Ever loose your Windows Mobile phone on your office desktop? Wouldn't it be nice to have a port in the storm for your AT&T Fuze to dock to? I've always liked docking cradles. Granted they might not be perfect for laptops on the go but they can be an island in a sea of paperwork for your Windows Mobile Phone to anchor to on your desk.
A while back we looked at the HTC Desktop Cradle for the AT&T Fuze a nice, thought pricey, way to dock your Fuze/Touch Pro/Diamond/etc to your computer and provide a boost to your phone's battery during the day.
Recently, we had the opportunity to take the Mobi Products Desktop Cradle out for a test drive to see how it measured up. The Mobi Cradle not only offers you a docking port for your AT&T Fuze but also a charging slot for a spare battery. So without further adeau, follow the break to see how the Mobi Products cradle fared.
Out of the Box
The Mobi Products Cradle was surprisingly light but felt solidly built. I would have preferred a little more heft to the cradle to keep it from sliding around the desktop. The cradle comes packaged with a permanently attached USB cable, a wall charger, and a clear stylus. Unlike the HTC cradle and its glossy, fingerprint-attracting finish, the Mobi cradle has a nice, matte black finish.
Size wise, the Mobi cradle measures just under 4 inches long and about 3.25 inches wide, not taking up too much real estate on your desk. The cradle comes with a clear stylus that has its own lighted port on the cradle. Why it has a lighted holder is beyond me, but I guess it would come in handy if you worked in dimly lit room. Another LED light sits just behind the phone, opposite to the stylus that shows you the charging status of the spare battery (red=charging, green=done). The only problem with the LED light is that when facing the cradle, the LED is hidden by the contour of the cradle and you either have to stand up to see the light or rotate the cradle sideways to see it.
Performance and Overall Impression
The AT&T Fuze docked effortlessly into the cradle, a touch smoother than with the HTC cradle. The USB cable charges the phone but you'll need to use the AC charger if you want to use the battery charger. I would have liked to have seen the USB cable provide a charge to both the phone and battery to reduce the number of wires running about your desk. There may be a engineering or design limitation requiring the AC charger for the battery.
The Fuze connected and synced with my computer without a problem. According to the label on the box, the cradle is for the HTC Touch Pro so I would imagine it is compatible with not only the AT&T Fuze but also the HTC Touch Pro.
Overall, I liked the Mobi Products Desktop Cradle for the AT&T Fuze. It's half the price of HTC's desktop cradle and has a spare battery slot. While I do wish it had the weight of the HTC cradle and could charge the battery via USB, these aren't deal breakers.
If you are tired of loosing your phone amongst the clutter of your desk or simply like docking stations for your phone, the Mobi Products Desktop Cradle is worth consideration.
Overall: 4/5
| ProsCan be used with or without wall chargerSpare battery slotSmooth connection with FuzeConsLight WeightBattery not charged via USB |
