One of the reasons that I decided to get a 2018 iPad Pro was the introduction of a USB-C port to the device for charging and data transfer. What’s great about this change is that now, adapters that used to work only for USB-C-equipped Macs now work with the top-of-the-line iPads. Accessory manufacturer Choetech recently verified the compatibility of their Multifunction USB-C Adapter ($29.99, Amazon affiliate link) and 6-in-1 Multiport USB-C Adapter (US$53.29, Amazon affiliate link) for use with the iPad Pro, and today we’re taking a look at these two versatile adapters.
While these links provide a direct store link to Amazon, you can also get more information about Choetech’s accessories (which include wireless chargers, car chargers, solar chargers, wall chargers, cables and hubs) at their official website.
Multifunction USB-C Adapter
This adapter is the more compact of the two, but it offers a lot of the features that iPad Pro users desire. Plug it into the USB-C port of your iPad Pro and you get:
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One 4K (30Hz) HDMI port, perfect for mirroring the iPad Pro or any USB-C MacBook to a TV, display or projector. It’s backward compatible with 1080p and 720p as well.
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SD and TF (micro-SD) card readers. This is perfect for the photographer or videographer who captures imagery and wants to edit it on the iPad Pro. Drone pilots will find the micro-SD card reader especially useful!
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Two USB-A ports (USB 3.0). These provide compatibility with most USB-A accessories such as microphones, flash drives, and so on. While the iPad Pro cannot read external USB hard drives or SSDs, using this accessory with any new MacBook provides a way to use those older external drives with USB-A connectors.
If there’s one thing that’s missing on this adapter, it’s a passthrough for power. MacBooks seem to have enough power to handle driving an HDMI port and other accessories without an external power connection, but the iPad Pro doesn’t and sometimes balks at letting you use external accessories
Still, the price is right with this adapter and it makes a good, inexpensive SD/micro-SD card reader for the iPad Pro.
Apple World Today Rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★★
6-in-1 Multiport USB-C Adapter
This adapter has become my “go-to” accessory with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro I’m using. Whenever I’m on the British Tech Network Mac Show, I’m broadcasting from my iPad Pro with extra power coming in from a passthrough power port, connected to Ethernet, and using a high-quality microphone through USB-A ports. The 6-in-1 adapter adds:
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4K HDMI port for high-definition video and audio from the iPad Pro
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A Gigabit Ethernet port. I never realized the iPad Pro could support Ethernet until I plugged in the device and “Ethernet” showed up in the Settings app, showing my device IP address and the router address.
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Two USB-A ports (USB 3.0) for connecting those external devices with traditional USB connectors.
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SD card slot. While this doesn’t have a separate micro-SD card reader, it works with those little adapters that usually come with any micro-SD card.
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Passthrough power USB-C port, supporting up to 60W of power for charging the device while you’re using it.
As I mentioned, this is the adapter that I find to be the most useful for my iPad Pro. It does everything I need it to do, it looks great (uses a black finish), and being able to use Ethernet on an iPad is amazing! Now, if Apple would only add the ability to connect a USB-C hard drive or SSD to the iPad Pro we’d have the perfect portable video editing machine.
