What are docking stations for Android? Many people use their smartphones and tablets as media players: they listen to music through them, watch movies, and so on. But you have to hold the device in your hands or look for a stand for it. Moreover, during operation, the battery charge of the gadget decreases and you need to connect the charger.
What is a docking station
This is where docking stations come in handy. With their help, you can conveniently and securely fix your Android device on a special stand. So, let's figure out what a docking station for Android is and what they are.
Basically, this is the device into which your smartphone (tablet) is installed. It can be of several types:
- Regular stand – no microUSB port and charging.
- With charger – when installed, the smartphone is connected to a USB port and charged.
- Multimedia – not only functions as a regular stand and charger, but also allows you to play video and audio files on the speakers built into the docking station.
The first option is nothing more than the most common stand. Its only function is to put a phone (tablet) in it for easy watching movies. In this case, the sound will come from the built-in speaker of the smartphone.
The second option, in addition to increasing convenience, serves as a charger (charger). In other words, the station itself connects to the power supply and charges the smartphone (tablet).
It should be noted that the options without a charger can hold the phone in a vertical or horizontal position (depending on the model and design). In this case, the stand with a charger can only hold the phone in one position, since the phone is connected to the microUSB port.
The most functional is the third option – a multimedia docking station for devices on the platform Android. It fulfills the functions of the previous two versions and at the same time has built-in speakers for playing sounds. Thanks to this, a quiet smartphone (tablet) can play quite loudly. Moreover, there are stands with quite powerful acoustics and sound amplifier. They are in no way inferior to conventional speakers.
Also, multimedia stands can control your Android – gadget via USB connection. In simple words: you install a special application on your smartphone, launch it and install the gadget on the docking station. Then, using the remote control, you can turn on music, adjust the volume, open a video file, and so on.
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Docking station selection
The choice is simple enough. First of all, you need to decide what functions you are interested in. That is, if you are looking for a simple and comfortable stand and nothing more, then you should pay attention to models that are able to hold the phone in a vertical and horizontal position.
If you are interested in the memory function, then everything is even easier here. You only need to focus on the external design and power output of the power supply. Remember that the current output must meet the requirements of your smartphone. If the voltage is too high, there is a risk of burning the USB port and charge controllers.
As a rule, for more modern and powerful tablets and smartphones, a charger with an output voltage of 5 volts and a current of 2 amperes is used.
For older and weaker models, less powerful power supplies with an output current of 1 ampere are used.
If you are looking for a multimedia dock, then things are a little more complicated. First of all, you should pay attention to how the connection to the microUSB is carried out. There are two options here:
- Fixed connector – the port is always in one position and you cannot rotate or move it.
- Wired connection or movable USB interface. In this case, you can place the smartphone vertically and horizontally, and the USB connection is made using a cable.
There are also options that are equipped with both connection types.
The second point is the power of the built-in speakers. Often the cheap options use weak and low-quality speakers. Because of this, the sound will be, even if loud, of very poor quality. On more expensive stands with powerful and high-quality speakers, there should be special holes on the back to enhance the bass (bass reflex).
It should be noted that not all multimedia stations provide the ability to control the connected phone. In other words, some of the stands are just sound. But you will have to turn on this sound manually on your smartphone. Also, do not forget to check with the seller what set of functions the model you like has.
It is also recommended to bypass cheap Chinese models, since the voltage at the charger output may differ from that stated in the documentation. This, in turn, negatively affects the operation of the phone, up to and including its breakdown. Do not forget about the presence of additional USB connectors that allow you to connect a flash drive, computer mouse and keyboard, as well as charge additional devices.
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