Review: Mobi PowerCradle for T-Mobile Dash

Sometimes you just get tired of having your phone sitting flat on your desk. Is the Mobi PowerCradle a good solution for you? Read on for the full review.

Looks

The Mobi PowerCradle for the T-Mobile Dash is a pretty straightforward product. It will sync and charge your Dash and looks pretty slick. I like that it looks almost like a UFO sitting on your desk.

The PowerCradle has a nice blue led on the top that matches the Dash's backlighting nicely. The blue light indicates power is available for the Dash either via the usb sync cable or the charging cable - in other words, it's on anytime the cradle is plugged in.

The Dash stands at attention in the PowerCradle at at relatively sharp angle, it almost looks vertical in the cradle. I would have preferred a slightly more "relaxed" angle myself, but I'm not one to complain too much about it. Since the Dash sits firmly in the cradle, it's actually fairly usable without taking it out. The bump behind the Dash holds it in well when pressing buttons and typing. The PowerCradle has just the right amount of weight and heft - stays in place if you want to fiddle with the Dash but it isn't going to weight your gear bag down.

Plugs 'n Ports

HTC, the manufacturer of the T-Mobile Dash, believes in mini-usb as a charging solution. So do I. The PowerCradle handles that just fine. On the back we have two notable bits: a hard-wired USB cable for syncing and a mini-usb port you can plug the bundled charger into. I'm not especially happy that the USB sync cable is non-removable, but it works just fine. What it does mean, though, is that if you're intending to use this cradle just as a night stand piece you're going to have an extra wire floating about. The mini-usb port, I should note, is just there for charging. On the other hand, the data cable charges the Dash as well, so you can just use the included power adapter as a spare adapter if you like. That's what I did to reduce wire clutter on my desk.

The other hassle is not the cradle's fault. The Dash has a little rubber port-protector on the bottom. Mobi did their best to accommodate this by placing a little divot next to the mini-usb connector. In practice, though, trying to quickly seat the Dash in the cradle is a hassle. You have to bend the rubber nub out of the way and sort of slide the Dash in sideways so it stays out of the way. I found a better solution, though, just ripping that little connector out.

Conclusion

Overall I like the Mobi PowerCradle. The battery life on the Dash isn't quite what it ought to be so it's nice to have a place to set the little guy down on my desk to keep it charged up throughout the day. You'll likely want to rip that little rubber protector off your Dash, though, so that might be a deal-breaker for some. If not, the PowerCradle is a fine addition to your desk.