New Belkin USB-C Hub, Cables for MacBook and Other Laptops

At CES this week, Belkin took the opportunity to unveil its latest collection of USB-C accessories, including a few items that have been sorely missed by owners of USB-C-equipped laptops like the 12-inch MacBook Retina.

The biggest release is the new Belkin USB-C 4-Port Mini Hub, a compact, black unit that plugs directly into a USB-C port on your PC laptop or MacBook. It gives you two full-sized USB ports and two USB-C ports in return – a nice balance considering many of these USB-C hubs don’t bother including more USB-C ports at all. What sets this 4-Port hub apart, however is the inclusion of passthrough charging.What’s that, you ask? It’s the ability for you to charge your device while still connecting it to other accessories. In the case of the MacBook, say, it means that you’ll be able to plug in this hub, then plug a charger into the hub and charge your MacBook while still using the other three ports to connect other devices. It will be one of the first accessories to manage this feat, and the first third party one to really ship in quantity.

The Belkin USB-C 4-Port Mini Hub is actually shipping today from Belkin’s website; you can snag one here for $50.

The company also unveiled a series of “MixIt” charge cables for connecting USB-C devices to other USB-C devices; they can support up to 3 amp charging and high-speed USB data rates. Classic colored cables will be available in black, blue, red, green, white, purple, and pink for $20, while braided metallic cables will be available in grey, black, silver, white, and gold for $25.

A final Belkin USB-C product unveiled at CES this week is the new USB-C to HDMI adapter. While it isn’t the first USB-C to HDMI adapter to ship, it’s still a competitive product thanks to the adapter’s support for 4K video at up to 60 Hz. That means that it supports the HDMI 2.0 standard (some adapters and cables won’t support 4K video, topping out instead at lower resolutions or lower refresh rates).

Like the Belkin USB-C hub, the USB-C to HDMI adapter will cost $50 when it ships later this spring.