Posted on by Terry White

A Less Expensive USB-C Hub for your Mac/PC, iPhone 15 or iPad

With the introduction of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro phones, I’m connecting more peripherals to my iPhone 15 Pro than ever. For the first time, I can connect to gigabit ethernet, which is GREAT for those times when I need to sync a ton of raw photos and 4K videos to the cloud.

The Plugable 7-in-1 USB-C hub is plugged into my iPhone Pro. I currently have it connected to Ethernet, USB-C power and a microSD memory card from my drone.

When I first blogged about this, I recommended a great 9-in-1 USB-C hub, Hyperdrive. However, it was expensive (about $99). I discovered a 7-in-1 USB-C Hub with the same connectivity minus one USB port and one audio port. If you can live without these two additional ports, then you can save money by getting the Plugable 7-in-1 USB-C hub (about $40) instead.

The Plugable 7-in-1 USB-C Hub gives me four things in one.

The speed test results above were with gigabit Ethernet connected to the Plugable.

I don’t currently need to plug in USB devices like keyboards and mice. However, I absolutely connect gigabit ethernet, HDMI (for my live streams when demoing Lightroom on mobile), SD/microSD memory cards from my Nikon Z 8 or my DJI Mavic Mini Drone, and of course USB-C power from my Anker power plug.

Above, I have a microSD card plugged in, which was immediately recognized by Lightroom so that I can import the stills and video.

With this USB-C hub, I can connect to just about any USB peripheral to my iPhone 15 Pro or iPad Pro.

The Bottom Line

the blue plug icon is present when connected to Ethernet and you can see on the right that it’s also charging.

Apple’s transition to USB-C, which began in 2016, is just about complete. All my Macs have USB-C/Thunderbolt built-in. I’ve been enjoying USB-C on my iPad Pro for a few years. Finally, I can enjoy the same connectivity that I’ve been having with my iPad Pro on my iPhone 15 Pro!

If you’re looking for a reasonably priced USB-C hub for your Mac, PC, Chromebook, iPad, or iPhone 15/15 Pro, then look no further than the Plugable 7-in-1 USB-C Hub.