Satechi’s redesigned Stand & Hub brings enhanced NVMe SSD storage, faster SD card readers, and extra USB ports to Apple’s redesigned Mac mini.
Satechi previewed the updated hub back in November for the latest M4-powered Mac mini, and the company announced full details today at CES 2025. The M4-powered Mac mini has a revamped chassis that is less than half the size of the previous M2-based model, so Satechi’s form-fitting hub had to be revamped.
There are fewer ports than before, but some have been upgraded. Also, the power button is now easier to reach without having to lift your Mac mini. As you may know, the new Mac mini moved the power button to the left rear corner. Satechi’s hub features a dedicated opening on the back, so you can turn on your Mac mini without moving it.
Compared to the previous Stand & Hub accessories, the new version is somewhat of a downgrade in terms of the number of I/O ports. You’ve got three USB-A ports, a full-sized SD card slot, and a 10Gbps NVMe drive slot. The SSD enclosure has been upgraded to support up to 4TB of NVMe storage. You can use Time Machine to back up your Mac to the SSD in the NVMe enclosure, or just keep it as extra storage space.
However, previous versions had a more robust port selection featuring three USB-A ports (two 3.0, one 3.2), a USB-C port (USB 3.2 speeds), microSD and SD card readers (UHS-I speeds), a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an NVMe enclosure with 10Gbps transfer rates.
But there’s more to this new version than meets the eye, thanks to other internal upgrades. For example, two of the USB-A ports on this Stand & Hub now feature 3.2 speeds. Also, the SD card reader has been upgraded from UHS-I (104 MB/s) to UHS-II (312 MB/s)
Oddly enough, Satechi hasn’t upgraded the accessory with Thunderbolt compatibility. As it goes, the new Mac Mini Stand & Hub only uses USB-C even though it takes up one of the Thunderbolt ports on the back of the Mac mini.
Satechi makes some nicely designed gear, and the redesigned Stand & Hub is no exception. Made from aluminum and featuring a silver-and-black color scheme, the hub complements Apple’s overall aesthetics. It sports heat-dissipating vents at the bottom and a recessed top area for cooling that doesn’t interfere with the computer’s own cooling.
The Satechi M4 Mac Mini Stand and Hub launches on February 17, 2025, with full availability expected in March. It’s priced at $100, the same as the previous version. Like before, you can get the hub with or without an NVMe enclosure. You can sign up for email updates to be notified when the hub becomes available to purchase and get a 20% launch discount.
Source: Satechi
