Anker PowerExpand 8-in-1 USB-C PD 10 Gbps Data Hub review

REVIEW – I was recently allowed to review the Anker PowerExpand 8-in-1 USB-C PD 10 Gbps Data Hub. This hub is an improvement over the Anker PowerExpand+ 7-in-1 USB-C Ethernet Hub that I reviewed last year. It includes an HDMI port (4K@60Hz instead of 4K@30Hz), a 100 W USB-C Power Delivery (PD) pass-through charging port (instead of 60 W power delivery charging port), two USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader, a microSD card reader, a gigabit Ethernet port, and a USB-C 10 Gbps data port (the other Anker hub did not have this USB-C data port).

The verdict? This hub worked very well on my Lenovo Yoga 730 13″, 12.9″ iPad Pro 2018, and my Pixel 2 XL without any problems, but it’s just a little expensive…

What is it?

The Anker PowerExpand 8-in-1 USB-C PD 10 Gbps Data Hub is a device that contains eight expansion ports for your compatible laptops (or tablets or phones) so that you may connect external gadgets to them. The hub plugs into your laptop, tablet, or phone via a built-in 7.5″ (191 mm) USB-C cable. It includes an HDMI port (4K@60Hz), a 100 W USB-C PD pass-through charging port, two USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader, a microSD card reader, a gigabit Ethernet port, and a USB-C 10 Gbps data port.

What’s in the box?

• Anker PowerExpand 8-in-1 USB-C PD 10 Gbps Data Hub
• Travel pouch
• Welcome Guide
• Satisfaction card

Hardware specs

• 1-4K@60Hz HDMI
• 2-USB 3.0 ports (5Gbps data transfer)
• 1-SD card reader
• 1-MicroSD card reader
• 1-Gbps Ethernet
• 1-USB-C Power Delivery (PD) pass-through charging port: maximum input of 100 W minus 15 W for the hub’s operation allows the hub to provide up to an 85 W pass-through charge while using other functions
• 1-USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 10 Gbps data port
• Dimensions: 4.6″ (117 mm) L × 2.1″ (53 mm) W x 0.5″ (13 mm) D; built-in cable is 7.5″ (191 mm) long

Compatible Devices Include:

• • MacBook Pro (2020 / 2019 / 2018 / 2017 / 2016 / 2015)
  • MacBook Air (2020 / 2019 / 2018)
  • iPad Pro (2020 / 2019 / 2018)
  • Dell XPS (13 inch / 15 inch)
  • Pixelbook (2017)

Incompatible Devices:

• Nintendo Switch
• USB SuperDrive

Design and features

The Anker PowerExpand 8-in-1 USB-C PD 10 Gbps Data Hub is made of matte light grey aluminum on the top of the hub and matte dark grey polycarbonate on the bottom. It has a built-in 7.5″ (191 mm) USB-C cable to attach to your device and feels well made just like my other Anker products.

One side of the hub contains an LED ring-shaped status light, an SD card reader, a microSD card reader (spring-loaded), and two USB 3.0 ports. The LED glows a dim white light when it is plugged into a device.

The other side of the hub contains an HDMI port which is capable of 4K at 60Hz. This side of the hub also contains a USB-C 10Gbps data port and a USB-C 100 W PD pass-through charging port. The hub requires 15 W to operate thus leaving about 85 W of power delivery to the device you are connected to.

The end of the hub contains the gigabit Ethernet port and a couple of connectivity LED status lights.

The bottom of the hub contains the name of the device and its model number (Anker A8383).

Performance

When testing the Anker PowerExpand 8-in-1 USB-C PD 10 Gbps Data Hub, I tested each of the ports separately and simultaneously and all worked well.
I connected my Lenovo Yoga 730 13″ laptop to my LG TV and used it as an extended monitor for my laptop. I plugged in a 65 W wall charger into the USB-C PD pass-through charging port, searched Amazon using my Ethernet connection, edited Word and Excel files, and played music files and video files from all of my media that was connected to the hub. I even used a USB wireless mouse without any problems (I had some issues with the USB mouse when connected to my previous Anker hub).

