-watt output
It turns your phone into something more capable without making the setup more complicated. Especially for mobile content creators, you gain a lot of options for mobile editing, etc.
What you can do with it
What stands out to me is how many real-world problems this hub solves without forcing you to bring a laptop. It lets you move photos and videos straight from an SD card to external storage without filling up your iPhone. You can plug into a TV in a hotel if you want a bigger screen. You can use wired Ethernet when Wi-Fi isn’t reliable, and you have a backup. With both USB-A and USB-C available, you can offload or back up anything you need without needing a Mac. It makes the iPhone more of a mobile computer when needed, and it earns a permanent spot in a travel bag because it solves practical problems in a very small package.
On the flip side, outside of MagSafe on an iPhone, it works great on a Mac as a hub as well. So all of the ways you’d use this on an iPhone, you can use on a Mac, and it’s in a slim package. It includes an adhesive ring for connecting to the back of your Mac as well.
Wrap up
If you want an iPhone or Mac hub built around solving problems, this one is an easy pick-up. It keeps your setup clean, fits in a coat pocket, and gives your iPhone capabilities that normally require a Mac. For traveling with my Mac or mobile content creation on iPhone, it is one of the most practical accessories I have used this year.
You can buy the Satechi 7-in-1 MagSafe Multiport Adapter from Amazon.
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