Over the years, I’ve upgraded to nicer displays and faster SD cards, leaving my old dongles in the dust. However, I’ve been testing a new 8-in-1 option from Dockcase, and it feels limitless.
The Dockcase Studio costs $218 CAD and is focused on creative professionals since it has support for CFexpress cards (type A and type B) and modern UHS-II SD cards. It also works with microSD cards, but the inclusion of two types of CFexpress slots makes this a device for high-end camera nerds.
Beyond that, there are three USB-C ports of varying specs, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a single USB-A. There’s also a small screen to track how fast your data is moving or how much power is coming in. The main USB-C port is labelled ‘Host,’ and it’s for plugging into your computer with the included USB-C cable (40Gbps/100-watt PD). The USB-C jack on the SD card side is labelled PD for power delivery. This port technically supports 100 watts of power, but since the device itself needs some wattage, Dockcase says that most devices will get a peak of around 95 watts. The final USB-C and the single USB-A are both rated at USB 3.2 specs with 10Gbps of data pass.
That all being said, all you need to know is that as long as you’re using fast cables, this dock won’t slow your workflow down very much.
How I’ve used it
Lately, I’ve been using an iPad Pro as my main work machine and having something like the Dockcase is incredibly helpful. While at first, I thought I would want a selection of smaller single-use adapters to work with the iPad, I quickly learned that’s too convoluted. Then I switched to the Dockcase Studio and I’ve been a lot happier just having one device I can rely on. Not to mention, having a UHS-II reader on an iPad makes moving photos from my camera so much faster than my old standard SD card adapter.
Overall, I have very few complaints about the dongle. It’s pocketable, fast, and supports all the major interfaces I need at high speeds. That said, I do wish it had incorporated a fast USB-C cable into the hardware design. Don’t get me wrong; it comes with a short 40Gbps/100-watt power cable, but there’s no place to store it on the device.
My previous dongle was a USB-C multiport adapter from Logiix which hid the cable in the device when not in use. I’ve had that adapter for years at this point, and I’ve never misplaced that cable. With the dockcase option, I find myself accidentally leaving the cable behind or needing to dig through all my other cables to find it. Overall, it’s a small thing, but for $218, it would be nice to see a little more thought go into the product design since you need a fast cable to get the most out of this product.
When it comes to the screen on the device, I could take it or leave it. The nerdy side of me loves to look at it and take in all the specs my devices are using, but 95% of the time I never look at it. Realistically, if Dockcase sold the same specs in a cheaper package without the screen, I think that’s the one I would go for.
If you want to buy the dongle yourself, it’s currently selling on Kickstarter for $218.
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