Meta announced its new mixed reality headset during the 2024 Meta Connect keynote on Wednesday. The Meta Quest 3S will start at $300 and represents a more affordable, yet higher-specced option between the $500 Quest 3 from last year and 2020's (soon to be discontinued) Quest 2.
The new model has the same processor as the Quest 3, as well as the same full-color external cameras to enable mixed reality features. The per-eye resolution matches that of the Quest 2, instead of the 4K pixel dimensions of the Quest 3. The 3S is also equipped with Fresnel lenses like the second model — the slimmer pancake lenses are reserved for the pricier set. Along with the new device, Meta also announced a price change for the existing Meta Quest 3; It now comes in just one storage capacity, 512GB, but that configuration goes for $500 instead of $650.
The Meta Quest 3 is our current pick for the best VR headset overall, so it'll be interesting to see whether the Meta Quest 3S improves upon the previous generation's winning formula of relative affordability combined with useful mixed reality, realistic VR immersion and support for a healthy library of games. Engadget's Devindra Hardawar gave the both the Quest 3 and Quest 2 positive reviews upon their debuts and our verdict on the Quest 3S will come soon, once we've had a chance to test the new set.
But if you can't wait until then, here's a quick rundown of how the specs of Meta's three consumer-grade VR headsets compare side by side (while omitting the overly expensive yet underwhelming Quest Pro, which will also go the way of Quest 2 once current inventory runs out). Pre-orders for the Meta Quest 3S open on September 25 and the headset will hits shelves October 15.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/the-meta-quest-3s-vs-meta-quest-2-and-meta-quest-3-finding-a-happy-medium-171820494.html?src=rss
End-of-summer and back-to-school sales have mostly expired and, while we know Amazon will have another Prime Day sale in October, we don't know when just yet. That makes this just another week of our team hunting and searching for deals all across the world wide web. We actually found quite a few worth considering, with discounts on products pulled from our extensive and growing list of buyer's guides and reviews.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 (in its original color) is $110 off and the LCD Steam Deck is seeing a rare discount. One of our favorite power banks from Baseus is on sale with a 40 percent coupon. And an Amazon Fire Tablet that makes a great communal device for casual use is just over half off. Here are the best deals from this week that you can still get today.
Discounts on Apple gear
Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
The iPhone 16 launch event revealed four new iPhones, one new Apple Watch and a new pair of AirPods. iPhones don't tend to get standalone discounts, but Apple is offering healthy trade-in deals, including up to $650 credit towards a new handset (if you happen to be done with your iPhone 15 Pro Max). A new Apple Watch Ultra 3 was not announced, but a new black color for the Ultra 2 was. If you're happy with the original titanium, you can grab a $100 discount on that model. The new AirPods 4 aren't discounted yet, but the AirPods Pro 2 are currently $60 off. That's about $20 more than their all-time low, but could still be worthwhile considering the useful upgrades a software update will enable in a month or so.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 for $689 ($110 off): The high-end performance smartwatch is down to $689 at Amazon, which is less than it went for during Amazon Prime Day in July. That's a savings of $110, which is one of the best discounts we've seen yet.
Apple M3 MacBook Pro for $1,300 ($200 off): The laptop we named the best MacBook for creatives is on sale at Amazon — also for less than it went for last Prime Day. The 14-inch base model comes with 512GB of storage and 8GB of RAM and usually goes for $1,500.
Apple black Magic Mouse for $85 ($15 off): The white version of Apple's popular accessory is still cheaper at $68, but the black colorway rarely goes on sale. Both mice pair quickly and are relatively light with responsive touch gestures.
Apple iPad (10th gen) for $299 ($50 off): The base model iPad didn't get a refresh in Apple's latest iPad release but it did get a permanent price drop from $449 to $349. It's selling for a further $50 below that at Amazon right now. That's a price it has hit often recently, but is still the cheapest we've seen on our favorite budget iPad.
