AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W Review

AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W
AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W

AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W

AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W - A 4-in-1 USB-C Hub with Wireless Charging

Summary

The AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W can replace your USB-C dongles and wireless charging pad. Reducing desktop clutter. Freeing up USB-C ports on your laptop. And only requires a single wall outlet to power all connected devices.

Overall
4.5
  • Performance
    (4)
  • Design
    (5)
  • Safety
    (4.5)
  • Port Availability
    (4.5)
Sending
User Review
0 (0 votes)

Pros

  • Pass through charging for up to 100W USB-C PD chargers
  • Compatible with MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Dell XPS, Google Chromebook
  • Powered with your laptop’s power adapter
  • Wirelessly charges newer iPhones and Android
  • Connects USB-C laptop to HDMI display
  • Supports two USB-A accessories

Cons

  • Pass through power to laptop is reduced to provide wireless charging
  • No Ethernet support
  • Won’t fast charge phones

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. AUKEY provided the product in this review.

Model: CB-C70
Tech Specs:
  • Ports: USB-C (input), USB-C cable (output), USB-A x2, HDMI, Qi wireless
  • USB-C: USB Power Delivery 3.0, up to 100W
  • USB-A: USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5Gbps) | 5V/0.9A
  • HDMI: 4k@30Hz
  • Qi Wireless: 10W
  • Input: 100V–240V, xA, 50/60Hz
  • Size: 3.6 x 3.6 x 0.6 inches | 92 x 92 x 16 mm
  • Weight: 5.6 oz | 148 grams

Learn more about Fast Charging.

AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W box and contents

AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W box and contents

Included In Box:
  • AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W
Good For:
  • Home or work desktop setup with a USB-C laptop
  • iPhone
  • Android
  • 12-inch laptop
  • 13-inch/14-inch laptop
  • 15-inch laptop
  • HDMI display, 1080p to 4k

First Impression

The AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W looks like a thick wireless charging pad. But tucked into its sides are USB and HDMI ports. As well as a built-in, 6-inch USB-C cable. The short cable connects to your laptop. While your laptop’s USB-C power adapter connects to the USB-C port. The HDMI port connects to your display. And the two USB-A ports are for accessories, from flash drives to a keyboard and mouse. Finally, your Qi wireless compatible phone sits on top to charge.

Like other USB-C hubs it is larger than a more simple USB-C dongle. Even Apple’s USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter, which I was using before. But when it replaces a dongle or two plus a wireless charging pad you can end up saving desktop space. And only needing one power source is nice.

 

Compared to Similar USB-C Hubs

ChargerAUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100WApple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter
PortsUSB-C input, USB-C output, USB-A x2, HDMI, Qi wirelessUSB-C input, USB-C output, USB-A, HDMI
Power ThroughputUp to 100W

10W reserved for wireless charging
Up to 100W
DataUSB 3.0: 5GbpsUSB 2.0: 480Mbps
Video4k@30Hz2k@60Hz
FeaturesQi wireless charging pad, up to 10W
Dimensions3.6 x 3.6 x 0.6 in
5.6 oz
PriceNo products found.$64.99

Prices are from Amazon Product Advertising API, last updated on 2024-03-19.

Top: AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W. Bottom: Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter.

Top: AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W. Bottom: Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter.

Pass Through Power

As the hub isn’t itself a power source it relies on a USB-C PD wall charger. Which in most cases will be your laptop’s charger. But will work with third party chargers, too. The hub passes through most of the power. But not all. This is typical of all USB-C hubs. The hub and ports need some power. And some is loss in transmission. Going from charger -> hub -> laptop is less efficient than going charger -> laptop.

Besides normal USB-C hub power needs AUKEY’s hub also holds 10W in reserve for its wireless charging hub. Combined the hub will pass through ~11W less than if you used the charger directly. A significant chunk of power. But not something you’re likely to notice under normal use conditions with your laptop.

As a result of the power pass through the hub provides different power profiles. These apply to whatever devices is on its built-in USB-C cable.

Power Profiles With & Without Hub
  • Anker PowerPort Atom PD 1: 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 15V/2A, 20V/1.5A (30W)
  • Anker PowerPort Atom PD 1 w/Hub: 5V/0.8A, 9V/1.78A, 15V/1.27A, 20V/0.95 (19W)
  • ZMI PowerPlug Turbo: 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A, 20V/2.25A (45W)
  • ZMI PowerPlug Turbo w/Hub: 5V/0.8A, 9V/1.78A, 15V/2.27A, 20V/1.7A (34W)
  • Inateck 60W PD USB-C: 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A, 20V/3A (60W)
  • Inateck 60W PD USB-C w/Hub: 5V/0.8A, 9V/1.78A, 12V/2.08A, 15V/2.27A, 20V/2.45A (49W)
  • Apple 61W USB-C Power Adapter: 5V/2.4A, 9V/3A, 20V/3A (60W)
  • Apple 61W USB-C Power Adapter w/Hub: 5V/0.2A, 9V/1.78A, 20V/2.45A (49W)

I would expect with a 100W USB-C PD wall charger the hub would offer ~89W. The 11W difference is consistent across all chargers I tested with.

Connecting your phone to the wireless charging pad does not alter these numbers. The 10W needed for that is already held back from the connected USB-C device.

Laptop Charging

How much power your laptop can draw will depend on your USB-C wall charger. Which in most cases will be your laptop’s original charger. So your laptop will be able to draw its usual amount, minus ~11W (see above).

