This is not the first time someone has sent me one of these to review. The last one was pretty good, a slim single style multi adapter built to bring back lost functionality to the latest Macbook. This effort from QacQoc seems to be doing the same thing, but with a few extra ports, and a number of aesthetics styles to choose from. Not too sure about the name of the firm though. You get that with East Asian brands sometimes, not quite realizing how their name might sound in English, try saying it out loud. But that is a very minor consideration, the core question is what ports are on there, what is the build made from and how much does it cost. Well I have all those answers right here.
Read on to find out more.
About QacQoc
As is always the case with Chinese firms, I have never heard of these guys before. I did a little digging, and unsurprisingly they are based out of Shenzhen, China. this means they are close to the production, and that means savings. It also means less than stellar customer support. A bit of a down side from my perspective, but the price tends to off set this. I did my usual test, emailing their support team anonymously, and was actually pleasantly surprised by the speed of their reply, and the level of English. Far too often do we see ESL style storefronts from drop shippers, but not the case here. I took a deeper look into their product line and found they had stock for sale on both Amazon and NewEgg, which leads me to believe that they are focusing on the Western market, so expect slightly higher prices, but far finer customer support than you might be accustomed to with Chinese firms.
QacQoc GN30H USB Hub Design and Build Quality
So, off the bat, this is another one that aims to fix the design issues with Apple’s latest laptop. If you have been paying attention to tech news over the last while you will be well aware of the lack of input ports on the machine. If you have been paying even closer attention to the tech world you will also know that the specs of the latest MacBook Pro were not the forward step we imagined, I would even go as far to say that the MacBook Pro series has evolved almost imperceptibly since 2012, but I digress. The GN30H is a USB-C hub that acts as a converter for a whole host of inputs. It comes in half a dozen different colors and it compact enough to fit in your pocket.
Aesthetically the build is lovely. It comes in a variety of colors, always a good thing, and the form factor is great. Small enough to fit pretty much anywhere, and unobtrusive. I have seen a number of options on the market right now that are a little overblown, too big, too bulky. Considering all we want out of the tech is a simple adapter you would think that small would be on top of the list of design requirements. The overall quality of the build is pretty good too. I have a go to test when it comes to low cost electronics I get from China. I call it the rattle test. Simply shake the thing, if you hear rattle then the odds of a factory fault are pretty high, and when it comes to dealing with an east Asian firm moving into the US market you have to be right on the ball when it comes to the returns policy. Hard to argue with someone who dos not speak English as their first language. This one felt solid, and I life the minor league heft to it. Impressive overall.
So, we have the USB-C input here, bit of a must for the MacBook, but it must be pointed out that it is the current market leader in terms of data transfer locally, Thunderbolt 3.0, boasting a max transfer rate of 50Gbps. It means that the conversion process will not lead to a loss in relative speed, even over something as wide band as an Ethernet cable. Speaking of, the QacQoc GN30H has an Ethernet port, so if you don’t want to use the slower WiFi connection on the laptop you can use the physical connector. I far prefer it on my desktop, especially for online gaming, where latency and speed means an awful lot. In addition that rare port there are the old standards, USB 3.0, USB 3.1, SD card adapters (Both TF and Standard), USB-C charger port and a HDMI. Supporting 4K video projection all you have to plug it in. Nice and easy.
I like the utility on this one, and while it does not fit flush with the MacBook, it at least matches the look. There is only one place it can fall, and it’s coming up next.
QacQoc GN30H USB Hub Pricing and Warranty
This marks the third fix for the Macbook that I have reviewed, and while the first was the prettiest, the second the best priced, this one lands in a nice middle area, and one I can get behind. Right now the price is set at $75.99 on the official site, but it must be pointed out that I have seen it discounted in a few places, bringing it down to a $50 average. Excellent value for money.
Well here we are at the warranty, and I did not go into this document with high hopes, but seen as their customer support was prompt, maybe I should have expected it to be fairly comprehensive. A full 12 months of coverage, with them covering any faults that occur as a result of regular use, just like a Western Warranty. I have it confirmed that they also work with Amazon and NewEgg, so that means if you buy through their outlets you can get their aftersale support on top of the manufacturer’s warranty, which I highly recommend. I have had better experiences with Amazon, but I have it on good authority that NewEgg are solid when it comes to this area as well. Fair play to QacQoc, they know the market they are selling in.
The price is well within the ball park for these devices, and is in fact on the lower end. Considering the build quality and the utility it is a bargain. I am shocked by the warranty, and QacQoc’s customer support, very seldom do you have this peace of mind with Drop shippers.
QacQoc GN30H USB Hub Conclusion
The Use of high quality materials is nice, a solid brick that feels like it will take the normal wear and tear of travel. A full compliment of sockets, in addition to the lovely addition of the Ethernet port, makes the price seem very reasonable, and when we compare it to other options on the market it becomes more so. Overall, this is a nice solution to a problem that really should not have existed in the first place, and so much better than buying first party from Apple.
If you are in the market for a USB-C adapter for your Macbook, or your Dell XPS 12, it works with the Dell XPS 12 too, then this is one model you have to seriously consider.
