Anker 547 MacBook USB-C Hub A8354 review

A direct MacBook hub with two very different USB-C sockets

The Anker 547 A8354 attaches directly to the paired USB-C ports on a supported MacBook Pro or Air. It adds HDMI, two USB-A data sockets, a regular USB-C data socket, SD and microSD readers, plus a multifunction USB-C socket. Its useful distinction is the compact direct connection, rather than a hub hanging from an attached host lead.

That physical design is also the first restriction to check. Anker excludes other device types and says the hub cannot be used with a case fitted to the MacBook. The shape and position of the two host plugs matter. It is not a universal two-plug accessory for any computer with USB-C ports nearby.

Pick the multifunction socket's role before counting connections

The multifunction USB-C socket can accept a charging source, connect a supported high-speed data device or provide a display route. Those are alternative jobs of one physical socket. Anker specifically says that using this socket for video prevents pass-through charging to the laptop through the hub.

This means a setup using the socket for charging can still use the separate HDMI output, but cannot simultaneously treat that occupied multifunction socket as a USB-C display connection. Likewise, using it for data makes that socket unavailable for the charger. A headline listing all three functions is not evidence that three cables can occupy one socket together.

Anker labels the inlet up to 100 W, but the reviewed material does not establish a separate numeric ceiling delivered to the MacBook for this exact arrangement. Keep the charging capability separate from an assumed 100 W host-output guarantee. The suitable charging source is not included in the stated hub-and-guide package.

Regular USB data and the 40 Gbps claim are different

The two USB-A data sockets and regular USB-C data socket are each advertised at up to 5 Gbps. They are the straightforward connections to compare for ordinary USB peripherals. The regular data sockets do not provide video or charging.

The multifunction socket is advertised at up to 40 Gbps in the supported high-speed arrangement. That figure should not be silently converted into proof that an ordinary USB 3.2 Gen 2x 2 device will connect at 20 Gbps. A transport's headline rate and a specific peripheral protocol are different questions. Check the accessory and supported route rather than assuming every smaller numerical rate is an established fallback.

These remain manufacturer interface claims, not our measured copy speeds. The real computer, accessory and cable combination determines the usable path, and different sockets can have different roles even when all the plugs are USB-C.

HDMI is not the same as the USB-C display route

The HDMI port is documented up to 4K60. The multifunction USB-C route is separately described up to 5K60 in the original guide. Those are individual output descriptions; they are not an automatic guarantee of any two exact resolutions together on every MacBook.

Anker's current page specifically says MacBooks with base M1 or M2 chips cannot show different images on multiple external displays through this arrangement. Those exact chip restrictions should not be diluted into a broad MacBook promise. The reviewed material also does not establish every later chip or a special closed-lid configuration, so do not infer those from “latest MacBook” wording.

Cards and physical layout complete the comparison

The SD and microSD readers are UHS-I, specified up to 104 MB/s. Their separate openings cover both common card shapes, without establishing simultaneous use of both readers. There is no Ethernet socket in the complete seven-role layout.

Anker describes the hub as preserving access to the MacBook's MagSafe charging port on the intended compatible design. That can matter if you want to power the computer separately while assigning the multifunction socket another job. Check the actual computer geometry rather than assuming every MacBook's socket spacing and surrounding clearance are identical.

The maker gives a body around 125 × 36 × 10 mm and a weight around 55 g, with macOS 12 or later in the original guide. The Japanese exact product identifies gray A8354NA1; historical regional part suffixes are not proof of an identical present retail package.

Who should shortlist this version of 547?

Consider A8354 for a physically compatible, case-free MacBook and a clearly planned combination of HDMI, ordinary USB data, cards and one chosen multifunction-socket role. Choose another arrangement for a general Windows laptop, Ethernet, two independent external desktops on base M1/M2 or USB-C video and hub pass-through charging together. Its value depends on that exact direct-attached MacBook setup.

Manufacturer references: A8354 complete port map and shared-socket restrictions; original A8354 operating guide.