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Does it fit your priorities?
Can the supported 2021 M1 iMac gain two 10 Gbps USB-A ports, one USB-C data socket and cards?
Yes. The original manual names that exact 24-inch M1 iMac, and the documented mounted arrangement provides those sockets. This is not a promise about every later 24-inch iMac.
Explore this need in the finder →Can a named older Intel iMac use it without extra hub software?
Yes, in the specific 2017/2019/2020 iMac/iMac Pro mounting and Thunderbolt-port arrangement. Anker explicitly says no extra hub driver is required; Thunderbolt 2iMacs and Studio Display are excluded.
Explore this need in the finder →Does it add an HDMI screen and charge the computer?
No. The complete arrangement adds data and card access, with modest accessory charging rather than host PD power or video output.
Explore this need in the finder →Bring an iMac's everyday data connections to the front
The Anker 535 A8353 is an iMac-specific data hub designed to mount beneath the screen. It provides two USB-A data sockets, one USB-C data socket, full-size SD and microSD readers. Its useful job is making those everyday connections accessible without reaching around the back of a supported iMac.
It is not a general monitor dock or a laptop-charging accessory. There is no HDMI output, Ethernet socket or host PD input in the complete five-role layout. Choose it for front-facing data and cards on the exact supported iMac, rather than assuming the screen-mounted position gives it universal monitor compatibility.
Check the exact iMac before the port count
The original manual specifically lists the 2021 24-inch M1 iMac and the 2020, 2019 and 2017 iMac or iMac Pro in the listed 21.5- and 27-inch sizes. Those are actual manufacturer references. They should not be expanded into a promise that every later 24-inch iMac or a different Apple display shares the same mounting and connection arrangement.
Anker's FAQ also excludes iMacs with Thunderbolt 2 ports and Apple Studio Display. This is a particularly important limitation if you see a similar-looking display and assume the hub will fit its lower edge. The device needs both the documented physical installation and the supported computer connection.
The original mounting guide shows two arrangements
The quick-start guide distinguishes the 2021 M1 iMac installation from the earlier iMac and iMac Pro installation. It shows the mounting pieces entering the intended lower-edge positions, adjustment with the rear wheel, and connection to the computer's Thunderbolt port. For the older models, the guide explicitly identifies the air vents as the insertion location.
Follow the installation drawing for the actual machine rather than improvising a desk clamp or attaching the hub to an arbitrary screen. Its adjuster is part of an iMac-specific mounting arrangement, not evidence of compatibility with every screen thickness or a desk edge.
The host connection is separate from the front-facing USB-C data socket. Connect the upstream lead to the iMac as shown, then use the accessible data sockets for peripherals. Counting the host plug as another downstream accessory port would overstate the expansion.
Three data sockets are each advertised at 10 Gbps
Anker identifies two USB-A 3.1 Gen 2 data sockets and one USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 data socket, each advertised up to 10 Gbps. That is useful for a mixture of traditional rectangular-plug accessories and a compatible USB-C drive. You do not have to choose one uniquely fast socket while the other ordinary data sockets are limited to USB 2.0 rates.
The manufacturer confirms that two connected external drives can transfer files between one another through the hub. That is a supported use case, not a measured copying-speed result. Their traffic still shares the connection to the iMac, and the drives, cables and storage performance remain part of the path.
Accessory charging is not charging the computer
The USB-C data port also supports limited 7.5 W charging for small devices such as headphones or smartwatches. Anker's FAQ gives a 5 V, 0.9 A maximum for a USB-A port and 5 V, 1.5 A for USB-C. These figures describe accessory power; they do not make the hub a USB-C PD charger for the host computer.
That distinction matters when comparing it with laptop hubs advertising pass-through power. An iMac has its own power arrangement. A8353's purpose is data access with modest accessory charging, not replacing or supplying the computer's power source.
Two UHS-II reader types complete the front panel
The original guide specifies both SD 4.0 and microSD 4.0 readers as UHS-II, with an advertised rate up to 312 MB/s. These are reader-interface claims, not tests of a particular card or import workload. The card's capability and the shared computer connection still affect the actual transfer.
Both slot types are present, but the reviewed material does not establish simultaneous use of the two cards. If reading or copying between them together is essential, establish that exact behavior rather than assuming it from the two openings.
Who should shortlist 535?
Consider A8353 for one of the specifically documented iMacs when front-facing USB-A, USB-C and camera cards would make daily connections easier. Anker expressly says no extra hub software or driver is required. Choose another arrangement for a laptop, Apple Studio Display, an unconfirmed later iMac generation, a desk-clamp installation, external video or Ethernet. The value is a useful mounted data panel for an exact computer.
Manufacturer references: A8353 port map; original exact-model and reader specifications; original mounting guide; compatibility and software FAQ.
Key details at a glance
| USB-A downstream data ports | 2 |
|---|---|
| USB-C downstream data ports | 1 |
| HDMI outputs | 0 |
| Full-size DisplayPort outputs | 0 |
| USB-C video outputs | 0 |
| Full-size SD slots | 1 |
| microSD slots | 1 |
| Advertised Ethernet link ceiling | 0Gbps |
| Maximum stated power available to host | 0W |
| Power adapter included | No |
| Host requirements | iMac-specific upstream USB-C connection to the documented Thunderbolt port; exact 2021 M1 or listed earlier Intel models only, not Studio Display or Thunderbolt 2. |
| Screen arrangement | Data/card expansion only; no external video output in complete five-role layout. |
| Power and charging | USB-C accessory output 7.5 W(5V 1.5A), USB-Aup 5V 0.9A per FAQ. These are peripheral power, not host PD charging. |
| Data and device limits | Two USB-A and one USB-C advertised 10 Gbps. SD4.0 and microSD 4.0UHS-II readers 312MB/s; concurrent cards not established. |
| Installation | Use the original iMac-specific mounting parts and adjustment wheel. 2021 M1 lower-edge setup differs from the earlier iMac/iMac Pro vent-mounted drawing; not a general desk clamp. |
Use the exact model’s instructions for operating limits, supplied equipment and version differences.
Sources for this assessment
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Match the computer, screens, devices and charging routine, then check the exact supported arrangement.