Your iPhone is a powerful computer held back by its single port. Connect the Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 Multiport Adapter, and you can connect to a wide range of accessories — external monitors, SSDs, Ethernet and more — all without adding too much bulk. It really adds to the capabilities of the handset.
I’m not saying it’ll turn your iPhone into a mini MacBook, but if you’re toting a laptop on trips simply to watch TV shows or give a presentation on a large screen, this hub is for you.
Plus, it stands out by connecting to the MagSafe magnets built into your iPhone, so the accessory conveniently clings to the back of your device.
I tested it out with my iPhone 17 to see what the multiport adapter has to offer. Here’s what I found.
Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 Multiport Adapter review
Attaching a hub to your iPhone makes it a more versatile work or entertainment device. With a hub, an iPhone can easily connect to external displays for presentations or video playback, access storage drives and use wired keyboards and mice for productivity. You can even plug in Ethernet for faster, more reliable internet.
With the Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 Multiport Adapter, you can push your iPhone to the limit.
The Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 Multiport Adapter is a pocket-sized, all-in-one connectivity hub that upgrades your iPhone into powerhouse of productivity that fits in the palm of your hand.
About the size of a hockey puck and lighter than a deck of cards, the hub offers seven essential ports as well as magnetic attachment to any MagSafe iPhone. It’s an essential tool for remote professionals, digital nomads, students and creators.
- Hub made specially for iPhone
- All the most useful ports
- USB-C port only for charging
Table of contents: Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 Multiport Adapter review
- Multiport hub made specially for iPhone
- Takes advantage of MagSafe
- Not just for iPhone
- 7 useful ports
- Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 Multiport Adapter review: Final thoughts
- Pricing
Multiport hub made specially for iPhone
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
This is an all-in-one connectivity hub that packs in a range of useful ports but is about the size of a hockey puck and lighter than a deck of cards. Specifically, it’s 2.5 inches across and 1.0 inches thick, and weighs 0.16 pounds.
Around the outside sit an HDMI port, dual USB-A ports, an SD/microSD reader, Gigabit Ethernet and USB-C PD pass-through.
The Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 Multiport Adapter connects to your iPhone through a tangle-free, braided USB-C cable. This wraps around the hub when not in use, and my testing shows it stays there.
Satechi colored the plastic casing a color to match Apple’s space gray, and the edges are rounded. All in all, the hub matches the look of an iPhone.
Of course, like any USB-C hub, it can be connected to MacBooks, iPads, Windows PCs, etc.
Takes advantage of MagSafe
Photo: Satechi
Just about any USB-C hub can be used with an iPhone. Very few are designed for it specifically. That’s what makes the Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 Multiport Adapter stand out.
Magnets in the hub connect to magnets in the iPhone to attach the two. It’s quite a solid connection. I can pick up the handset with an HDMI cable, power cable, thumb drive and an SD card inserted, and the hub won’t drop off. It’s unwieldy, but the handset and accessories stick together.
Not just for iPhone
Adding MagSafe doesn’t detract from the multiport hub supporting computers other than iPhones. I tested it with my iPad, and all the functions work very well.
Satechi includes an adhesive ring to let the device cling to non-iPhones. I like it enough that I put the ring on my iPad Pro’s keyboard case, and it makes a reliable connection.
7 useful ports
Image: Satechi
The Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 Multiport Adapter includes (surprise!) seven ports. These are the most useful ports for an iPhone… or most computers.
The collection starts with an HDMI port that supports up to 4K at 60Hz. I tested it with my 4K monitor from innocn and they worked beautifully together. I watched TV episodes on Apple TV and Paramount+. I also did a test Keynote presentation from the iPhone without a hitch.
The hub also includes a pair of USB-A ports. These top out at 625 MBps. I ran a couple of tests, and in real-world usage a 1GB file copied over in 3.5 seconds, while a 10GB test time took 25.5 seconds. Those are fast enough for most uses.
Consider combining the HDMI and USB-A ports. You can save a movie or a presentation on a drive, then view it on an external monitor.
The Gigabit Ethernet port can save you when Wi-Fi is slow or unreliable but you have access to wired internet. The Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 Multiport Adapter is easily able to handle my consumer-grade internet connection at full speed.
A SD/microSD reader is great for bringing files over from another device, like a drone camera. File transfers aren’t particularly quick, though — in my tests, I got 22 MBps when moving a file off a microSD card.
The seventh port is USB-C. The good news is that this supports PD pass-through and can send up to 80W to your computer. That’s vastly more than an iPhone can take advantage of, of course, but it’s convenient if you connect the Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 Multiport Adapter to a MacBook. In my testing, it sent 50W to my iPad.
The bad news is that this port can not handle data. Don’t bother plugging an SSD into it — nothing will happen. I tested a bunch to be sure. You’ll need to use the USB-A ports and an adapter for USB-C accessories for anything but charging.
Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 Multiport Adapter review: Final thoughts
Photo: Satechi
Don’t underestimate the power of your iPhone. Embrace it instead. Maybe you can skip bringing your MacBook on trips if your phone can do the job. But you might need more ports. Fortunately, a well-designed travel hub like this one from Satechi can easily take care of that.
I really like the design of this product — MagSafe makes it a standout. Too bad it doesn’t have a fully functional USB-C port. No data, just power.
★★★★☆
Pricing
The Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 Multiport Adapter is available now for $59.99 in space black.
The Satechi OntheGo 7-in-1 Multiport Adapter is a pocket-sized, all-in-one connectivity hub that upgrades your iPhone into powerhouse of productivity that fits in the palm of your hand.
About the size of a hockey puck and lighter than a deck of cards, the hub offers seven essential ports as well as magnetic attachment to any MagSafe iPhone. It’s an essential tool for remote professionals, digital nomads, students and creators.
- Hub made specially for iPhone
- All the most useful ports
- USB-C port only for charging
Satechi 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.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