I then tested the hub with a 12.9″ iPad Pro 2018 and plugged it into our LG TV using the HDMI port on the hub to mirror the iPad screen. I was able to use the USB-C PD pass-through charging port (using a 65 W wall charger) and access all the media connected to the hub. I could even use a USB mouse.

On my Pixel 2 XL phone, I used a USB mouse and was also able to access all media on the hub. Wow, yay! The only ports that did not work with my phone were the Ethernet and HDMI ports.

The above screenshots show the transfer speeds when I copied a large file from my laptop to:

• an SD card on the hub (this was a U1 Class 10 microSD card with a minimum write speed of 10 MB/sec inserted into an SD card adapter) – first screenshot above
• a microSD card (SanDisk Extreme 32GB MicroSDHC UHS-3 Card – SDSQXAF-032G-GN6MA) on the hub – second screenshot above
• a USB 3.0 flash drive (JUANWE 32GB Dual iOS iPad USB Flash Drive, USB 3.0 Lightning External Storage) on the hub – third screenshot above

The above screenshots show the transfer speeds from my laptop to

• a USB-C flash drive (SanDisk 32GB Ultra Dual Drive Go USB Type-C Flash Drive – SDDDC3-032G-G46) in the USB-C data port on the hub
• a USB 3.0 flash drive (SanDisk Extreme CZ80 16GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive – SDCZ80-016G-GAM46) in a USB 3.0 port on the hub

I then copied the same large file from each of the media devices on the hub back to my laptop and received the transfer speeds as shown above.

The Anker PowerExpand 8-in-1 USB-C PD 10 Gbps Data Hub is just about perfect for me. It works with my laptop, my phone, and our iPad Pro. I didn’t have any issues when using it and it only gets mildly warm when in use.

I’ve reviewed a Satechi Type-C Multi-port Adapter 4K with Ethernet V2 adapter and the Aukey Link PD Pro USB-C Hub, but after those reviews were posted on the Gadgeteer, I discovered that both of those would occasionally knock out one of my mesh routers if my laptop was disconnected from the hub but the Ethernet cable was still plugged into it. The Anker PowerExpand 8-in-1 USB-C PD 10 Gbps Data Hub and Anker PowerExpand+ 7-in-1 USB-C Ethernet Hub (another that I reviewed a while ago) worked well for me without disrupting my home WiFi network.

What I like

• It has an HDMI port (4K@60Hz), an SD card reader, a microSD card reader, a USB-C 100 W PD pass-through charging port (85 W power delivery when using other ports), a gigabit Ethernet port, two USB 3.0 ports, and a USB-C 10 Gbps data port!
• It worked with my Lenovo Yoga 730 laptop, our 12.9″ iPad Pro 2018 (I was able to use all the ports), and my Pixel 2 XL phone (all the ports worked except the Ethernet and HDMI port)

What I’d change

• It might be nice to be able to have a USB-C port that is video capable to plug a USB-C portable monitor into my laptop
• It’s a little expensive

Final thoughts

The Anker PowerExpand 8-in-1 USB-C PD 10 Gbps Data Hub is just about perfect for me. It has all the ports that I could wish for: an HDMI port (4K@60Hz), an SD card reader, a microSD card reader, a USB-C 100 W PD pass-through charging port (85 W power delivery when using other ports), a gigabit Ethernet port, two USB 3.0 ports, and a USB-C 10Gbps data port (yay!!). I didn’t have any issues at all when using the hub. I was able to use all the connections on the hub separately and simultaneously on my Lenovo Yoga 730.

In addition to being able to use it with my Lenovo Yoga 730 laptop, I was able to use it with our 12.9″ iPad Pro 2018 and it even worked with my Pixel 2 XL phone! It is a little expensive, but it does so much!

Price: $89.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Anker.