When Apple announced the latest Apple MacBook, some were astonished by the new USB 3.1 Type-C port while others were flabbergasted by only having a single port. For those in the latter category, third parties are bringing USB Type-C docks to market to increase the number of ports and take advantage of the USB 3.1 capability.
Satechi Type-c USB 3.0 3 in 1 Combo Hub
Satechi’s hub is affordable at $34.99 on Amazon.com and sleek with its flush-mount design.
It connects to the MacBook’s port and provides 3x USB 3.0 Type-A ports, an SD card reader and a micro SD card reader.
This compact hub has some limitations such as only one of the SD card readers can be used at a time and the hub does not allow pass-through charging. You will not be able to charge your MacBook at the same time you are using the hub and you cannot use external hard drives or peripherals that require power from the USB port.
Satechi also makes a USB Type-C to USB Type-A adapter as well as a Type-C adapter to 3x USB Type-A ports and an Ethernet port.
OWC USB-C Dock
OWC has updated their previous dock that used Thunderbolt to a new dock using USB Type-C.
The dock provides an SD card reader, audio in/out jacks, 4x USB 3.1 Type-A ports
The OWC dock is more expensive but does not have the limitations of the Satechi hub. It is available for pre-order at $159 with shipping estimated at January 2016.
UNITEK USB Type C Multi-in-1 Universal Docking Station Pro
Unitek offers a $99.99 dock for the Apple MacBook or Chromebook Pixel. It does HDMI video/audio output along with Ethernet and 6x USB 3.0 ports available.
Whether or not you find yourself in need of a dock to increase the ports available to your MacBook, there should be more options arriving with time. USB Type-C is the future and more devices are adopting it. The Nexus 6P and 5X Android smartphones are using Type-C and as more phones adopt it, the compatible peripherals will become more prevalent.