Satechi’s New Mac mini Hub Fixes the Computer’s Frustrating Design Flaw

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A compact silver computer with an Apple logo on top is shown from the front. It features ports for SD cards, USB-C, HDMI, and USB 2.0 connections. The device has a sleek, minimalist design.

Apple’s redesigned M4 Mac mini is great. It even won PetaPixel‘s award for Computer of the Year. But it can be better, and consumer electronics company Satechi hopes to help with a new Mac mini hub.

The Satechi Mac mini M4 Stand and Hub with SSD Enclosure is the first hub designed specifically for the redesigned M4 Mac mini, although if history is anything to go by, it probably won’t be the last. The new hub sits comfortably beneath the new Mac mini and features a sleek aluminum design that matches Apple’s computer in terms of appearance and materials.

The Stand and Hub expands the Mac mini’s impressive array of ports with additional expansion, including an SD 4.0 card reader, two 10Gbps USB-A ports (the Mac mini itself has none, instead featuring five USB-C ports, three of which are Thunderbolt 4 or 5 depending on the computer’s configuration), and one USB 2.0 port for peripheral connections. Satechi’s new Mac mini hub also has an SSD slot that supports 4TB SSDs in many sizes, including M.2 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280. The Satechi Hub connects to the Mac mini via a single built-in USB-C cable that is just long enough to connect the hub to the Mac mini without placing undue stress on the connector itself.

Beyond expanding the Mac mini’s available ports, the Satechi Mac mini Hub also solves the new Mac mini’s most glaring and probably only notable design fault: its atrocious power button location. Thanks to the hub’s notch, users no longer need to lift the Mac mini off their desk to access the power button on the bottom of the computer. Satechi promises its hub will not disrupt airflow or impact the Mac mini’s wireless signal performance.

A compact computer with a metallic finish is on a desk, connected to cables. In the background, blurred hands type on a keyboard.

The redesigned M4 Mac mini is already proving to be a popular computer for creatives. As PetaPixel describes, “You will not find a better blend of power and performance in any personal computer on the market, period.”

A desktop setup featuring a monitor displaying a forest scene, a compact silver computer, a white and gray mechanical keyboard, and a wireless mouse. The background has a light wall with green plants on the sides.

Pricing and Availability

The Satechi Mac mini Stand and Hub costs $99 and will begin shipping with limited availability in mid-February. Satechi expects wider availability in March and invites users to sign up to be notified when it is available to order on the company’s dedicated CES 2025 website.

Image credits: Satechi

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