Modern laptops, especially those with an apple on them, have fewer and fewer ports these days. ADG tries to solve this lack of connectivity with a clever yet powerful 100W charging brick that also doubles as a 9-in-1 USB-C hub.
External USB hubs, Thunderbolt docks and other devices are usually placed on a desk and connected to a laptop on one side and a dedicated power supply on the other. The result? A lot of cables on your desk. The ADG 100W GaN (Gallium Nitride) charger tries to solve this by combining the power brick and the hub into one accessory.
ADG 100W GaN Charger
The obvious downside is of course limited accessibility to the device once it’s behind the desk, but on the other hand you can now get rid of most of the cables on the desk and connect everything behind it. Perhaps this is a more stationary solution, but I think any of the bigger hubs / docks are primarily stationary devices.
Using the so-called GaN technology, ADG was able to reduce the overall size to a bare minimum yet still pack 9 ports lus the power supply into this one unit.
Once connected to the host compuer using the USB-C port #2 (100W Power Delivery plus hub), this is what you get in terms of connectivity:
- 1 x USB-C 100W Max PD
- 1 x USB-C 30W Max PD & Hub
- 1 x USB-A 7.5W Max Hub
- 1 x HDMI [email protected] HDR
- 1 x SD 104MB/s UHS-I
- 1 x Micro SD 104MB/s UHS-I
- 1 x Gigabit Ethernet
- 1 x 3.5mm Audio Jack
Even if the unit is not connected to any power source it still can act as an USB-C hub, but it won’t charge your laptop then of course.
The ADG 100W GaN charger uses a foldable US plug but interantional adapters (EU, UK, AU) are in the box as well so you can take this thing with you when traveling. The unit is safe to use with 100V-240V outlets
Indiegogo campaign
The ADG 100W GaN ccharger first appeared on an Indigogo campaign earlier this year. After a (very) successful campaign, the unit is now being produced and should be shipped out to backers in Jan 2021. For the rest of us, the ADG charger is already available for regular purchase. The reduced campaign price is gone, of course, so the USB-C hub is now $129.99 although it seems that you still can preorder a unit for the reduced price of $99.99 but this comes with a lead time of about 6 weeks.
I find the concept quite neat, as I don’t really want a huge brick full of connectors on my desk (even if it means I have to crawl under my desk occasionally).
Link: ADG Website
What do you think? Might this approach be a solution for you as well? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
