Hands-On With Kensington's New $400 StudioDock for iPad Pro

Kensington in February began accepting pre-orders for the StudioDock docking station that it released for the iPad Pro, and now those StudioDock orders have started arriving to customers. We picked up one of the new StudioDocks to see if it's worth the high purchase price for an iPad workflow.


Available for the 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, the 10.9-inch iPad Air, and the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, the StudioDock has a magnetic base where an ‌iPad‌ can attach, and it can be used in either landscape or portrait mode. We have the version for the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, and it looks kind of like the Pro Display XDR stand.

This isn't an Apple-designed product so it's not quite as high quality as the Pro XDR stand, but the aluminum design looks nice on a desk, and the plastic back panel is hidden. The ‌iPad‌ attaches magnetically to the rubberized front of the stand, and plugs in to the USB-C connector.

In addition to orienting the ‌iPad‌ in landscape or portrait mode, you can also adjust the angle up and down to get the ideal position for what you're doing, and once situated, it doesn't move around.

The dock offers 37.5W passthrough charging to charge your ‌iPad‌ at full speed through USB-C, plus it adds multiple ports and charges your other accessories. There are three USB-A ports, one USB-C port, an HDMI 2.0 port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, an SD card reader, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and a power button. There are also two spots for Kensington locks to protect the StudioDock.

On the built-in Qi-based wireless charging pad that's at the bottom, you can charge an iPhone and AirPods, or any other Qi-based device, plus you can add-on a separate Apple Watch charging puck. You'll need to give up the USB-C port on the side whenever you want to use it, though. The ‌iPhone‌ charging spot charges at 7.5W, while the AirPods spot charges at 5W.

At the $380 to $400 price point, the StudioDock is aimed at those who use their iPads in a professional capacity. If the ‌iPad Pro‌ or ‌iPad Air‌ is your main work or school machine and you're using it in lieu of a Mac or PC, the StudioDock adds all of the versatility you need for a full day of work.

If you're using your ‌iPad‌ in a more casual capacity and have other Apple products that you use alongside it, the StudioDock is likely overkill.

The StudioDock can be purchased from the Kensington website. It's priced at $380 for the 11-inch model that works with the ‌iPad Pro‌ and ‌iPad Air‌ and $400 for the 12.9-inch model designed for Apple's largest ‌iPad Pro‌.

Popular Stories

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
top stories 2025 07 12

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More

Saturday July 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality. We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...

Top Rated Comments

alphaswift Avatar
57 months ago
$400 for a dock/stand for an Ipad? I'm trying to imagine how much money I'd have to have laying around to consider something like this. Edit: A lot of money.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DanTSX Avatar
57 months ago
April 1st is still two weeks away guys....
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jay42 Avatar
57 months ago
Is that Apple Watch charger a joke? Who wants their watch dangling off the side of their display?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sracer Avatar
57 months ago

I wonder how much it actually costs to make? Maybe there’s a fashion now for charging Apple customers for such peripherals, will pay it. It’s unfair for those of us who are equally enthusiastic and maybe out of work through illness or disability, and having one of these would be actually very useful but also would make life much easier, but simply cannot afford it.
Yes, there are people who place a premium value on quality and design and willing to pay for it. My only concern with this Kensington option is how well will it accommodate future iPads.

Here's a link to the everyday man's/woman's alternative... $70 on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Multiport-Adapter-Delivery-Headphone-Adjustable/dp/B08PFC2ZW9/
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
edk99 Avatar
57 months ago
For $199 it could be a no brainer. $399 hard pass.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleTO Avatar
57 months ago
That’s pretty small screen to be using as essentially a desktop replacement. I would just buy an iMac for something like this.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)