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I intend on connecting power hungry external devices to my iPad via a USB-C hub. I have seen many different names for powered hubs on the market and I cant get a straight answer as for the difference between them. So,

  1. Do power delivery hubs provide power to all hardware connected to it, i.e. do power delivery hubs split power to all usb ports or do they just charge the connected main device like my iPad?

  2. And are power delivery hubs the same as bus powered hubs?

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“Power Delivery” is a very specific term. If a hub says it has this type of port(s) it is referring to the USB PD (Power Delivery) specification. In short, that port will negotiate with the attached device (if supported) for maximum current delivery. You want to confirm it meets this spec; unscrupulous sellers will cleverly use these terms on non USB-PD products.

Here are some rules of thumb to keep in mind about USB and power:

  • All ports on a Hub must deliver power. The amount of total current it can deliver will depend on whether it is bus (from host port) or externally powered
  • Some ports are charge only ports meaning they only supply power but no data.
  • Power is not split “equally” to each port. The current is supplied depending on the amount drawn by the client or what is negotiated, up to a maximum (defined by specification).
  • All ports can charge a device (since they all deliver power) but some can be configured to deliver more power for quick or fast charging features.
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