It took more than two years for a manufacturer to find a hardware solution to a limitation of the MacBook M1. For 250 euros, Anker has just presented the Dock Station 563 USB-C.
The first MacBook M1s are impressive, we are talking here about the MacBook Air M1 (2020) and the MacBook Pro 13 M1 (2020). They nevertheless have a limitation, which is no longer found on the latest M1 machines, they can operate only one external screen (up to 6K definition at 60 Hz) because of the M1 chip controller.
Anker has just released an accessory that breaks this limitation. The latter can thus run three screens at the same time.
A tailor-made docking station
The Anker 563 is a hub, a kind of docking station, which has a total of 10 ports, including USB-C, USB-A, 3.5mm audio and Ethernet.
But we’re more interested in the dedicated display connectors, which consist of an HDMI port that can go up to 4K at 30Hz (it’s unclear what the maximum refresh rate is at lower definitions), a second port HDMI which can do 2K definition (aka 1440p) at up to 60Hz, and a DisplayPort which is also capable of 2K at 60Hz.
In addition to the hub, you will need to install software called DisplayLink. Note that this Anker 563 hub also has a USB-C port that can deliver up to 100W of power, a 1Gbps Ethernet port, a USB-C port with 5Gbps of data transfer speeds, and 30W of power, a 5 Gbps and 7.5 W USB-A port, and two USB-A ports reserved for data at 480 Mbps. There is also an owner input to power the docking station.
In short, while waiting for the M2 chips and the refresh of the MacBook Air, this accessory can be useful. It will be sold at approximately 250 euros, its marketing will not delay.
To follow us, we invite you to download our Android and iOS application. You can read our articles, files, and watch our latest YouTube videos.