Do you have plenty of devices and often find that there are not enough power outlets for you to charge them all at the same time? Or that your laptop only comes with a limited number of USB ports and you can’t connect (and sync) all your gadgets at once? This is where a device like HUB IT is useful.
HUB IT Sync and Charge Station is a hub that allows you to connect multiple devices to it and charge and/or sync them simultaneously. To be exact, you can connect up to 7 devices to it.
As can be seen from the packaging, HUB IT isn’t small. With a square box measuring 170mm x 170mm x 34mm, it can take up substantial space on your desk compared to a standard phone charging cable. The standard accessories include the main hub, 4 retractable cartridge connectors, USB 3.0 to micro USB 3.0 cable, AC DC adaptor and instruction manuals. One thing to note is that the cover is glossy black plastic and can easily be stained with your fingerprints.
The main HUB comes with 4 sides where you can connect your phone to. Starting from the main side where the power port is found, this is where you connect the power cable to the power outlet and USB cable to your computer.
The remaining three sides come with USB 3.0 ports where you can plug in your USB drives and connect them to your computer. At the top half of each side is the retractable charging cable for different type of phones. The standard package includes a micro USB cable (for most Android phones), mini USB cable, Apple’s lightning cable (for newer iPhones/iPod Touch/iPad), Apple Dock 30 pin cable (for older iPhone/iPod Touch).
If that is what you think it is all about, then you are wrong. Open up the top cover and you can see that each retractable cable is actually a cartridge where you can unplug and replace. There are a total of 9 slots and you can customize them to your needs. Let’s say you own multiple Android devices. Instead of the lightning cable that you have no use for, you can replace it with an additional micro USB cartridge so you can charge multiple devices simultaneously.
If your phone supports QI wireless charging, there is also a QI wireless cartridge where you can plug into the center slot. Additional cartridges are sold at $7.99 per piece and you can get it from the Eggtronic site.
Performance
The unique selling point of HUB IT, as claimed by Eggtronic, is that it can charge and sync multiple devices fast. In our testing, for my LG G3 Android phone, it is able to go from almost empty (4%) to fully charged in about an hour, which is about 20 minutes faster than using the standard charger. The good thing is that there is a LED light that lights up when it is charging. It turns green when the phone is charged, so you know when to unplug the phone from the hub
Conclusion
For a device of this size, it is too big and pricey to be used as a USB hub or charger alone. However, if you have multiple devices and have the need to charge or sync them at the same time, this is going to be very useful. In fact, the best way to utilize it is to use it as the family/company syncing and charging station where multiple people can use it at the same time.
HUB IT – Sync and Charge Station
Damien Oh started writing tech articles since 2007 and has over 10 years of experience in the tech industry. He is proficient in Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and iOS, and worked as a part time WordPress Developer. He is currently the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Make Tech Easier.
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