If you own one of Apple's latest Mac mini or MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max processors, you may be interested to learn that CalDigit today announced its first Thunderbolt 5 product, the Element 5 Hub.
The Element 5 Hub boasts nine ports, including four Thunderbolt 5 ports capable of up to 120Gb/s bandwidth, two USB-C ports at 10Gb/s, and three USB-A ports also running at 10Gb/s. The hub delivers consistent 90W charging to host devices, regardless of connected peripherals, thanks to its compact 180W power supply.
Display support includes dual 8K monitors at 60Hz or dual 4K at 240Hz refresh rates, leveraging Thunderbolt 5's new Bandwidth Boost feature. CalDigit notes that Windows machines can handle up to three displays through a single Thunderbolt 5 connection, but unfortunately Mac users are limited to dual displays due to macOS limitations, even when using Apple's latest M4 chips.
The hub doubles PCIe bandwidth to 64Gb/s compared to its predecessor, allowing it to accommodate faster storage devices. Meanwhile, power delivery remains stable at 90W for host charging, with 15W available from each downstream Thunderbolt 5 port and 7.5W from USB ports.
The Element 5 Hub is available now direct from CalDigit in the United States for $249.95, with UK and EU availability expected in mid to late February 2025. Pricing is set at £249.99 in the UK and €249.99 (minus VAT) in the EU.
Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
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The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
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While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device.
Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
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Thursday April 24, 2025 10:15 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Starting today, April 24, Apple Stores around the world are giving away a special pin for free to customers who request one, while supplies last.
Photo Credit: Filip Chudzinski
The enamel pin's design is inspired by the Global Close Your Rings Day award in the Activity app, which Apple Watch users can receive by closing all three Activity rings today. The limited-edition pin is the physical...
Apple's $570 million fine from the EU has triggered a sharp rebuke from the White House, which called the fine a form of economic extortion, Reuters reports.
The fine was announced on Wednesday by the European Commission, following a formal investigation into Apple's compliance with the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA), a landmark piece of legislation aimed at curbing the market dominance of ...
Hey, I'm the CalDigit Community Manager. The macOS limitations (I assume in regards to the lack of triple monitor support), is a hardware limitation of current M4 computers to my understanding. No Thunderbolt 5 dock will be able to drive triple monitors on macOS until there's an update to allow it.
Why are we not talking about this snippet from the product page?
Many docks and hubs are not compatible with the Apple SuperDrive since it requires extra power from the connected USB port. In fact Apple recommends to connect it directly to a computer. CalDigit has solved this problem by creating a driver that will allow the SuperDrive to work through the Element 5 Hub.
This is huge! (for the dozens of people that care ?)
And why USB-A ports when all the shiny things now are made with USB-C.
Because there are abundant, less shiny things ALREADY in people's homes & offices that still function and probably will for the next 5 or 10 years that are USB-A. And there is still abundant brand new stuff shipping in 2025 for USB-A connections.
And yes, one could buy cheap adapters but dongles for dongles is not exactly a joyous proposition.
Note that CalDigit won't be selling this to only us Apple people. The Wintel crowd will be customers too. USB-A and all kinds of older accessories are in greater abundance there than all of the shiny new Macs sold worldwide in the last few years.
