Pocket Insider Latest Technology Review
Following its massive success, the creator of the original Air Dock is back with version 2.0, the long awaited release that bridges the gap between the original and 2.0. The Air Dock 2.0 is essentially a wireless charging car dock for smartphones and it does that without the requirements for clips or clamps on the dock. It has a micro-suction holder and a magnet that secures devices to the dock which then charges using Qi inductive charging technology.
Features:-
- Wireless Charging: Qi Inductive Charging Technology
- Mounting Options: Suction Cup (Standard Arm), Suction Cup (Long Flexible Arm), CD Mount
- Connectivity: Near Field Communication (NFC)
Review
Design & Build Quality
The Air Dock 2.0 is constructed mainly with plastic and has a micro-suction holder with magnets built on the backside to secure a users device while simultaneously charging it. The dock feels solid and well build and users have 4 different options to decide from for mounting options – Standard Arm Suction Cup (Smooth/Rough Surface), Long Flexible Arm Suction Cup, and CD Mount.
Besides the choice of mounting options, users will also receive a USB power supply, a USB cable and a magnetic sticker that helps create a better adhesion of the users device to the Air Dock 2.0.
The process of attaching the dock to the vehicle was simple and took us no more than 5 minutes from start to finish. Users will attach the neck of the Air Dock 2.0 to the mounting attachment of choice. Upon the completion of the attachment, slide the mount to the CD player and tighten the screw till the dock feels secured. The last step was to connect the USB charger to the vehicle and the other end to the USB port on the backside of the Air Dock 2.0.
Features
The Air Dock 2.0 features a new, stronger Qi transmitter, allowing users to pair the Air Dock while using a thicker casing of their choice while still maintaining its original squared geometry.
Another welcome was the addition of NFC tag, which allow users with compatible devices to trigger events such as launching an app or turning on Bluetooth just by docking the device to the Air Dock 2.0. The improvement also added an adjustable neck that allows better customization of viewing angles to suit the users preference. The Air Dock also got thinner and had the USB port relocated to the back side, giving it a clean and sleek look.
Real-World Test
The Air Dock 2.0 performed great during our test with the Nexus 5. Attaching the device to the dock took little to no effort – simply press it against the micro-suction surface and voila. Since it is charging the device wirelessly, do not expect rapid charge. We were able to gain approximately 30% extra juice from a half an hour drive.
The NFC works great as our Nexus 5 immediately turns on Bluetooth upon detecting the NFC tag build into the dock. Within seconds, we have the car not only charging but also connected to the vehicle via Bluetooth.
During our drive around town, the Air Dock did not seem to be obstructing our view as a suction cup style mount would. It also did not add a lot of bulk to the instrument cluster for the driver, unlike those universal car docks would. The Air Dock seemed to hold our device very well and it did not have trouble keeping the device in place.
Display visibility of the device while attached to the dock was one of the best we have reviewed. It gives users very accurate and adjustable angle adjustments that in turn provides superb viewing angles in almost any vehicle or location.
Final Thoughts
Priced at $99.00, the Air Dock 2.0 is definitely a hefty price compared to rival car docks. However, the ability to charge devices wirelessly and attaching the device on the dock without any clips or clamps definitely makes the price tag justifiable.
The design & build would go to 1 star if you would had used their case (specifically the ipone 6+) it is very low quality and has many design flaws. I had two faulty cases in the span of 7 months, now they won’t get in touch with me (since their warranty is only 3 months). You should have a customer service category….that would have been 1 star as well. I spend over $150 getting all of their equipment, so that it would work flawlessly, but the cases is what kills this charging kit. I would not buy from them if I were you.
The Air Dock 2.0 doesn’t leave up to its hype. The phone with a very thin TPU case would not stay on securely. Every little bump on the road and the phone is flying off. The Small Magnetic Sticker that is placed on the back of the phone has 4 tiny about dime size metal disks. That doesn’t provide enough magnetic attraction to hold the phone securely, So the company realized and added a stickiness to the surface of the dock itself. Trust me it doesn’t work.
I too have a terrible experience with this product. The product wasn’t able to hold my iphone or Galaxy Note 3 in place securely. What you need to know is you may need to attach this obnoxious sticker to the back of your phone to make the mount work. It’s just like ducktaping 4 dimes behind your phone. That doesn’t make sense at all.
Their customer service is horrible. The owner, who refused to give me his name in the email correspondence told me they don’t accept returns even if I wanted the return the item right away. He was really rude. I had to get a lawyer involved to get a partial refund for a product that doesn’t work.
Buyers beware.
Hello,
I bought a The Air Dock for iPhone 6s however the product isn’t able to hold my iPhone 6s
so I just wondering where did you buy the obnoxious sticker??
Their customer service is horrible, even they don’t have a contact number
Please I would grateful for a reply as soon as possible
I was hopeful when I ordered this but it failed miserably. 1. Single coil does not charge my phone at all 2. NFC does not work 3. mounting options are limited. would not buy this again, in fact I think this changed my mind on the whole crowd funding thing.
I have owned two Air Docks and both are in the garbage.
The charging port on the first dock became loose. When I politely asked the company to stand behind their product, they said no. They did offer a 50% discount if I bought a new one (which should give you some sense of how enormous their markup is). I did buy a new one.
The entire front face of the new one came completely off the frame within 30 seconds of un-boxing. When I politely asked the company to stand behind their product, they said sure – but I would have to pay to return it to them. I declined on general principle. Why should I have to pay to return their defective product? When I asked them to reconsider, they did not bother to respond.
My overall impression is that this is a mediocre product that is easily damaged and rendered useless, and the customer service is three feet below the bottom of the barrel.
Find an alternative on Amazon.
You ppl are all retarded and doing something wrong. I have an S6 Edge with a basic transparent silicone case and it sticks very well to the Air Dock 2.0. The only major problems are that:
1. The face plate is held on with magnets and comes off too easily when prying your phone too fast or attempting to pull it straight off. It needs to have a screw or some other way to lock it down securely.
2. The induction coil is not secured, and if the face comes off, expect the coil to be drawn to the magnets, and is a pain to hold it in place in the center while you stick the face plate back on. If this happens too many times, I expect the induction wires to wear out and break.
3. The induction coil charger itself is extremely weak — about 1% charge every 6 minutes, assuming you have wifi and bluetooth antennas off, and aren’t running anything intensive like video recording, and have the screen brightness set to about 20-25%. The charger doesn’t keep up with basic tasks. Once I did try recording a video while the phone was charging and the battery dropped about 1% for every minute of video I recorded. Some charger… You pretty much HAVE to run a wire to the phone if you want it to charge, which defeats 60% of the reason that I bought this thing.
I have a terrible experience with their air dock 2.0 too. I really wonder how the above review can be so good. And throughout my correspondence with them, they did not deny the fact their product has a design flaw.
The Air Dock has the worst customer service I have ever seen. If you have a problem, they are very slow to respond, if at all. Moreover, there is virtually no situation where they will give you your money back. This company is extremely short sighted and simply does not get it.
I tried three cases, one thinner than the next. In each situation the Air Dock failed to charge my Samsung Galaxy S7. The company refuses to issue a refund and I am fighting it. They messed with the wrong guy, where poor customer service is concerned. I warn any and all to be very careful about buying this product. You are rolling the dice.