There are many varied and even crazy products launched or demoed at the giant Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas every January. We picked out 8 cool CES announcements every Apple fan will want to buy, and here we ceremoniously select our absolute favorites from the show floor. Trying not to be distracted by AI robots, body scanners, and a spoon that supposedly makes your food taste better, we walked the miles of halls to find the best new Mac- and iPhone-friendly accessory products announced at this year’s CES.
Foundry
Everyone who buys an iPhone needs to bring their own USB-C wall charger, and while they’ve gotten smaller and more powerful over the years, they still look pretty ugly and ungainly plugged into your wall. Anker’s new compact and powerful four-port 140W USB-C Charger helps restore some of your home or office aesthetics by placing all four of its ports on the underside so that the cables hang down vertically. This should also make the cables and the charger itself less prone to falling out of the power socket if pulled or knocked.
With a maximum 140W output, it can fast-charge PD 3.1 laptops such as the 16-inch MacBook Pro. There are three USB-C ports and one legacy USB-A for older cables. It also offers a color smart display that showcases real-time power output and remaining power for each port. It costs $90/£90 and is available now in either silver or gray.
Simon Jary / Foundry
USB-C wall chargers are small and powerful but when you need a lot of power you require a desktop charger with a proper power supply. In the past we have reviewed a desktop charger with a maximum power output of 300W, but Ugreen has now trumped that and some with its announcement of the world’s first 500W GaN charger at CES.
The top USB-C port can output at a mighty 240W (PD 3.1), again a first in the hands of Macworld reviewers. It can charge up to six devices simultaneously, and Ugreen claims that this charger is powerful enough even for power-hungry devices such as e-bikes.
Plugable
It might seem greedy to connect five external displays to your MacBook, but some Mac users might actually need it. For those people, it’s now possible—Plugable has released the world’s first five-screen DisplayLink docking station for your MacBook.
Of course, you don’t have to connect five displays, the dock is suitable for two or three extra independent screens as well, with a mix of ports that gives flexible solutions for video, data, and power. The Plugable UD-7400PD has two HDMI ports and three 10Gbps USB-C ports that can handle video connections, as well as another 30W USB-C port, two 10Gbps USB-A ports, 2.5Gb Ethernet, and an audio socket.
As it uses DisplayLink software even the usually display-shy plain (non-Pro/Max) M1 and M2 MacBooks can take over your working space with quintuple monitors. Read more on our tests of the best DisplayLink docks and how this third-party software solves some big Apple display limitations.
It is expected to become available in March at a cost of around $235.
Simon Jary / Foundry
Apple is first to market again with a mainstream computer, the M4 Mac mini and M4 Pro/Mac MacBooks, that boast the latest version of the super-fast Thunderbolt 5 data, video, and power connector. But to make full use of Thunderbolt 5’s bidirectional data-transfer speeds of up to 80Gbps and 120Gbps display bandwidth, you need some devices that support it, and Ugreen showed off its forthcoming Thunderbolt 5 docking station at CES.
The Revodok Max 2131 Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station supports single-screen 8K resolution at 60Hz or dual-screen 4K at 144Hz. It features 13 ports including three Thunderbolt 5 ports: one upstream to the computer and two downstream for extra devices. It’s not coming till later this year, so if you can’t wait, check out the best Thunderbolt 4 docks for Mac.
Simon Jary / Foundry
If you don’t want a full docking station but still need a bunch of 80/120Gbps Thunderbolt 5 ports, OWC newest hub has four speedy Thunderbolt 5 ports and an extra 10Gbps USB-C port.
Thunderbolt 5 is up to two times faster than Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 and can provide an incredible 120Gbps for higher display bandwidth needs. Even if your computer doesn’t yet have Thunderbolt 5, the technology is backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, USB4 and USB-C devices.
The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub delivers up to 140W to fast-charge any MacBook and is available now for $190.