Apple Pencil (1st gen) for $69 ($30 off): The 10th generation iPad is the only tablet in Apple's current lineup thats compatible with the first-generation stylus. Many of the older slabs still work with it too. We've seen this discount for a couple of weeks now, but it's still $10 below the average sale price. It's also discounted at Walmart.
Streaming subscription deals
I have at least three subscriptions that I need to cancel right now — yet I'm somehow tempted by the half off Paramount+ deal. Go figure. If you too are in the market for another monthly service plan, here are a few discounts to peruse.
Disney+ Basic plan (with ads) for $2 per month: New and returning customers can take advantage of the sale price for three months. That tier is usually $8 per month and includes all Disney+ content, but with commercial breaks. The plan will automatically renew — and the regular price increases to $10 per month starting on October 17.
Paramount+ annual subscriptions for 50 percent : The Essential plan (with ads) is only $30 for your first year, while the upgraded plan with access to Showtime, your local CBS station, and fewer ads costs just $60 for the year. The plans will automatically renew at the full price.
The big news in gaming hardware this week was Sony's announcement of the PS5 Pro coming in November with pre-orders starting on September 26. There's not likely to be any sort of discount on the hefty $700 price tag for a while. But here are three bits of recommended gaming gear that is on sale — including a rare discount on a Steam Deck.
Valve Steam Deck (LCD, 512GB) for $337 ($82 off): Our recommendation for the best handheld PC gaming system is seeing a rare sale on Steam. The entry level model with the older LCD screen and 64GB of storage is 15 percent off. You can take 25 percent off the 512GB model. The sale runs through September 26 while supplies last.
ASTRO Gaming A40 TR wired gaming headset for $100 ($30 off): Our pick for the best gaming headset is $30 off (though overall we recommend going with headphones and an external mic). This a price it's hit a number of times over the past year and isn't an all-time low. We found these to be comfortable with better sound than many headsets, but the mic performance is only OK.
Three of the personal audio devices we recommend are seeing some good discounts this week. Could be a good time to make sure you have a good burner pair for the gym (the Jlab Go), a pair you won't stress too much about leaving on the bus (the Anker buds) or a quality set of buds that'll encourage you through your next run (the Beats).
Beats Fit Pro Earbuds for $160 ($40 off): Our overall favorite pair of earbuds for running are on sale at Best Buy for $40 off. They've hit this price point often over the past few months, but it's a decent discount on buds we found to be comfortable with a secure fit and great audio quality.
JLab Go Air Sport for $20 ($10 off): Engadget’s favorite pair of budget running headphones are 33 percent off at Best Buy and direct from JLab, that's the same price it went for at Amazon during Prime Day. These buds surprised us with a combination of affordability, good sound quality and long battery life.
Tech accessory deals
Logitech
All the small things that boost the big ticket devices are the unsung heroes of the tech world. This week we found savings on some extra storage, a better webcam, and a charging station that can power up your phone, buds and watch at once.
Logitech Brio 500 Full HD Webcam for $93 ($37 off): The model that came out on top in our testing for the best webcams you can buy is seeing a 29 percent discount at Amazon. That's not an all-time low, but is the best price we've seen over the past few months. It has a wide field of view, auto-light correction and shoots 1080p video.
Anker Docking Station 575 for $140 ($30 off): This budget option got an honorable mention in our guide to the best docking stations and could make a good pick for use with Windows laptops. It didn't perform well when using a MacBook Pro. It's also fairly lightweight so might not stand up straight with heavy or a lot of cables attached.
Lexar Play microSD card (1TB) for $66.49 ($63.50 off): This high-capacity microSD card is nearly half off right now. It's compatible with the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck and other systems, making it a great option for additional storage.
Anker 100W USB-C (GaN II) fast charger for $40 ($35 off): If you need a wall charger that can keep up with your fast-charging devices, you might appreciate the 100 watts of power this Anker brick can deliver (just make sure you're pairing it with an cable that's up to the task).
