I am surprisingly very happy with this product. I was very wary of purchasing an Amazon-branded electronics product...Amazon isn't typically the brand I look for in electronics, or for any product for that matter! I ended up buying the Amazon brand over other hubs because of its ability to use either USB bus power or AC power, which is convenient if you own a laptop and plan on using the hub away from the desk at times. Some hubs are only USB bus powered, but techies caution against these hubs since it puts a strain on the computer.
The hub is entirely plastic, except obviously for the electronics components, so it is susceptible to cracking if you are clumsy with it. Otherwise, it does not look cheap. It has a nice decal on the top (almost looks like a wood finish).
The functionality is as expected. It seems to maintain USB 3.0 speeds but it also works on USB 2.0 (and 1.0, but I do not have a 1.0 computer to test it on).
If you have it hooked up to AC power, it will keep your devices powered even when disconnected from the computer. This could be handy if you wanted to use it to charge your phone, etc. It does warn you that it may not charge some products (probably tablets). I have not used it for these purposes, though, so I cannot vouch for this. It is probably BEST to always charge your products with the original charger, as you might put a strain on this USB hub since that is not its intended purpose.
It does have a limit for how much power it can provide. Some powered USB devices require to be plugged directly into a computer. One specific device like this is the Apple Superdrive. It is notorious for not working with USB hubs. Some hubs provide enough power for it to work, but the AmazonBasics hub does not (even when connected to AC). Therefore, if you have a USB bus powered device, check that it doesn't require to be plugged directly into the computer. If it does, it may not work with this hub.
| Brand | Amazon Basics |
|---|---|
| Item model number | HU3641V1 |
| Operating System | Windows Vista |
| Item Weight | 5.7 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 3.57 x 1.59 x 0.63 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 3.57 x 1.59 x 0.63 inches |
| Color | Black |
| Voltage | 5 Volts |
| Manufacturer | Amazon Basics |
| ASIN | B00DQFGH80 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | September 1, 2013 |
