REVIEW – We have so many mobile devices that it is a challenge to charge them in an organized fashion. I’m always on the lookout for interesting ways to accomplish this task. When the Udoq Docking System was offered to the Gadgeteer for review I was struck by its clean lines and simplicity and so I jumped at the chance to review it. I gave it a try and found that it is indeed beautiful, but it is expensive and my USB-C phones didn’t always charge.

What is it?

The Udoq Docking System is a charging docking station for mobile devices (including phones, tablets, and Apple watches) that will keep your devices and charging cables tidy. The height of the cables’ connectors is adjustable and thus will work with many cases on your devices.

What’s in the box?

The Udoq Docking System shown above contains all of the following items which are sold separately:

1. Udoc 400 rail (universal aluminum docking station for Apple and Android mobile devices) – $115
   • User Manual
   • Udoc tool
   • White hook-and-loop cable ties
   • Udoc stickers
2. Cable Box S – $10.90
3. 5-port Charger – $24.90
4. C Cable (USB-C cable) – two for $31.80 ($15.90 each)
5. L Cable (Lightning cable) – two for $35.80 ($17.90 each)
6. M Cable (micro USB cable) – one for $10.90

Hardware Specs

1. Udoc 400 rail (universal aluminum docking station for Apple and Android mobile devices)
   • made of aluminum
   • 400 mm long (15.75″)
   • two black silicone strips that run the length of the back of the docking station to prevent devices from slipping or getting scratched
2. Cable Box S
   • offers space for cables and the 5-port charger (Does NOT fit the 6-port charger!)
   • compatible with wall mount and Apple Watch Adapter
   • is snapped into the cable opening at the backside of the Udoq rail
   • a large lid gives easy access to cables and charger
   • offers three large openings to route cables outside the back
   • made from heat resistant ABS
   • compatible with all Udoqs
   • Inner dimensions: ca. 200 x 42 x 65 mm
3. 5-port Charger
   • Advanced Charging Technology: Overload protection, overcharging protection, overcurrent protection, over temperature protection, shortcut protection.
   • Solid black plastic housing
   • 5ft (150 cm) detachable power cord
   • AC 100-240 V input for worldwide use
   • 4 USB 2.0 ports with 5 V, 2.4 A per port, enabling fast and simultaneous multi-device charging
   • 1 extra USB port with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 Output: 3.6 V – 6.5 V/3 A, 6.5 V – 9 V/2 A, 9 V – 12 V/1.5 A
   • Compact size: 2.4 x 3.5 x 1.2 in, (6 x 9 x 3 cm)
4. C Cable (USB-C cable)
   • USB Type-C 3.1 to USB-A (Standard USB Connector)
   • Cable length: 150 cm (5 ft.)
   • Color of cable: white
   • Color of adapter: dark gray
5. L Cable (Lightning cable)
   • Certification Apple MFI
   • Cable length: 150 cm (5 ft.)
   • Color of cable: white
   • Color of adapter: white
6. M Cable (micro USB cable)
   • Micro USB 2.0 to USB-A (Standard USB Connector)
   • Cable length: 150 cm (5 ft.)
   • Color of cable: white
   • Color of adapter: middle gray

Design and features

Udoq provided me with the above pre-assembled docking station to review. It includes the Udoq 400 rail, Cable Box S, 5-port charger, two USB-C cables, two Lightning cables, and a micro USB cable. Each of these items is sold separately. Cha-ching. Udoq also has accessories that allow for wireless charging and allow you to charge your Apple Watch (see Udoq accessories).

The Udoq 400 rail measures 400 mm (15.75″) and is made of a nice matte aluminum – not plastic. It has two black silicone strips that run the length of the back of the rail to prevent devices from slipping or getting scratched.
Each of the cables sits in a track and can slide along the length of the track to accommodate your devices.
The Cable Box S is made of matte black plastic and is attached to the rear of the docking station. It sits just below the level of the Udoq rail.

Setup

The lid of the cable box is easily removed by using the notches on the side of the box.   The box accommodates quite a lot. My box was full with the charger and all of the cables (shown above). The Udoq charging cables are all 5 ft. long (150 cm) as is the multiport charger’s power cord. 
To gain a better understanding of how the Udoq charging station was put together, I pried the endcaps off the of the rail using the tool that Udoq provided.
The end caps fit snugly but were easy enough to pry off with the tool. Each charging cable was mounted in a plastic adapter that allowed it to fit snugly and slide inside the track of Udoq rail. Each adapter can be taken out of the Udoq rail. Each plastic adapter has two tabs on it. The adapter may be opened by squeezing the tabs together……then prying it apart. In the above photo, you can see that the charging cables’ connectors can be inserted into the adapter at different heights. You can move the charging cable up in the adapter to get past a thick case on your device if needed. When you are finished with adjusting the height of the charging cable inside the adapter, you just replace the adapter’s cover and snap the pieces together. I received the 5-port charger from Udoq. It measures 3.75″ L x 2.32″ W x 1″ D (95 mm L x 59 mm W x 25 mm D). This ensured that the charger would fit inside the Udoq cable box (NOTE: the 6-port charger that Udoq sells does NOT fit inside the Udoq cable box). The 5-port charger has one port that provides Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 speeds: 3.6 V – 6.5 V/3 A, 6.5 V – 9 V/2 A, 9 V – 12 V/1.5 A. The other four ports provide 5 V 2.4 A.
If you should need to assemble the Udoq Docking System on your own, you would simply insert all the USB-A ends of your Udoq charging cables into the 5-port charger and then feed the other ends of the cables in through the top of the cable box, then through the center opening located at the bottom of the cable box as shown above. You would then grab each cable from the underside of the Udoq rail and feed it into the Udoq rail’s track as shown above. The above photo shows the cable in the Udoq track. You would then need to pull the charging cable up and out of the rail’s track. And once it’s out of the track, you can insert the cable’s connector into its plastic adapter and slide it into the Udoq rail’s track.

