It was only a mater of time. Apple announced new iPad Pro models last week, ditching the Lightning port in favor of USB Type-C. That can only mean one thing: dongles are coming. Naturally, the devices do work with existing USB Type-C hubs, but there's now one that's dedicated to the iPad Pro.
Today, Hyper announced the HyperDrive, a hub that adds a 3.5mm combo audio jack, an SD card reader, a micro-SD card reader (because apparently we need both), USB Type-A, HDMI, and a USB Type-C port for power. The HyperDrive comes in Space Gray or Silver, so it can match your new iPad.
Dongles aren't new to the iPad though, as Lightning ports used dongles just as much as USB Type-C will. USB Type-C can do a bit more though. For example, the Lightning to HDMI adapter that Apple offers supports 1080p output, while the HDMI output on the HyperDrive is 4K.
The USB Type-A port is limited by iOS, of course. While the image shows a USB drive inserted, iOS will only support importing photos from that drive. You can't even use it to plug in a USB mouse, as iOS doesn't have any kind of mouse support.
The HyperDrive also comes with a removable grip that's made of "soft polycarbonate", so the adapter won't scratch up your iPad Pro. Hyper did not comment on why the HyperDrive isn't made of soft polycarbonate.
The HyperDrive will be available for $99 in December, but if you sign up here, you can get it for $49.
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