Dongles. Adapters. USB hubs. Whatever you call them, they are the reality now.
Laptops today simply do not come with a varied enough selection of I/O ports and USB-C adapters are a necessity. But in the sea of hundreds of dongles and USB hubs, it can be difficult to find a good adapter that fits your needs.
Seesaw company, registered in Hong Kong, China, sent us their latest USB adapter, the Dockcase Smart Dock 7-in-1. After using it for a week, I can honestly say that I like it so much it makes me want to say goodbye to all of my other dongles.
The first thing that sticks out to me about the Dockcase is its design. It is made of metal and glass, and feels more like a smartphone than a USB hub. It has a tiny profile too at just under 5 inches long, so it can fit in a pocket or a bag without taking up much space.
But the thing that sets the Smart Dock 7-in-1 apart from other USB hubs is its 1.3” display.
Before using the Smart Dock 7-in-1, I had never used a USB hub with a display. So to me, the concept felt strange. But after using it for a week, I now see the benefits that the display can offer.
Not only does the display show which devices are currently connected to the smart hub, but it also displays relevant information depending on the peripheral. For example, when an HDMI cable is plugged into the Smart Dock, the display will show the connected device’s resolution and refresh rate. The display is a great way to see this technical information at a glance.
Also, considering some laptop’s featuring USB-C ports on its right side, the displayed text is upside down by default. The Smart Dock has a hole underneath the USB-A port, so you can insert a paperclip or a SIM-eject tool towards the Dock and rotate the display.
The Smart Dock has a great selection of ports and for my workflow it covers nearly everything I need. On one side there is a USB-C port with 100W PD fast charging, an HDMI port that supports up to 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) at 60hz, and 2 USB-A 3.0 ports. On the other side there’s another USB-A port, an SD card reader, and a microSD card reader.
In my week of using the Smart Dock 7-in-1, I found it convenient, easy to use, and I can’t see myself taking my laptop anywhere without it. It has solid build quality, all the ports I need, and a great price.
The Dockcase Smart Dock 7-in-1 is available on Kickstarter for $39. Make sure you act fast, or you will miss the early bird pricing.
Editor: Adam Skov