After all of the charging cables are inserted into the Udoq rail’s track, you can then reduce any of the charging cables’ slack in the track by pulling the excess cable length through the cable box. I then placed the 5-port charger into the cable box and coiled up all cables neatly to fit them into the box. This was a tight fit. Finally, I replaced the box’s lid.

Performance

I really like how sleek and neat the Udoq Docking System is. However, I noticed that when I placed either of our USB-C phones into the charger using either USB-C cable, sometimes they would not charge even though the phones indicated that they were charging. I checked that the cables were inserted into the charger, that the charger was plugged in and receiving power (there is a small blue LED light on the 5-port charger indicating that it is powered on), and that the USB-C connector was seated high enough to be fully inserted into the USB-C port on my phone. Even after checking all of these things, I had to re-seat the phone on the USB-C connector before it would actually start to charge. When it did successfully charge, it did so more slowly than my phone’s OEM charger. All of the other devices charged just fine (iPod Touch 5G and 6G and an Anker portable battery).

There is one thing that I want to mention. I wanted to use the Udoq Docking System to charge my Anker portable battery and it just barely fit. There is only about 7 mm available between the charging cable connector and the back of the Udoq rail. In other words, if your device’s charging port is more than 7 mm from the edge of your device, it will not fit in this charging dock.

What I like

• The Udoq Docking System is sleek looking and keeps my devices and charging cables tidy while charging
• The Udoq rail is made of metal and not plastic
• It’s easy to use
• It accommodates devices with cases (the charging cable connector height is adjustable so that it can get past the thickness of the case)

What needs to be improved

• Charging of USB-C devices was inconsistent
• If your device’s charging port is more than 7 mm from the edge of your device, it will not fit in this charging dock
• Charging cables are proprietary – they must be purchased from Udoq
• Everything is sold separately, thus the Udoq Docking System is really expensive

Final thoughts

I really like the look of the Udoq Docking System. It keeps my devices and charging cables organized without taking up too much space. However, the Udoq rail, cable box, 5-port charger, and proprietary cables are all sold separately thus making this system very expensive. I also noticed that my USB-C devices sometimes did not charge. It was as though the device was not plugged in even though I checked my phone and it showed that it was connected and “charging”.

I really wanted this charging dock to work well because it looks so nice, but it wasn’t consistent in doing its job and it’s really expensive to boot. Thus my recommendation would be to pass on this charging docking station.

Price: $229.30 (includes: Udoq 400 rail, micro USB cable, two Lightning cables, two USB-C cables, cable box, and 5-port charger)
Where to buy: Udoq and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Udoq

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Batteries and Chargers, charging dock

Udoq Docking System review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 6, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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Organizing our workspace and dealing with the perpetual need to charge our devices frequently seem to work at cross-purposes. Cables sprawl around mice, keyboards, and desk trinkets. A stand just for charging can seem like a lot – unless it can organize all the cables and charging devices into a single location. This is the mission of the AllDock, a new product series from Dittrich Designs. I was sent a medium model in walnut to test.

Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.

The AllDock is attempting to cover the ground that other charging platforms have in the past, but it uses warm, full grain, real wood to hide the technology. The base itself is a solid box of walnut or bamboo, 2.75” x 6” x 9”. Lengthwise across the top are four channels with three tear-drop cord holders in the bottom. Under the top, a 4-port high-quality USB charger is installed, so that you can attach cables to each port, and thread them up through the ports. From there, you can plug your device in, and stick it down into the channel with the power plug in the teardrop hole, and your screen upright for use. This could work great for a conference room, break area, or coffee shop, where you want to provide charging, but don’t want a bunch of ugly chargers and cables strewn about.

The top is held in place by six pairs of rare earth magnets along the long sides. They are strong enough that I can lift the box by one of the top crosspieces and shake it, and it won’t let go. Once you “help” it with the other hand, it lifts readily, and you can change the cable arrangement at will.

