USB-C

The best USB-C monitors for MacBook and MacBook Pro

Cody Lee ∙ Updated November 27, 2020

This is an easy-to-follow guide aimed at folks who are in the market for an external display for their MacBook or MacBook Pro. These laptops feature USB-C ports exclusively, so if you want to hook them up to a display without the need for dongles, you'll need to find one that supports the tech.

Since the USB-C port is relatively new, there aren't a ton of monitors out there that are compatible with it just yet. But as usual we've taken the time to track down the best USB-C monitors for MacBook and MacBook Pro available, based on a variety of factors, including price, features, expert and user reviews, and of course our own experiences.

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Review: Aukey 30,000mAh USB-C MacBook battery pack

Andrew O'Hara ∙ August 23, 2017

MacBook battery packs are a thing now. Since the adoption of USB-C, it has allowed third-party manufacturers to create portable batteries for MacBook and MacBook Pro. There are a few big players on the market, most recently Mophie. Aukey has also released an upgraded version of their massive 30,000mAh battery, so we went hands on to test it out.

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Review : Bolt-S USB-C cable brings MagSafe back to the Mac

Andrew O'Hara ∙ August 17, 2017

Removal of MagSafe from the latest round of MacBooks and MacBook Pros was one of the most controversial changes. MagSafe was life saving when someone inadvertently tripped over your power cable. Preventing your $1,000+ machine from toppling to the ground.

USB-C has quite its list of advantages, but it was still a difficult design decision that still angers people to this day. Vinpok is looking to remedy that with their launch of the Bolt-S USB-C magnetic cable for MacBook and MacBook Pro.

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My favorite accessories to use with the 2016-2019 MacBook Pro

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated July 1, 2023

Last year, I shared a roundup of my favorite accessories for my 2015 15-inch MacBook Pro. Times have since changed, and I was recently convinced to pick up a new 2017 15-inch MacBook Pro.

In this piece, I’ll pick up where I left off in my previous post by going over additional accessories that I consider essentials for my 2017 MacBook Pro. Worthy of note, these should all work with the 2016 MacBook Pro too.

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The Satechi Type-C Pro Hub Adapter is the only accessory I need for my MacBook Pro

Sébastien Page ∙ July 12, 2017

If USB-C is the future, the present still has lots of catching up to do, as we are still reliant on legacy standards such as HDMI, USB 3.0, SD cards, and more. That makes moving to the new MacBook Pro a little less convenient than we were promised, and unless you want to stock up on a set of new cables for all your peripherals, the next smart thing to do is to buy a USB-C hub.

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Barclays: iPhone 8 to ship with 10W USB-C power adapter with fast charging

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 28, 2017

Apple's 5.8-inch iPhone 8 is expected to ship with a stronger ten-watt power adapter in its box, featuring a USB-C connector and fast-charging support. That's according to Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis's note to clients Wednesday, a copy of which was obtained by MacRumors.

Current iPhones include a five-watt power adapter in the box.

The analyst claims that iPhone 8 will include a dedicated USB-C Power Delivery chip that enables fast charging capabilities. The new ten-watt power adapter will also sport an integrated USB-C Power Delivery chip. Both chips will be supplied by Cypress Semiconductor and it's basically the same CYPD2104 part used in Apple's new 10.5-inch iPad Pro.

It should be noted that iPhone 7 already supports fast-charging capability when connected to Apple's 29-watt USB-C power adapter for MacBook via a Lightning to USB-C cable.

The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro and the 10.5-inch iPad Pro are capable of fast charging, too.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in March that the OLED-based iPhone 8 would retain its Lightning connector and have a dedicated USB-C Power Delivery chip on the logic board.

Assuming Curtis is right, iPhone 8 might come bundled with either a Lightning to USB-C cable or a female USB-C to male USB-A adapter with an integrated fast-charging chip so that customers could use their existing Lightning to USB cable to fast-charge the phone.

iPhone 8 concept courtesy of iFanr.

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Satechi’s new hub gives your MacBook Pro ports for USB, 4K HDMI, SD/microSD & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 12, 2017

Popular Apple accessory maker Satechi today launched a sleek and compact hub that adds a bunch of missing ports to your MacBook Pro (late-2016 model), including two USB 3.0 ports (so you can charge your iOS devices without having to purchase a new cable), an HDMI port with support for 4K video output, a pair of SD/microSD memory card readers and more.

The hub has two Thunderbolt 3 dongles that take up both USB-C ports of the new MacBook Pros with Touch Bar (don't worry, you also have an additional passthrough Thunderbolt 3 port).

Here's a quick overview of all the ports on this hub:

Thunderbolt 3 (1x)—Data transfer speeds up to 40 Gb/s are supported. In addition, the port supports a single 5K display or two 4K external displays at 60Hz with passthrough charging for 13 (61W) and 15-inch (87W) MacBook Pro models HDMI (1x)—Video output in 1080p at 60Hz or 4K at 30Hz is supported USB 3.0 (2x) and USB-C (1x)—Transfer speeds of up to 5 GB/s are supported SD/microSD (1x)—Transfer speeds of up to 104 MB/s are supported

And now, watch Satechi's promotional video for the device.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTq9PorggHY

Priced at $100, the aluminum-clad Type-C Pro Hub is compatible with both Touch Bar and non-Touch bar MacBook Pro models. As a bonus, Satechi is offering these in two finishes, Silver and Space Gray, to complement your notebook.

You can buy the new Type-C Pro Hub starting today on Amazon..

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iPhone 8 could boast L-shaped battery and True Tone display, retain Lightning connector

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 24, 2017

Purported drawings of iPhone 8's logic board showing internal component layout leaked on the web Monday. The images indicate that Apple's upcoming flagship won't adopt USB-C after because the good ol' Lightning port can be seen at the bottom of the device. Other things we can infer from the images, allegedly obtained from a Foxconn source, include an L-shaped battery, a display with True Tone capability similar to that on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and more.

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Now that Apple has stopped discounting USB-C accessories, check out these cheaper alternatives

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 1, 2017

It was fun while it lasted: the age of Apple's discounted USB-C adapters and dongles is over as of today. But don't you worry as we just updated our roundups of cheaper USB-C adapters and USB-C cables from third-party vendors that you may need for your new MacBook Pro.

Following complaints from customers regarding the need for various dongles, Apple temporarily discounted many USB-C peripherals sold in its stores as a way to assuage their concerns. The limited-time deals were supposed to end on December 31, 2016 but the company extended the price cuts until March 31, 2017.

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WSJ: iPhone 8 to sport curved OLED screen, supplant Lightning with USB-C

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 28, 2017

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that iPhone will feature a flexible screen based on organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology and supplant Lightning with USB-C.

The story corroborates KGI Securities analyst Ming Chi-Kuo's claims that Apple will release three new phones this year in the form of the brand new OLED-based iPhone 8 model with refreshed industrial design and the more iterative LCD-based iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus updates.

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