As per my post My Sony Xperia Z Review – Part 2 – Unboxing and Observing the Physical Features, a Sony Xperia Z charging dock (code named DK26) was included when I got my phablet. I have to say that a charging dock is not included automatically with the purchase of any Sony Xperia Z. When a colleague of mine bought his Xperia Z a couple of months before I purchased mine, he did not have a charging dock in the box.
Obviously, the price of the Xperia Z went down in those two months and while I bought my phablet at the same price as my colleague, I got some additional items in the box, namely two Xperia SmartTags, a front and a back screen protector and the charging dock itself.
Why get a charging dock, one may ask, if you can charge the phablet through the USB port? The answer is rather simple. In order to charge the phone one needs to remove the flap / USB protective cover that covers the USB port. Opening and closing the flap day in day out may wear down the rubber lining in the flaps, thus reducing the water proofing capabilities in the process. When using the charging dock, there is no such worry.
The charging dock is in itself a very simple device. The charging process is carried out by two small prongs which touch two small metal plates when the Xperia Z is inserted into the docking station. However, using the charging dock also has the following disadvantages:
- The charging dock is only useful to charge the phablet. It is not possible to use the charging dock to transfer files. In order to transfer files you need to make the use of the USB port or else you can use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth transfer. On the same lines, you cannot use the dock to display video to a TV.
- In order to charge the Xperia Z, you need to connect the dock to a mains charger. Connecting the dock to a USB hub or directly to the PC will not work.
While the Xperia Z is being charged in the dock, you can still use basic functions of the phablet like browsing the menus on the phone, accessing applications, viewing videos and playing music.
The Xperia Z DK26 dock is available from Amazon.co.uk for £20.83 while Amazon.com is selling the dock for $26.99. The DK26 dock is also available for sale for Sony’s online store, eBay and online stores. It is worth noting that the dock does not come with a mains charger and USB cable, but obviously, you already get these with your Sony Xperia Z.