The channels are of two sizes: the rear-most is .75”, while the other three are .5” each. My iPhone can fit into the smaller ones, even with the Apple Leather cover attached, but most cases forced usage of the rear slot. Without a case, my iPad Pro 10.5” can fit any channel in portrait, but even the thinnest case is too much for them, mainly because all my cases have covers, so they have to fold over. My Lovely Bride’s OG iPad mini fits either orientation without a case, but the case, again, is too thick, since it is a fold-over.
The front bar has a one-inch gap in the middle, which makes it perfect to press the home button of the device in that front-and-center position. The weight and bulk of the box make it very sturdy for using an iPad in portrait mode (as I’m doing now) so that you can use a standalone keyboard.

A few add-ons are available. One, a one-handed dock for Lightning, was included. You insert your cable, clip the holder up into the teardrop slot, and the cable is perfectly placed to receive your phone or iPad. Other add-ons include a hanging mount for an Apple Watch and a “sidecar” for Apple AirPods. You can even get a wireless charger to install, and lean your Qi comparable device against it.

I lied earlier when I said it was only available in wood. I didn’t want to spoil the mood. They also make slightly cheaper versions in a black or white ABS plastic, and the rack tops can all be mixed and matched. There are other sizes as well. A 6-port “Large” model, and an 8-port Tower with no rack are available. One thing to note is that each device has a full 2.4 mAh connection per port. The 8-port model delivers a whopping 19.2 mAh, the 6-port totals 14.4, and the 4 port 9.6. Few multi-port chargers deliver this amount of power per port.

I have a friend who claims I have a stand addiction. He said at dinner the other night “Smythe has never seen a stand he didn’t like – or buy.” He’s only partly wrong. There are some I like but didn’t buy because they weren’t something that would fit in my life. There were also some that I really wanted to like, but just had too many negatives to overcome. Sadly, for me, the Alldock falls into this category. It’s beautiful and made from quality materials, and the electronics are first-rate. The issue I have is that the grooves are too narrow to use with all but naked devices. I have cases on my iPads and my iPhones. Taking them out of the case is a hassle if I’m only doing it for charging, or even to leave on my desk while working. What do I do with those cases while I’m working with the naked iPad or iPhone? I have several different stands – some at work, others in various places around my home, and the only one that requires me to remove the case is the Flote stand, which I use least of all.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Dittrich Designs. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Batteries and Chargers, charging dock

Dittrich Designs AllDock multi-device charging station review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 9, 2017 at 8:37 am.

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Everyone has devices of some sort today. Whether it’s the shipping crew in your warehouse or the executive team meeting in the boardroom, they all have phones, tablets, and wireless earbuds that frequently need a power bump during the day. Students hover around outlets between classes and in the cafeteria. I was at a baseball game a few weeks back, and a young lady spent the better part of 3 innings sitting on the floor between the restrooms, with her phone plugged into an outlet. I have worked with several companies over the past few years, and have seen this need only increase. A few places I hang out in provide power and USB outlets in public areas. Coffee shops and airports are the first things that spring to mind. One large Fruit company I worked with had places for all company-owned devices to charge, but it was little more than a bunch of power adapters plugged into multi-port outlets. These days, however, there are better options. One such is from a company called Orico. It comes in the form of a ten-device box called the Orico DUK-10, with uniform slots for power cables, and spacious cradles for devices to rest in.

Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.

The Orico DUK-10 is a box in white, 9.125″x 4.75″x 3″ overall, with a contrasting grey-colored array of slots atop, where you can rest the devices that are charging. It also comes in solid black. In your coffee shop, conference room, classroom, break area, or geek cave, it allows users to all share a single wall outlet, and charge their devices with 2.4A to each port. The cradle spaces are .637″ wide, and have a depth of 1″. You can use any length of USB charging cable, but longer than 6″ will ensure you don’t have arguments over which device takes the center slots. A standard 4.5′ power cord with an on-off switch powers the entire unit. The DUK-10 was shipped with a 110W US cable but is labeled as taking 100-240 W input, so it appears world-ready. I was unable to test this currently. (If anyone wants to fund a quick trip abroad, I’ll happily bring back results!)

While our household has shrunk to two people now, we still have over a half-dozen things needing charging at once. A lot of these, of course, are mine (Apple Watch, 2 iPads, Bluetooth keyboard, wireless earbuds (one set for each iOS device) and an iPhone are charged at least weekly, if not daily), but my Lovely Bride has an iPad mini and an iPhone, and sometimes a work iPhone that needs power as well. Currently, we are able to each do this at our desks or bedside tables, but in some households I’ve been in, the family electronics are in the kitchen or den, fighting over the one or two plugs that were not powering the Vitamix and the toaster oven. The Orico DUK-10 would fit easily into this scenario.

The DUK-10 has vents on either side, as well as a grille for air flow up through the bottom, and is set off the surface by small nubs with rubber pads to allow convection cooling. There is no fan to assist cooling or add noise to your environment.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Orico. Please visit their site for more info, and Amazon to purchase.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Batteries and Chargers, charging dock

Orico DUK-10 10-port USB charging stand review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 24, 2017 at 12:00 pm.

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