Power draw using a MacBook Pro 13-inch and Apple’s 61W USB-C power adapter:

MacBook Pro 13-inch power meter, without AUKEY hub

MacBook Pro 13-inch power meter, without AUKEY hub

Power draw through USB-C hub with same MacBook Pro 13-inch and Apple’s 61W USB-C power adapter:

MacBook Pro 13-inch power meter, through AUKEY hub

MacBook Pro 13-inch power meter, through AUKEY hub

Power negotiation through USB-C hub:

MacBook Pro 13-inch power negotiation through AUKEY hub

MacBook Pro 13-inch power negotiation through AUKEY hub

In most cases losing 11W of power is not an issue for a laptop. Their included power adapters are designed for the most extreme of charging needs. When the laptop’s battery is nearly depleted and the system is under high resource usage stress. My MacBook Pro can draw up to 55W when I stress it (as I did in the tests above). But under most conditions it draws 30-45W.

Qi Wireless Charging

AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W wirelessly charging iPhone 8

AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W wirelessly charging iPhone 8

To activate wireless charging simply place your phone or other device on top of the hub. Wireless charging will work with or without a laptop attached to the hub. The only need is that the hub itself has a power source.

I don’t have a tester to measure wireless charging rates. The specs (which are accurate in my other testing) states 10W output is supported. And my testing of USB-C pass through power showed more than 10W reserved for the hub’s own use. Including for the wireless charging pad.

A 10W wireless charger will take about an hour less time than a 5W wireless charger. And will outperform a 5W USB charger, like the iPhone’s included charger. All phones will get a faster charge using a fast charging wired option over wireless. But with this hub you’ll get the best performance with wireless. The USB-A ports support less than 5W. And the USB-C cable does poor pass through at 5V.

The benefit of wireless charging is convenience. You don’t need an extra cable. And is a must have feature for anyone with an Apple Watch or other device which only charges wirelessly.

USB-A Data

AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W connecting MacBook Pro to its desktop accessories

AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W connecting MacBook Pro to its desktop accessories

The two USB-A ports don’t offer much power output. Less than 5W each. Making them poor power sources for your phone. But they do support USB 3.1 Gen 1 data connections. Offering up to 5Gbps with compatible laptops and accessories. More than enough to support most USB accessories you may want to connect.

For my setup I have a keyboard, mouse, headset, and speakers all going through USB. They connect to a separate USB hub. Because the Apple dongle I used before only had one USB-A port. AUKEY’s hub supported the same setup with no issues. And gives me an extra USB-A port. Which is nice for the occasional flash drive.

HDMI Video Output

Most laptops with USB-C support video output through the port. Provided your display supports HDMI you can connect an HDMI cable between it and the hub. And skip having another dongle.

The hub will support 720p, 1080p, 1440p, and 4k@30Hz video. It won’t support 4k@60Hz, so double check your setup.

Not Every Hub Is Ideal for Every Laptop

As a general rule, USB-C hubs are complicated pieces of hardware. They allow USB-C to do what it was made to do. Replace several different types of connections with a single connector. But that process is complex. And not every laptop manufacturer implements USB-C on their laptops in the same way. As a result you can have a USB-C hub that works perfectly with one laptop. But has problems with a different brand laptop.

When considering any USB-C hub look at what model laptops the manufacture lists. As they don’t always test or list every brand you should also dig into the reviews on sites like Amazon. See if anyone mentions your brand or model laptop, and see what they have to say. Hopefully between the two you’ll see confirmation that the hub works with laptops such as your own.

For AUKEY’s hub they list MacBook Pro, Google Chromebook, and Google Pixelbook. I also found Dell XPS listed in several positive user reviews on Amazon. Additional laptop models are sure to work. But do your homework if you have a less popular model.

Summary

Top: AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W. Bottom: Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter & Anker 5W Wireless Charging Pad.

Top: AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W. Bottom: Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter & Anker 5W Wireless Charging Pad.

The AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W successfully replaced my Apple multiport USB-C dongle. And a 5W wireless charging pad used for my phone. There was no setup required beyond moving cables from one to the other. My home office setup work as it did before. With laptop connected to a display, keyboard and mouse, speakers, and a headset.

Using my laptop’s original charger it does have a lower max draw rate with AUKEY’s hub than before. The hub uses ~11W for itself and its wireless charging pad. So where my max draw rate was ~55W now it is ~44W. That is no problem for myself, and I expect most other users. But may pose a problem for some. Especially if you tend to stress your laptop while its battery is also below 20% charge.

The available ports are perfect for my setup. But lack of Ethernet will make this less ideal for some business offices. If you often use SD cards a hub that supports those might be better for you.

The wireless charging pad works as any other. Place your phone or other device on the pad. The LED will change from red to green, and it is charging. Power is not diverted from your laptop, as it was already held in reserve.

I’m continuing to use this hub. It fulfills my setup’s needs. While also offering an extra USB-A port, faster wireless charging, and one less gadget and cable on my desk. My Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter can become a dedicated travel dongle. And my 5W wireless charging pad can go to another room.

About AUKEY

AUKEY has U.S. based support (web and email) and a 24 month warranty. You must have purchased the product either from them or through Amazon for support.

Bottom Line

The AUKEY CB-C70 Unity Wireless 100W combines a basic USB-C hub and wireless charging pad. A setup that’ll work for most home offices and work places without Ethernet. But keep in mind the power for the wireless charger means less power for your laptop.

Buy if you:
  • Connect a USB-C laptop to an HDMI display and USB accessories
  • Have a Qi wireless compatible phone to charge
  • Want to minimize the number of gadgets on your desk
Don’t buy if you:
  • Need an Ethernet connection and don’t want a separate dongle
  • Have a regularly stressed laptop that needs all the power it can draw
No products found.

 

Be sure to check the Deals page to see if this or a similar charger is on sale.


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