Minix Neo Storage Plus handles two jobs. It’s a multiport USB-C adapter, adding USB-A, HDMI and Ethernet to Mac or iPad. And this accessory is also an SSD, bringing 480GB of storage.
We tested all the features of this multifunction hub. Here’s how it stands up to real-world use.
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Minix Neo Storage Plus review
The sleek designs of MacBooks and iPads are great, but these computers have minimal ports to maintain their svelte shapes. Attaching USB-A accessories or HDMI monitors requires adapters. And Minix Neo Storage Plus combines several of the most useful adapters into one package.
And it solves another problem too. This accessory can easily expand the storage capacity for your device by almost half a terabyte. That’s plenty of room to store presentations, a movie collection, tons of work files… whatever you need.
Hardware and Design
Minix Neo Storage Plus is easily portable at just 4.3 inches long, 2.0 inches wide, and 0.6 inches thick. The casing is aluminum, both to match the look of Apple devices and to shed heat.
The corners are rounded, again to match Apple’s designs. And Minix offers the product in Space Grey or Silver, so it’ll fit with a MacBook or USB-C iPad.
A white LED in the top of the lights up when Minix’s accessory gets power. And there are four small rubber feet on the bottom to keep it from sliding around.
Storage
The 480GB of storage built into this hub can transfer data at up to 400 MBps, for both reading and writing.
It’s non-removable, and the SSD cannot be replaced or upgraded later by the user.
Ports
A pair of USB-A ports use USB 3.0, which gives them a maximum data transfer speed of 5 Gbps (625 MBps). They’re ideal for connecting keyboards, mice and other accessories to the Mac or iPad.
The HDMI port built into the Neo Storage Plus handles 4K video at 60 Hz. That’s well suited for either enjoying a movie streamed from built-in storage or making a business presentation.
A Gigibit Ethernet port gives an alternative to Wi-Fi that’s more secure and often faster.
One USB-C port sits on the end of Minix’s accessory, and is used only to connect the hub to the computer. A second USB-C port is power pass-through. On a Mac, this frees up the other USB-C ports. On an iPad, it lets the tablet charge while the hub is in use.
Cable
Minix Neo Storage Plus connects to the computer with a 6.7-inch cable. This is long enough to make this peripheral usable with an iPad held in a clip-on keyboard.
The cable is removable, so the multi-port hub takes up minimal room in your gear bag. Plus, this design puts less stress on the connecting cable while in transport.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Minix Neo Storage Plus performance
There are no software drivers needed to use any of the functions of the Minix Neo Storage Plus. Its storage and various ports are “plug and play.” Connect the accessory to the USB-C port in a macOS, iPadOS or Windows computer and all its functions are immediately available.
I fully tested the various functions of this product. There were no problems transferring files back and forth to a USB drive to the SSD, or to an iPad. Plus, the USB-A ports worked fine with a keyboard and mouse. The HDMI port easily handled playing a video stored on the SSD. And the Ethernet port provided an iPad the full connection speed of a consumer-grade internet connection.
In my tests, copying a 1 GB file to Minix’s SSD took 17 seconds. Copying it back took 5 seconds.
Neo Storage Plus can be used as a USB-A device as well. I tested it with a USB-A adapter and a Windows computer, and found that both the hub’s USB-A ports and its Ethernet port functioned, as did the SSD. HDMI wasn’t available, however.
Plus, the SSD is actually accessible on a wider variety of devices than the ports. A router with a USB-A port and file sharing was able to connect to the drive and access its contents.
Even with multiple ports in use for an extended period, the peripheral never became more than warm.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Minix Neo Storage Plus final thoughts
Everyone wants to carry around a minimal amount of gear, and the Minix Neo Storage Plus combines multiple products into one. Not only does it add the most-used ports to a Mac or iPad, it’s also an external SSD with 480GB of capacity.
Pricing
In the U.S., the Minix Neo Storage Plus is offered through Amazon. The price is $129.90.
Buy from: Amazon
Comparable products
MacBook users might be more interested in the Minix Neo Storage Pro. This tiny clip-on adds 480GB of storage also includes an HDMI port, a USB-A port and a Thunderbolt 3 port.
There are plenty of multiport adapters without built-in SSDs. And these can have many more ports. Take the Aukey CB-C78 — it has a whopping 12 ports.
Anyone looking for more storage might go with the Samsung T7 or the WD My Passport SSD. They’re highly portable and can each hold up to 2 terabytes.
Minix provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out more in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.