Power bank deals
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
You're far less likely to end up with a dead phone if you buy (and remember to bring) a power bank. Here are two from our guide that are on sale this week.
Anker 6,600 mAh folding Qi2-certified power bank for $30 ($40 off): This folding bank from Anker is more than half price with a discount and a clickable $10 coupon. It should give most smartphones a full charge, plus a little extra. The design lets you use/watch your Mag-Safe iPhone in landscape orientation as it wirelessly charges.
We checked yet again this week — there's still no all-in-one housekeeper/butler robot that can manage your home for you. While we wait on this to happen, there are devices that can help you manage your lights, boost your Wi-Fi and keep your floors clean.
Kasa Smart Plug EP25 (4-pack) for $34 ($16 off): These are the best smart plugs you can buy, according to our guide on the subject. They work with all four smart home ecosystems, are easy to set up and stay reliably connected. This price is close to an all-time low and the cheapest we've seen this year.
TP-Link AC1200 WiFi Extender for $23 ($27 off): The best budget Wi-Fi extender from our guide is more than half off at Amazon. It's basically sold for that price over the past few months, but it's nevertheless an all-time low and a good deal on a simple way to help eliminate dead zones in your home's wireless coverage.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $40 ($20 off): As it has been for most of the past year, Amazon's most powerful streaming stick is back down to $40. We like it as a retro gaming emulator and it even lets you play current games through XBox Game Pass cloud gaming. You could also use it for its original intention and stream shows.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/one-of-our-top-magsafe-compatible-power-banks-is-40-percent-off-plus-the-rest-of-this-weeks-best-tech-deals-173038865.html?src=rss
Last year, I experienced my first iPhone launch cycle at Engadget and the fanfare got to me. It seemed I couldn’t call myself a respectable member of the tech world if I didn’t own any of the shiny new tech. So I headed to the Apple store on the iPhone 15’s opening weekend and put my name in to buy one. As I waited my turn, I idly played with the display model. Holding it up to my iPhone 11, my enthusiasm dimmed. A bright grid of apps, softly rounded corners, one button on the right, two buttons and a toggle on the left… These two phones were the same. Sure, the pill-shaped thing on the screen was new, but, so what?
Instead of splurging, I left the store with my old phone. One year later, as this week’s iPhone 16 event approached, the thought of upgrading my phone hadn’t really crossed my mind. I was more concerned with the real-time transcription abilities I’d need to help cover the event.
But then Apple went and announced a brand new feature for the iPhone 16. While rumors suggested the DSLR-like focus button (now known as the Camera Control) would grace only the Pro models, every iPhone announced this year actually got the fancy new thing. And the Action button from the 15 Pro would now be on the base model as well. Additionally, there’s a new “fusion camera” that combines a 48MP sensor with a 2x telephoto lens. I may not know what that really means, but anything that might help me take better pictures of cityscapes is a plus.
Of course, the new button was likely added because it’ll serve as the interface for October’s upcoming Visual Intelligence, Apple’s AI-fueled feature that interprets the real world through the lens of Apple Intelligence. Given that shareholders insist AI’s buzz be shoved into everything, it’s not surprising that Apple’s best selling product would have all the tools it needs to embrace the tech fully. AI isn’t something I need, but two new buttons? And one that seems potentially pretty cool? It’s enough to lure me to upgrade.
I’m not much of a shopper. I wear six-year old t-shirts, own seven pairs of shoes and still carry an iPhone 11. I’m not necessarily proud of these facts; the experience of buying A New Thing often just leaves me cold, particularly when the stuff I have still works just fine.
Up until now, every iPhone I’ve replaced was for a good reason: Three years in, the battery on my iPhone 3GS stopped holding a charge. After the same amount of time, my iPhone 7 got so slow I’d forget what I was trying to do before an app would open.
