Yes, Apple added an SD card slot and HDMI port to the MacBook Pro 2021, but this new MacBook Pro dock covers just about every need.
CalDigit, as reported by MacRumors, has introduced the Thunderbolt Station 4 dock, or TS4. They basically every port for modern you could think of, which is why this dock maxes out at 18 of them. But at $360, this dock is definitely for power users, those with multiple monitors and gigabit Ethernet.
Below is a list of all the ports available on the Thunderbolt Station 4 dock.
CalDigit Thunderbolt Station 4 dock ports
- 3x Thunderbolt 4 (40Gb/s)
- 3x USB-C (10Gb/s)
- 5x USB-A (10Gb/s)
- DisplayPort 1.4
- SD 4.0 (UHS-II)
- microSD 4.0 (UHS-II)
- 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet
- Front Combo Audio In/Out (3.5mm)
- Rear Audio Out (3.5mm)
- Rear Audio In (3.5mm)
Power output is a key factor for a dock at this price range. This dock boasts a Thunderbolt 4 port with 98W of pass-through charging. It can essentially run one MacBook Pro while charging another MacBook Pro. Another modern touch is the inclusion of 2.5 gigabit Ethernet, which is great for those using the fastest of fiber connections.
The Thunderbolt Station 4 also works with Macs and iPads via Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C. It's not limited to Macs as Windows machines that have either Thunderbolt of USB-C can also use TS4.
One curious omission from the TS4 is the lack of HDMI. Sure, the new MacBook Pro features an HDMI port this time around, as well as an SDXC cards slot, but it still would have been nice to have a video out that's not limited to USB-C monitors, especially given the price. At least it does have DisplayPort.
The CalDigit Thunderbolt Station 4 is available now for $359.95, £324.99 in the U.K. and €324.99 in Europe via CalDigit's online store or Amazon. The first batch has already sold out. A second batch will be available in March.
