CalDigit USB-C Pro Dock cuts confusion with expanded compatibility
Amber Neely
Last updated
The new CalDigit USB-C Pro Dock offers maximum compatibility with both Thunderbolt 3 and the various flavors of USB-C, making it a good choice for Mac and iPad Pro users.
CalDigit USB-C Pro Dock is one of the first Thunderbolt 3 docks on the market that supports both Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.2 type C laptops. Most Thunderbolt 3 devices, including docks, have typically only been compatible with Thunderbolt 3 Laptops. By making this dock compatible with both, it eliminates the confusion caused by USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 using the same Type-C connector.
When the Pro Dock is connected to a Thunderbolt 3 laptop it becomes a full Thunderbolt 3 40 gigabit per second dock, and when connected to a USB-C laptop it becomes a USB-C 10 Gigabit per second dock.
It can help charge a laptop with 85 watts of charging power, provided your laptop allows for USB-C charging. A Thunderbolt 3 computer can support dual 4K monitors with this dock, and a USB-C computer can support dual 1080p monitors.
Additionally, as it supports USB-C, it can upgrade an iPad Pro into a full workstation with support for a 4K monitor, hard drives, a keyboard and mouse.
The Pro Dock also features a 3.5mm combination audio in/out port, three USB-A ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and an SD card reader to help minimize the need for adapters around your workspace.
The CalDigit USB-C Pro Dock retails for $199.99 and is available from Amazon with a special deal to get $30 off the retail price.
AppleInsider will be reviewing the dock in the weeks to come.
Bon Adamson
Marko Zivkovic
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
4 Comments
It may cut confusion but is 4 times more expensive than a USB-C dock, and the benefit of a Thunderbolt 3 dock over a USB-C dock is very little in most use cases, when you have 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports like on my MacBook Pro.
What I need is more USB-C ports on USB-C hub, I am already phasing out most USB-A/B devices.
Looks very interesting and attractive. What is the practical implication of the statement "does not have a downstream Thunderbolt 3 port", and does that differ from the TS3 plus model? And does it work with the 2m cable (for charging + data over a single cable)?