With laptop makers starting to abandon the majority of their ports, this means that until accessory makers start making more USB-C compatible devices, laptop users have no choice but to turn to USB hubs which brings back a ton of port functionality to their laptops. This includes USB-A ports, HDMI/DisplayPorts, SD card readers, headphone jacks, and the likes.
If you’re in the market for a new USB hub, there are plenty of choices available in the market today, but Sony thinks that they might have everyone beat by launching what they claim is the “world’s fastest” USB hub. By “world’s fastest”, what they really mean to say is that their USB hub will come equipped with a UHS-II SD/microSD card reader that also features USB 3.1 gen 2 and also up to 100W USB Power Delivery.
This USB hub doesn’t seem to be aimed at regular users looking for an extension of legacy ports, but rather it seems to be more focused towards professionals who might require the additional power and transfer speeds, especially if they’re working with larger image or video files. For example, its memory card reader boasts read rates of up to 300MB/s, making transferring 4K videos and RAW image files a lot faster.
Sony is also boasting at how its USB hub is designed to be on the go, where it will be IP68 certified against dust and water, and also features an aluminum build with a wave design that the company claims makes it easier to grip and reduces scratches. There is no mention of price yet but it is scheduled to be released this coming fall.