Although wireless charging is all the rage these days, that only helps users with the very latest iPhones, and — for now at least — doesn’t help you to charge your iPad. Hence, there’s still a call for traditional docking solutions, and if you’re in a family with multiple iPhones, iPads, and other portable electronic devices, finding places to charge them can sometimes be a problem. This is the need that udoq aims to address with its new all-in-one modular docking station that’s capable of handling multiple electronic devices all in one central location, all charging from a single power outlet.
Udoq’s eponymous product is actually a modular design that allows you to mix and match the components you need to build a custom docking solution of your choice, although the company sells a number of sets that include all of the elements for common configurations.
An aluminum stand/rail provides the base to which you add as many charging modules as you need, or can fit — four lengths of rail are available to choose from depending on how many devices you want to charge and how much physical space you have available. We received the udoq 400 for our review, which measures just under 16 inches long — the “400” in the title is actually the length in millimetres, and the other sizes are the udoq 250 (9.84 inches), udoq 550 (21.65 inches), and udoq 700 (27.56 inches).
The udoq rail allows you to insert any number of adapters simply by sliding them in from either end and positioning them appropriate to the size of the device you want to charge, and the company sells adapters for Lightning, micro USB, USB-C, and even the old-school 30-pin Dock Connector — a nice touch for users who may legitimately still have older iPad or iPhone models, or even an iPod classic to mix in with their modern iOS device collection. The adapters come with a standard USB cable on one end that can be routed through the rail channel to a compartment on the back, and udoq has also very thoughtfully designed the connectors to be adjusted in height, so unlike many docks you won’t need to worry about removing your iPad or iPhone from all but the most bulky cases.
The compartment the rear of the rail houses a USB power hub that all of the docking adapter cables are routed back to, allowing a single power cable to be sent out the back of the udoq and plugged into the wall.
The compartment is large enough to allow the cables to be bundled up inside, and a cover snaps on the top to keep everything neatly hidden.
In addition to the standard plug docks, udoq also sells an Apple Watch charging cable adapter, although like many Apple Watch docks, this is only a plastic mount for the Apple’s own Apple Watch charger, so you’ll need to supply your own. A Qi Wireless Charging module is also in development. Support adapters can be purchased for larger devices or those that charge from a port in the side (and therefore have to be docked in landscape mode).