Conspiracy theories once abounded that Apple purposely built planned obsolescence into their handsets, but I think a saner reason was that battery and chip technology just weren’t where they are now. With the release of iOS 17, Apple dropped feature update support for the iPhone 8, but a security update went out as recently as last month. That’s nearly seven years of reasonable use (and I have family members with iPhone 8s who have no plans to upgrade anytime soon).
My iPhone 11 outside its case. Still quite shiny.
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
I got my iPhone 11 in early 2020 and, four and a half years later, it’s still an entirely serviceable device. I can play my daily games, waste time on Reddit, keep in contact with friends and family using their various preferred methods and take pictures of tall buildings and overhead wires that turn out pretty decent. The battery won’t last through a whole day if I’m relying heavily on navigation, though that’s not a huge problem for me — I have far too many power banks laying around to ever end up with a dead phone. But it won’t last forever.
The new iPhone 16 costs $799 — the same price as the iPhone 15 went for — and it comes in a new ultramarine color. It’s sort of a purply royal blue that I’m very drawn to and represents just the sort of superfluous, consumerist frivolity that provokes post-shopping dejection. But it’s so pretty! Granted, I'll never really see that deep, blue-hour shade. The moment I get this new phone, it’s going directly into a case, where it will stay until the next time I upgrade — maybe around 2030 or so.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/my-iphone-11-is-perfectly-fine-but-the-new-buttons-on-the-iphone-16-are-compelling-133045569.html?src=rss
Before announcing new handsets during the It's Glowtime iPhone 16 launch event in Cupertino, Apple execs talked up the company's latest suite of smartwatches. Rumors suggested we could get an Apple Watch X instead of the Apple Watch Series 10, if the company were to borrow the naming scheme from its 2017 iPhone. But that didn't happen, it's indeed the Apple Watch Series 10.
In addition to the flagship wearable, we also saw the announcement of a new finish for the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Unfortunately, after a two-year wait, the Apple Watch SE has not been updated to a third generation. Here's how you can pre-order the new Apple Watch Series 10, which should start shipping on Sept 20.
A new Apple Watch SE was not announced during the event, though it remains part of the official lineup. Last year’s Apple Watch Ultra 2 is still the company’s most recent high-end wearable, only getting an additional shiny black colorway instead of a new model.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/how-to-pre-order-the-new-apple-watch-series-10-173004323.html?src=rss
Last year, the most notable design change came with the adoption of a USB-C charging port. This year, all four phones are getting a new, multi-function capacitive button on the side. The other big news comes on the inside with the A18 and A18 Pro chips designed to handle all the coming Apple Intelligence features, including the just-announced Visual Intelligence.
Our team on the ground in Cupertino had a chance to put their hands on the handsets, but we’ll tell you exactly what we think about Apple's latest phones and features once we've had a chance to thoroughly review them. But if you already know you want a shiny new iPhone 16 as soon as possible, pre-orders are open now ahead of the ship date of September 20. Here's how you can buy them.
Apple also announced the AirPods 4 and the Apple Watch Series 10, both of which are available for pre-order now. Like the new iPhones, they'll ship on September 20.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/iphone-16-launch-heres-how-to-pre-order-the-new-iphone-from-the-apple-store-183710721.html?src=rss
Apple revealed its latest earbuds during the iPhone 16 launch event earlier this week: The AirPods 4. Rumors suggested we could get a new generation of AirPods Max, but a few new colors and a USB-C port were the extent of the changes there. Announcements around the AirPods Pro centered on the hearing updates the top-tier buds will receive via a software update this fall.
That makes the new AirPods 4 the only brand new addition to Apple’s personal audio lineup. They come in two varieties: With active noise cancellation for $179 and without that feature for $129. Engadget’s Billy Steele briefly tried the more expensive buds after the event in Cupertino and his initial impressions were positive. We’ll post a full review soon, but in the meantime, here’s how to pre-order yours now before the AirPods 4 release date on September 20.
