PNY ALL-IN-ONE Mini USB-C Dock 2022 REVIEW

Dock is Portable, Practical, Powerful

Even though USB tech has advanced to the superior USB-C connection type, many devices continue to utilize USB-A, USB-Micro, and Lightning connections. When I upgraded to my MacBook Pro 15″ (2018), I did not truly realize how much I would miss an Ethernet port, USB-A connections, and video out connections such as HDMI/VGA/Display Port. If desired, you can choose to purchase every possible dongle type, or you can find a multiport dock.

The PNY All-In-One USB-C Mini Portable Dock arrived in a 3 5/8 inches wide by 5 3/8 inches tall by 7/8 inches thick hanging-style retail package.  The cover displayed the PNY name and the “All-in-one USB-C Dock Mini Portable Dock” name along the top of the panel and “MINI-DOCK 9-EN-1 along the bottom of the panel. 

The right side provided an icon of the dock on the upper right corner, and three additional product-defining icons along the edge of the flap: 1. Fast Transfer, Power Delivery, HDMI/VGA Display.  The main focal point of the cover was the obliquely angled image of the PNY device against the white background.  The added shading and blue accents within the product name, and product icons added flair to the design. 

The blue-colored top, side, and bottom panels added an attractive frame to the cover.  The top panel provided a blue plastic hanging tab, the left side panel provided address information, and the bottom provided product manufacturing labels and SKU barcodes. 

The rear panel proved to be a bit busier than the other panels, providing nine bulleted product features in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, and Russian:

1. All-In-One Plug and play.
2. Connect up to 9 devices to the dock.
3. Compact and portable design with integrated cable.
4. Integrated data, video, power, and ethernet solution.
5. 4K HDMI Video output, Full HD VGA port.
6. Type C charging up to 100W PD.
7. Fast Data Transfer. 8. Internet transfer 10/100/1000Mb.
8. Soft Touch Finish.  Beneath the bulleted segment, you will find two labeled dock photographs. 

The first showed the ports on the front of the dock (type C 3.1 port, dual USB A 3.1 ports, SD/MicroSD port), while the second showcased the back of the dock (HDMI, VGA, RJ45, Type C 3.1 PD charging port).  The remainder of the panel listed information about the two-year warranty, contact information for technical support, and a QR code. 

I opened the cover flap and was quite pleased with their display method.  The left panel showed a diagramed image of the dock, the attached cable, and colorful representations of the ports with the necessary connectors.  The ports were listed in blue color, while the images of the cables/displays were listed in grey.  I loved the accent colors and the flow of the inner flap. 

The lower segment provided a photograph-quality image of the dock, a charging iPhone, and several connection options.  The image theme was further represented on the right side, with a blown-up image in the background of an oval-shaped plastic cutout.  Like the cover, back, and inner flap, the product window was accentuated with vibrant blue color. 

I appreciated the ability to visualize the product and prefer companies that utilize this method of presentation.  If we are to believe the cliché that a picture is worth a thousand words, then the window presentation system speaks volumes.

I lifted the top flap, removed the inner clear plastic tray, the 3.3-ounce PNY dock, and the instruction manual.  The 2 3/4 inches wide by 4 3/4 inches tall by 9/16 inches thick black device easily fit into a pants pocket or into a pocket of a backpack/bag.  The PNY name was printed upon the cover surface in bright white font, while the front/bag edges provided icons for the ports.  The front panel provided a data/power USB-C port (1.5A), data USB-A ports (900mA charging), data/BC 1.2 USB-A port (1.5A charging), and a MicroSD/SD port. 

The rear panel provided an HDMI port, VGA female port, Ethernet port, and a USB-C PD port (20V/5V).  The lower panel provided the model number, product manufacturing labels, and a cutout for the hidden 4 7/8 inches long USB-C computer port.  I removed the USB-C computer cable from the dock, connected the cable to my MacBook Pro/iPad Pro 12.9″, and tested the peripheral components. 

The instruction manual provided a helpful connection diagram and feature output table.  The manual detailed the shared 10W max output for the paired USB-A and USB-C ports, the ability to output to only a single video source (HDMI>VGA), the 100W max output of the rear USB-C port, and the supported SD cards (Secure Digital v3.0 UHS-1, SDR12 (12.5Mbyt/s)/SDR25 (25Mbyte/s)/SDR50 (50Mbyte/s)/DDR50 (50Mbyte/s)/SDR104 (104/Mbyte/s) + HC XC.  I started by plugging the USB-C laptop connector into my iPad Pro 12.9”. 

I plugged my MacBook Pro Charger into a wall outlet, a Klein Tools Multimeter into the brick, and then the USB-C cable into the USB-C PD port. The multimeter displayed 8.95V/1.56A, while my iPad Pro was at 84% at 10:18 PM. I removed the multimeter, plugged the USB-C cable into the wall charger directly, and then plugged the multimeter into the other USB-C port.  I plugged an atom studios USB-C to lightning cable into the multimeter and into my iPhone 13 Pro Max.  The multimeter displayed 5.00v/1.47A while my iPhone displayed 40% at 10:23 pm. 

I plugged my son’s iPhone 11 into the multimeter via USB-A and found it displayed 4.99V/1.15A from the BC 1.2 port and 5.10V/0.49A from the other port.  I allowed my iPad and the two iPhones to charge for 10 minutes.  My iPad Pro increased to 89%, while my iPhone 13 Pro increased to 46%, and the iPhone 11 increased to 61%. I then removed the two iPhones and allowed my iPad to charge until 11:17 PM.  When I returned to check the iPad Pro, the device was at 97%.  

To further test the device, I plugged an HDMI cable and VGA cable into the PNY and found that the HDMI output was the only one that output video to my monitor.  If I removed the HDMI and used the VGA, the device output to my monitor without issue.  I was pleased with the second screen and with the ability to use either the HDMI or the VGA, but I would have loved the option to output to a total of 3 screens. 

I used the Blackmagic Disc Speed Test and tested a USB A Toshiba 1 TB portable drive; the app showed 100.9 MB/s write and 105.4 MB/s read. The ALL-IN-ONE device allowed me to watch my saved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cartoons and several other saved cartoons. When finished, I ejected the drive, disconnected the cables, folded the included cable back into the shell, and packed it away for later.

SUMMARY:

The PNY USB-C ALL-IN-1 device will expand your opportunities beyond those offered by most computers. I felt the included ports were appropriate and truly enjoyed the retractable USB-C cable. If I had one critique of the device, it would be with the matte surfaces’ tendency to smudge with fingerprints. Even though I would love for the device to output to two additional monitors, I was able to accept the single video output.

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