Skip to main content

This docking station solves the M1 Mac’s biggest weakness

Accessory brand Ugreen has just released a 12-in-1 MacBook docking station that can extend or mirror as many as three external displays at 4K 60Hz.

M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are fantastic laptops but came with two flaws. One is limited I/O (you get only two ports on either model), and the other is the native ability to drive only one external monitor.

The Ugreen docking station, connected to a MacBook and displays.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This is where the Ugreen docking station could come to the rescue. Not only does it offer numerous expansion options to connect external hard drives or printers or to charge devices, the Ugreen dock allows the user to mirror or extend to up to three 4K 60Hz displays at the same time. Windows users can access the docking station’s 8K 30Hz capability through one of the supported HDMI port in the rear.

Recommended Videos

There are a few things to note, however. Firstly, working with this many external monitors requires users to first install the Displaylink software to ensure the ports and displays play nicely together. Secondly, the dock is not compatible with M2 Apple products.

The Ugreen docking station from the front and back.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The front of the docking station has one SD and Micro SD slot (at 104 MB/s), a 3.5 mm audio jack, one USB-A 3.1 (10 Gbps), and USB-C 3.1 (10 Gbps). At the rear are two 5 Gbps USB-A, one DisplayPort (4K 60Hz), one HDMI (4K 60Hz), one HDMI (8K 30Hz), one Ethernet (1000 Mbps), one USB-C Power Delivery port capable of 100W for pass-through charging, and one USB-C host port.

The Ugreen 12-in-1 docking station is available right now on Ugreen, currently with a 30% off discount.

Aaron Leong
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Aaron enjoys all manner of tech - from mobile (phones/smartwear), audio (headphones/earbuds), computing (gaming/Chromebooks)…
Apple’s next-gen M4 Macs look set to embrace serious gaming
The Mac mini on a wooden table.

Apple’s Mac machines and gaming don’t quite fit in the same equation, even though the recent trajectory of its Metal architecture has pulled off a few surprises. But it looks like the upcoming M4-tier machines won’t pull any punches, including the Mac mini.

In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman writes that for the first time, Apple’s entry-level desktop computer will offer ray tracing support. For the unaware, it’s a lighting system that adds a whole new level of visual realism to games.

Read more
Next week might be the biggest Mac launch since 2020
Logos from the Apple Mac announcement tweet.

Finally, we have confirmation of the long-anticipated fall Mac launch. The rollout, however, may be a bit unconventional for Apple.

At first, we expected a product event, then we speculated about videos and press releases -- and now Apple has revealed an entire "week of announcements" starting on Monday morning. It's expected that the announcements will include the latest M4 refreshes for the Mac lineup, including the MacBook Pro, iMac, and a completely refreshed Mac mini. While many of those will merely be M4 updates, this may end up being the biggest single window of Mac releases since the initial M1 launch in 2020 in terms of sheer quantity.

Read more
The M4 Mac launch is incoming, but not how you might expect
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max chip seen from behind.

The past few months have been full of speculation, anticipation, and pretty wild rumors concerning the upcoming M4 Macs -- and now the predicted release date of November 1 is just a week or so away. Despite the lack of an event announcement, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman still believes the launch is "imminent," with an announcement reportedly coming on October 30.

According to him, Apple Stores are running very low on iMac, Mac mini, MacBook Pro, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad units -- and this usually happens when updates are about to be released.

Read more