More standard streaming services include live sports now — Sunday Night Football on Peacock, CBS NFL games on Paramount+, Thursday Night Football on Prime Video — but if you want a comprehensive suite of sports channels, plus other live programming and local news, Fubo might be the way to go. It came out on top for sports in our guide to the best live TV streaming services and right now you can get your first month of Fubo's Pro-tier subscription for $50 instead of $80. The Elite with Sports Plus plan is down from $100 to $70 for the first month and the top-level Deluxe package is $80 as opposed to the usual $110.
Whichever plan you go with, you'll get more sports coverage than a human person can reasonably consume — even the cheapest tier grants access to ESPN and ESPN2, FS1 and FS2, multiple NBC Sports channels, CBS Sports, Fubo's own sports networks and more. The Elite with Sports Plus tier throws in NFL RedZone and about 100 additional channels, and enables 4K streaming quality. And, finally, the Deluxe plan gets you all that plus international sports.
Fubo makes it easy to record games you want to watch later and every plan comes with unlimited DVR cloud storage with a nine-month expiration for recordings.
When you're not watching athletic matchups, you can try out the rest of what Fubo offers. When I tested it out for our guide, I found the service to be nicely organized with a clean and easily navigable interface. It really shines at showcasing live content (though browsing through VOD content wasn't quite as breezy).
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/fubo-tv-streaming-plans-are-30-off-for-the-first-month-right-now-171510242.html?src=rss
Even if you're not a student, you can still take advantage of the many back to school sales out there. As we do each Friday, we searched around to see if any of the tech we've previously covered and recommend is currently on sale. We spotted the lowest price yet on the 9th-generation iPad — it may be discontinued, but $200 for a capable Apple tablet is still a sweet deal. Our current favorite wireless headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are back down to their July Prime Day price. And Amazon is throwing in a free smart bulb on top of discounted prices for a number of its Echo speakers and displays. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-9th-gen-ipad-is-cheaper-than-ever-at-199-plus-the-rest-of-this-weeks-best-tech-deals-170600479.html?src=rss
Non-subscribers who open the Apple Music app on a new iPhone or iPad typically see an offer for a free month of the service. The trial was once three times as long, but Apple quietly shortened it in early 2022. But now through September 23, anyone new to Apple's music streaming service will get to try it out for free for three months. The deal only applies to first-time subscribers; if you've never succumbed to the music app's temptation, now is as good a time as any to check it out. Just keep in mind that the service will automatically renew for $11 per month after the trial ends. Be sure to cancel if you don't want to pay.
Apple Music has a lot to offer. It's currently our top recommendation in our guide to the best music streaming services. We like its approach to recommendations, balancing a good amount of editorial playlists and stations with algorithmic suggestions. Every song is available at CD-quality or better and lossless streaming doesn't cost extra.
For computer-picked listening, there's a "Discovery Station" that helps you find new music by playing songs you've never streamed before, both from artists you know and others the algorithm thinks you'll like. And, in my experience, saying, "Hey Siri, play me some Apple Music," produces pretty good mix of stuff I like that's novel enough to be interesting, but not so familiar I'm sick of hearing it.
There are a few caveats to note about the service: It's really made for Apple devices, though its available on Android devices too. You won't find podcasts on Apple Music. And, aside from this deal, there's no free version of Apple Music. Pay your $11 monthly or listen elsewhere.
As for the deal, we'll restate that it's only for new subscribers — previous subscribers and even those who've had access to Apple Music through a Family plan aren't eligible. You also have to sign up using the Apple Music app on an iPhone, Mac or iPad running the latest software. An Apple ID is also required. You can read all terms of the deal here.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apple-music-is-currently-offering-new-subscribers-three-months-free-185834470.html?src=rss
To squeeze the most productivity possible out of a laptop, or even a high-end tablet, you might need to plug in more stuff than your machine natively allows. A USB-C hub connects to a single port on your device, and through that you can attach a monitor, keyboard, mouse and even external storage. Plus, when you’ve got all your bells and whistles plugged into a hub, freeing up your device to be more mobile is as simple as unplugging one thing. Then, when you return to your desk, one step fully connects you again. We checked out hundreds of hubs before testing out 15 highly rated options to find the best USB-C hubs you can get today.
