GTrusted

In a previous review, we saw that Plugable USB-C Docking Station with Power Delivery / Charging (Model UD-CA1) was a great solution to add more interface ports and increase productivity with your Apple MacBook (Early 2015).  With the new Apple MacBook (Early 2016), let's see if there are any differences in behavior with the Plugable USB-C Docking Station.

Plugging the dock in, we can see the various USB components within the Plugable USB-C Docking Station enumerating correctly in the USB section of the Mac's System Information.  

Next, we verified that a LG 4K TV could be used to extend the display. Interestingly enough, unlike with the Apple MacBook (Early 2015), the default resolution for the LG 4K TV here is not 4K, but rather 1080p with the Apple MacBook (Early 2016).  We had to then manually change the video output of the LG 4K TV to be 4K in the Mac's Display settings..

We also verified that the Apple MacBook (Early 2016) is able to access the Ethernet function in the dock without any problem.

Last but not least, we looked to the charging capabilities of the dock and found that in the Apple MacBook (Early 2016)'s System Information -> Hardware -> Power screen, the AC charger states 60 Watts while the same screen in the Apple MacBook (Early 2015) had shown 30 Watts.

Finding this interesting, we used USB Power Delivery analysis software from Granite River Labs to look more closely at the USB Power Delivery negotiation between the Plugable USB-C Docking Station and the Apple MacBook (Early 2016).

Whereas with the Apple MacBook (Early 2015) where the Plugable USB-C Docking Station offered three power profiles 15 watts (5 volts @ 3 amps), 36 watts (12 volts @ 3 amps), and 100 watts (20 volts @ 5 amps), we observed that with the Apple MacBook (Early 2016), the Plugable USB-C Docking Station offered a different power profile with the 20 volts rail by offering 3 amps instead of 5 amps (no change with the 5 and 12 volts rail).  

Perhaps the Apple MacBook (Early 2016) is showing in System Information the maximum power the AC Charger is capable of supporting as declared through the USB Power Delivery negotiation (20 volts @ 3 amps) while the Apple MacBook (Early 2015) is showing what it is drawing from the AC Charger.

Still, it's interesting that the Plugable USB-C Docking Station would offer different USB Power Delivery Capabilities with the Apple MacBook (Early 2016) than what we saw in the previous review done with the 2015 MacBook and the previous review done with the Google Chromebook Pixel (2015).

Despite these small behavior changes, the Plugable USB-C Docking Station works well with the Apple MacBook (Early 2016).