If there’s one thing that Belkin has always shown themselves to specialize in, it’s crafty innovation. Over their 30 year history, Belkin has never been short of good ideas or clever ways to make the things we rely on everyday that much better. Their product reveals at CES 2016 keep that trend going.
USB-C line gets bigger
Belkin’s already impressive USB-C line is getting bigger with new devices that can be with you wherever you go. This flexibility definitely gives you a lot of different solutions to work with, especially if you’re one of those people who like to keep chargers all over the place like I do. Here are some of those solutions for your home, car, office or beyond:
A 4 Port Mini-Hub that features 2 USB-C and 2 USB-A ports and provide up to 5GBPS shared data transfer speeds.
A 6 inch USB-C to HDMI Adapter that can support 4K Technology at 60Hz
A USB-C Cable Charger (devices made for both home and the car.) These devices connect to your USB-C devices through the USB-A charge port and provide up to 2.1 amps to recharge your devices as well as providing capability of 480 MBPS data transfers.
Braided or standard USB-C to USB-C charge cables that allow you to do things like connect between devices for speedy transfers. These 6 foot cables provide you up to 480 BMPS data transfer rates. Similar (standard only) cables are also available in USB-C to USB-A and USB-C to Micro-USB formats. All cables are available in multiple colours to suit your personal space or decor.
Lastly, Belkin announced a new charge dock for the Apple Watch. Dubbed “Valet,” the dock is a stylish, USB-powered display device that you seat your watch on and charge it through magnetic induction. It has a very small footprint on your desk and gives your Apple Watch a comfortable resting place while it charges to help keep it from getting scuffed or scratched while it isn’t on your wrist. The dock is the first one designed specifically for the Apple Watch aimed at giving you the same magnetic charge technology that the standard Apple watch cable does
If you’re an iPhone and Apple Watch owner, you may be interested in their integrated dock (pictured above) that allows you to charge both devices at once. The CES committee was. In fact, they’ve given this dual purpose edition of the Valet a 2016 “Best of Innovation” award
What does Belkin do to separate itself from the competitors?
You have a lot of different options when it comes to charge cables but what Belkin does to ensure you have the best bang for your buck makes a huge difference. Belkin’s USB-C cables undergo a rigorous 5 point quality inspection procedure. Inspections and quality checks are done for proper inter-operability, safety to environment, reliability, physical quality and most importantly, electrical. Electrical testing ensures that your devices receive safe charging and appropriate power delivery so that your products don’t get overloaded.
One of the most important things that separate Belkin from their competitors is that they personally own the entire process of making their cables. From the time the first concept is sketched by an engineer to the time you see it roll off the proverbial “showroom floor” and into your hands, Belkin has had a part of it. This means that they oversee their entire manufacturing process too, which ensures a consistent and high quality product in the end. Their products aren’t being sourced out to an unrelated company for manufacturing and then sent back for fancy packaging.
Expect Belkin’s new USB-C products coming to Best Buy shortly and please continue to follow along with Plug-In for more of the biggest and best new gadgets being announced at CES 2016.