Satechi
Apple’s products are notoriously difficult to internally customize, and when the Mac mini was found to be lacking front-facing ports along came Satechi’s matching Mac mini Stand and Hub to add a bunch of ports where users demanded them. Apple rectified its front-port oversight when it released its latest M4 Mac mini with front-facing USB-C ports, but Satechi has created a new matching hub that adds back three legacy USB-A ports (two at 10Gbps and one 480Mbps) and an SD Card reader.
This time Satechi has fixed a different problem—the M4 hub features a cutout that enables easy access to the mini’s power switch. It also raises the mini slightly with bottom heat-dissipating vents and a recessed top area for optimal cooling. The new Satechi M4 Stand & Hub also includes an SSD enclosure supporting up to 4TB of NVMe storage, so you can add fast storage without having an external drive hogging one of the Mac’s ports.
The Satechi Mac Mini M4 Stand & Hub with SSD Enclosure will be available for $100 in February.
Simon Jary / Foundry
We have to admit, we weren’t expecting to see a mouse that can magnetically clamp to the top of your laptop at CES. The ESR MagMouse does just that. Sadly its magnetism doesn’t extend to wireless charging, but it does boast a handy built-in retractable USB-C cable. Take a look at our other recommendations in our best Mac mice roundup.
ESR expects the MagMouse to ship in April.
Simon Jary / Foundry
Colorful? Check. Powerful? Check? Portable? Check. This new 20000mAh power bank from Belkin can recharge your MacBook and/or your phone and other USB-C or Thunderbolt devices without needing to bring along a separate cable, as it comes with its own built in cable that tidily tucks away when not in use.
There are additional USB-C and USB-A ports that allow for charging up to three devices simultaneously. The BoostCharge Power Bank 20K can charge at 30W, which is perfect for the newest iPhones. It’s a little slow—although still usable—for a MacBook Pro but fine for a MacBook Air.
It will be available in April in a range of colors—black, white, blue, and pink—and has its casing made with 90 percent recycled plastics. Go here for more of the best MacBook power bank options.
Simon Jary / Foundry
Torras makes some great iPhone cases but we were particularly taken with its PolarCircle Qi2 Mag-Safe Charger which uses an advanced TEC semiconductor cooling to maintain optimal charging temperatures during the charging process, preventing overheating and ensuring efficient charging. It can reduce the charging temperature by up to 77°F.
As a charger, it uses Qi2 for fast 15W wireless charging. Just like the Torras phone cases, this cooling wireless charger features a 360-degree rotating stand so you can catch up on your streaming or make a FaceTime call while efficiently charging your iPhone. See Macworld’s recommended best MagSafe chargers for more options while you wait for this one to arrive.
Simon Jary / Foundry
Keeping a phone cool should make charging more efficient but there are times when the heat of the Sun can help, too. This power bank from Romoss features six removable solar panels for self-charging in the wild. The power bank has an impressive 30000mAh capacity yet is lightweight and portable—it weighs 22oz (628g). The solar panels weigh 17.4oz (494g).
Simon Jary / Foundry
iPhone users who crave a retro tech touch can add this cute but mutlfunctional gadget that turns your phone into an old-school digital camera. Enjoy the thrill of pushing a physical button on the Belkin PowerGrip to take photos and hold it like an old-school point-and-click camera.
The PowerGrip is much more than a camera gimmick, however, as it includes a high-capacity (10000mAh) power bank with 7.5W MagSafe-compatible wireless charging, USB-C output ports, a retractable USB-C charging cable, and LED screen to show battery percentage. As if that isn’t fun enough, the PowerGrip comes in five colors—Powder Blue, Sand, Yellow, Pepper, and Lavender—and will be available in May.
Foundry
Moft makes some great foldable wallet stands and has now gone one better with a 1.1mm, 2.3oz slim MagSafe wallet stand that includes Apple’s FindMy tracker functionality. The 80mAh battery is rechargeable. My colleague Roman Loyola described it as “an origami AirTag.” It will be available in May for $49.99. Check out Macworld’s collection of the best iPhone 16 cases.