What to look for in a USB-C hub
Hub vs docking station
The first thing to decide is whether you need a USB-C hub or a docking station. There’s no set standard for what differentiates the two, but docking stations tend to have more ports, offer a separate DC power supply and cost more, with some reaching upwards of $400. We have a separate guide to the best docking stations to check out if you’re looking for something bigger than what we’re discussing here. USB-C hubs, in contrast, have between four and 10 ports, can support pass-through charging and typically cost between $30 and $150.
Hubs make more sense for smaller setups with just a few peripherals, such as a monitor, a wired keyboard and mouse, and the occasional external drive. They’re also more portable, since they’re small and require no dedicated power. That could be useful if you change work locations but want to bring your accessories with you, or if you want to replace your laptop with a more powerful tablet. A docking station makes more sense for someone who needs a robust setup for their laptop, including multiple external monitors, webcams, stream decks, microphones and so on.
Both docks and hubs make it easy to grab your laptop off your desk for a meeting or other brief relocation and when you get back, plugging in one cable gets all your accessories reconnected.
Ports
The first port to consider is the one on your laptop or tablet. For a USB-C hub to work, it needs to connect to a port that supports video, data and power — all of which is covered by anything listed as USB 3.0 or better. The port, of course, needs to be Type-C as well. The sea of laptops out there is vast, so it’s hard to make generalizations, but modern laptops should have at least one USB-C port that will suffice, and indeed, every one of our top picks for the best laptops do.
Next, it’s a matter of finding a hub that has the right connections for your needs. Most hubs offer some combo of HDMI, USB, memory card, Ethernet and 3.5 mm ports. If you have a 4K monitor and would like at least a 60Hz refresh rate, you’ll need a hub with an HDMI 2.0 port — HDMI 1.4 only goes up to 30Hz. HDMI 2.1 will handle 4K at up to 120Hz, but hubs that have adopted that standard aren’t as common just yet. Keep in mind that a low refresh rate can cause your screen to feel laggy, making your mouse appear glitchy and your webcam movements to look delayed.
Additional USB ports on these accessories are usually Type-A or Type-C. They can support data with different transfer rates, typically 5Gbps or 10Gbps. Some ports only handle passthrough power and no data, and some can do data, power and video, so it’s best to check the spec list to make sure you’re getting the support you need. Keep in mind that a hub may bill itself as a 7-in-1, but one of those ports may not be usable for anything other than charging.
Standard SD and microSD slots are useful for transferring data from cameras and the like. Ethernet ports may deliver faster internet speeds than your Wi-Fi and a hub with a 3.5mm jack can bring back the wired headphone connection that some laptops have ditched.
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Power delivery
Nearly all of the USB-C hubs I tested support passthrough charging. That means if your laptop or tablet only charges via USB, you don’t have to take up another port on your laptop to keep everything topped up. Unlike a docking station, powering a hub is optional. The one exception is if you want to close the lid on your laptop while you work on an external monitor. Most computers will go into sleep mode if the lid is closed without power, so either the laptop or the hub will need to be plugged into the wall to prevent that from happening.
Many of the newer hubs include a 100W power delivery (PD) port, with a healthy 80 to 85 watts going to your computer (the hubs take a little of the juice for themselves, hence the 15-watt or so difference). In my tests, sending power through the hub made them run even hotter than they do already, so I prefer to charge the computer directly. But for tablets or other devices with no extra ports, that PD option is important.
