The reality is that in 2022 more and more laptops will not be equipped with I/O that only a decade ago was considered necessary. Apple for example does not offer laptops with USB-A, memory card readers and LAN. Only through last year's MacBook Pro model was it returned after receiving pressure from users. It's kind of funny to think that just a few generations ago a work computer had all the I/O including a CD drive, floppy disk and VGA output.
Because laptop manufacturers refuse to change, users who have to change their lifestyle and start buying USB-C adapters to restore all the ports that have been lost. Urgeen offered the USB-C Multitouch Adapter to the Malaysian market a few months ago as an all-in-one solution.
With 3x USB-A 3.0, 1x HDMI, 1x VGA, 1x RJ45, 1x TF card, 1x SD card, and a 3.5mm jack it's an adapter with an impressive amount of I/O on paper but the reality isn't as beautiful as the specs.
Design
We start first with the design because it is the reason why we agreed to review the Ugreen USB-C Multitouch Adapter. It looks stylish and premium and the color is also compatible with the MacBook Air M1 that we used at the time. MacBook Air M1 users won't admit it but even though it's a good laptop, with only two USB-Cs on the side it's hard to use. If one USB-C is used for charging, the owner only has one USB-C accessory to use. So the use of adapters is necessary to ensure there are no issues connecting other accessories to do the job.
It is also similar to the flagship class adapter sold by Satechi at three times the price. In our heads we wanted to see for ourselves whether different prices would provide a different experience.
Aluminum body finish is not only neat but not easy to get dirty. It's also lightweight because the inside of this adapter is actually a trunk. The sides are made of black plastic. On one side are placed 3x USB-A 3.0 and a 3.5mm audio jack. On the opposite side is placed 1x HMDI, 1xVGA and 1x RJ45. At the bottom there is also a slot for a memory card reader and at the top there is a USB-C connection cable to the computer and a USB-C input.
If marks are given for style, we can give it 8/10 because this adapter does look premium and neat despite being sold at a more affordable price.
Usage
With 10 ports on the body, one might think that all of them can be used simultaneously. Sorry to inform you this cannot be done. The issue we noticed from the first day it was used. The adapter is connected to the USB-C port of the MacBook Air M2 and then a 4K monitor is connected via the HDMI port. 4K 60p output can be supported well on all the monitors we tested namely Samsung M7, Predator X28 and Prism+ PG320 Ultra.
Then we tried to connect a speaker through the 3.5mm audio jack. Direct speaker connection cannot be detected. Only when the HMDI cable is removed will the sound come out of the speaker. That's like living shy of dying because even at the loudest audio settings, the sound produced is lifeless. As if the 3.5mm audio output is cut by 50% compared to if we connect to the Macbook Air's 3.5mm audio jack.
We then connected a micro SD card, a Lightspeed dongle for headphones, a USB-A SSD and HDMI. This time there are no issues. In the manual provided by Ugreen, no information is given about the combination of connections that can be done or not as they provided on the GaN charger that we reviewed before.
For some reason the LAN cable connection is also sometimes detected sometimes not despite using the same cable each time. This gives the experience of using this adapter like a stabbing game. If lucky everything is OK and the opposite happens randomly.
This is most likely because this adapter does not have the official MFi standard from Apple like other more expensive adapter accessories. One consistent feature is n
We also performed tests on a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, an iPad Air M1 and a Windows 11 laptop. The same issues occur confirming that it is not caused by macOS but by this adapter which is not suitable in all situations.
When connected to a Z Fold4 we can access DeX wired when connected to a monitor. There is also no issue to support a mouse and keyboard using the USB-A port.
Conclusion
A good adapter will make life easier for users of devices that have a limited number of ports. As MacBook Air M2 users, we are the target group to buy the Ugreen USB-C Multitouch Adapter because there are 10 additional ports in one.
But without receiving the official MFi standard from Apple the use of this adapter is not very smooth and causes some issues. Not all ports can be used simultaneously and only some features work perfectly. The 4K 60p output via HDMI is perfect but the 3.5mm connection is disappointing.
In our opinion, this Ugreen adapter is not suitable for everyone. It is a backup adapter that we only use when there are no other options in the office or if we only want to use a maximum of TWO ports. If more than two accessories are connected various issues may appear randomly.
However, at sales as low as RM173.90 at some online stores, it's still cheaper than other USB-C adapters with less I/O support. But if you want a more consistent MacBook/iPad adapter we suggest you look for an adapter with the MFi standard.