Although smartphones, tablets, and notebooks are becoming more powerful than ever before, one area in which they appear to be experiencing a decline is connectivity ports. When you think back just a few short years, it was common for a notebook to include card reader, network, and HDMI slots. There were expandable storage slots on smartphones and tablets as well, and some even supported HDMI connections.
Stations for docking: a resource for users with multiple devices!
Now, we have tablets, phones, and notebooks with only one USB Type-C port and no expandable memory options, and they treat connectivity ports like water in the Sahara: they distribute them sparingly and with great care. Although we are aware that we are moving toward a world that is wireless, wired ports and connections are still very much a part of our existence. Even though cameras can quickly transfer photos and videos to notebooks via Bluetooth, a wired connection works much better and comes with the majority of portable flash drives. Naturally, there are times when all one wants to do is connect multiple devices to a phone or tablet. However, since everything from connecting to charging happens through a single USB Type C port, this is impossible.
As a result, mobile professionals are increasingly turning to docking stations. These are typically useful devices that connect to the USB Type C port and provide additional connecting options, typically in the form of additional USB Type C and Type A ports, as well as a few others. These are useful, but they can also be expensive or unreliable, which is a drawback. or either Fortunately, neither is the Ant ESports AEC810 multifunctional docking station. It adds eight new ports to your device at no additional cost, which is why it is mentioned in this section.
AEC810 from Ant Esports: The Ant ESports AEC810 multifunctional docking station is made of metal and has a lot of ports and connections. It is officially priced between Rs 1500 and Rs 2,000, but you can often find it for around Rs 1,000 on online portals or even in retail stores. At Rs 2,000, we believe it would be a wise investment. It is a steal for those who want to connect multiple devices to their notebook, tablet, or smartphone, and it costs close to Rs 1,000 (ours was Rs 1,119).
The AEC810 has a wire connection to your device's USB type C port and is made of solid metal, which is comforting. We realize a few people favor docks that interface straightforwardly to the port of their gadgets without any wires, however these can frequently be an issue to utilize if your tablet or cell phone has a cover connected to it. The AEC810 does not have any issues like these. Additionally, the wire connector appears to be robust, and we anticipate that it will serve us well. We like the dock's reassuringly solid feel despite its relatively light weight.
We like what the dock does for your device as well. There is a 4K-capable HDMI port, two USB Type A ports (one is USB 3.0, the other is USB 2.0), two USB Type C ports, a SD card slot, a TF card slot, and, surprise, an RJ45 ethernet port right at the top. One of those two USB Type C ports supports PD charging, so you can actually use it to quickly charge your devices with a fast power source.
There are a lot of options available, and it works pretty well. As long as you don't try to use the two card readers simultaneously, there aren't really any major limitations on what this handy little device can do. While charging our MacBook Air (M1) from the USB Type C port, we discovered that we could easily connect a portable hard drive, read an SD card from our camera, and keep a wired mouse connected.
We were literally able to plug and play it with our MacBook Air and even the OnePlus Pad, which is quite remarkable considering how smoothly the ethernet port worked. The dock did heat up slightly when we used the HDMI port, as it did when we charged a device using it, but not to an alarming degree. The only issue we encountered was that some smartphones and tablets were unable to recognize the device—possibly due to manufacturer restrictions—but all of the notebooks we used it with worked flawlessly.
The ports and slots have been clearly labeled, and we hope that the paint stays, especially for the Type-C port that supports PD charging and the USB 3.0 Type A port, which are easy to confuse with their "normal" siblings next to them. Great value for those tangled with multiple devices. A minor issue is also the likely tangle of wires that will form when you connect multiple devices to your smartphone, tablet, or notebook. However, in our opinion, that is a small price to pay for the ease of use. We haven't had any issues with our very sturdy unit, but Ant ESports is a well-known brand with a respectable track record in the industry, and the device comes with a one-year warranty in case something goes wrong.
The Ant ESports AEC810 is a great option for those who have to deal with multiple devices and connecting points, despite the fact that it may not look very elegant and some individuals may feel a little overwhelmed by all of the connections it supports (especially when more than three or four devices have been connected to it). However, considering that it costs approximately Rs 1,000, we believe that it is a great option for those individuals. We suddenly use wired mice and keyboards more frequently and are less concerned about charging wireless devices, which increases productivity.