Some PD ports are also data ports — which is both good and bad. On one hand, it feels wasteful to use a perfectly good data port just for boring old electricity. But on the other hand, USB-C connections that only carry a charge are less versatile, and it makes it seem like it has more accessory hookups than it actually does.
Design
There’s surprisingly little design variation among hubs. Most look like a flat slab, a little smaller than a smartphone, and have an attached Type-C host cable. The hues range from a silvery black to a silvery gray. Some are thinner than others, some have all ports on one edge and some have ports on both sides. All of this is just to say that aesthetics probably won’t make or break your buying decision.
One variation that could tip the scales is the length of the cable. A longer one will give you more freedom as you arrange the hub on your desk, potentially even letting you hide it behind your laptop. Or you may prefer a shorter one to keep the hub neatly set beside your laptop.
How we test USB-C hubs
Before we test anything, we take a look at what’s available and how they’ve been received by shoppers, forum-goers and other publications. I became familiar with a few reputable brands when I was testing docking stations, so I looked into hubs from those companies as well. I focused on items that would help with an average day of productivity — not high-end setups or demanding gaming situations. Once I settled on a dozen or so that would make good candidates, I had them shipped to my humble office in the desert and started testing them out over the course of a few weeks.
I used an M1 MacBook Pro as the host computer and plugged in accessories that include a 4K Dell monitor, a ZSA USB-C ergo keyboard, a Logitech USB-A gaming mouse, an Elgato USB-C 4K webcam, a Logitech streaming light, a USB-A 3.0 Sandisk thumb drive, a USB-C Samsung T7 Shield external drive and a pair of wired headphones I got for free on an airplane (I should probably invest in some wired headphones, but the cord dangling on my chest drives me nutty so all my earbuds are wireless). I used high-end HDMI and USB-C cables to ensure that any data or connectivity issues weren’t related to my equipment.
Then I put each USB-C hub through a gamut of basic tests. I looked at what could be plugged in at once, the resolution on the monitor, data transfer speeds, the overall build quality of the hub and general usability factors, like the placement of the ports and the length of the cords. And, finally, the price to value ratio helped determine the best ones for a few different use cases.
Best USB-C hubs for 2024
Other hubs we tested
HyperDrive Next 10 Port USB-C Hub
There’s a lot to like about HyperDrive’s Next 10 Port USB-C Hub. The tethered cable is a lavish 13 inches long, the HDMI 2.0 port outputs clear and crisp 4K visuals at 60Hz and the data transfers are screaming fast. It has the coveted two USB-C data ports plus a PD port, and there’s even a headphone jack. The only thing that holds back a full-throated endorsement is the way our unit handled a streaming light. Having it on at full brightness made the webcam flicker every time. The issue went away at 75 percent brightness, but the same problem didn’t happen on any other hub I tested.
Anker 341 USB-C Hub (7-in-1)
There’s nothing wrong with the Anker 341 USB-C hub. In fact it’s a current recommendation in our iPad accessories guide and it comes at a great $35 price. It gives you two USB-A ports as well as SD slots. But at this point, a 1.4 HDMI connection, which only supports 4K resolution at 30Hz feels a little retro. There’s also just a single USB-C downstream port and the data transfer tests proved to be a touch slower than the other hubs. But if you’ve got a lower resolution monitor and don’t need more than one USB-C, you won’t be disappointed with it.
Startech 4-Port USB-C Hub (data only)
I only became aware of Startech when I started researching for this guide. The quality is decent and the yellow accents are a welcome bit of color in the otherwise very gray world of hubs. The performance is solid, with no hiccups that I encountered. The brand’s 4-Port USB-C Hub has a long cord that wraps around the hub itself, which is unique. It doesn’t bother with power delivery, which isn’t an issue if you can power your computer directly. But the four USB ports (three Type-A and one Type-C) max out at 5Gbps and there’s no HDMI connector. It goes for $46, and unfortunately for it, there are cheaper ways to get a few more USB ports for your setup.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-usb-c-hub-120051833.html?src=rss