Nexus 7 2012 Docking Station

This little guy does exactly what it promises. I was a bit worried about it because of some of the strange reviews I read, so I'd like to talk about specific issues.[FIRST: I'm not certain this works with the brand new 2013 Nexus 7. So be sure you check into that if you have a new one.](1) Stiff pogo connectors: Some people claimed they needed two hands to push down the tablet because the pins were "too strong". This is just crazy. Maybe they are putting it in at a weird angle, but the pogo connectors work and work well.(2) Cost complaints: I bought mine for $30. It does feel like it could be $5 cheaper, but it's a solid build quality. The weight and grips on the bottom make it feel like its worth the price. Anyone who argues this is worth $10 has no idea what they're talking about.(3) Doesn't charge: One reviewer said they actually had less charge the next morning than the night before when they plugged it in. Again, this is just silly. It's essentially like the apple mag-safe power adapters. The pogos charge beautifully.(4) Perfectly balance: Another review said that the tablet had to be perfectly balanced in order to charge. Literally, you just drop it in with one hand as you're walking out of the room. It could not be easier.(5) Spontaneously stopped charging: There was a review by someone who had to keep monitoring it in case it spontaneously (for no reason) stopped charging. I have never had this problem. I plug it in, and it's charged when I return.Negatives?(1) I do wish it came with another power cord. If you do need another one, simply throw a standard micro usb charger in your cart for $5 when you checkout.(2) It would be nice if it had some small front speakers.

I purchased this dock because after owning the Nexus 7 for 7 months the USB connector inside the tablet became loose. I sent my tablet back to ASUS and they repaired it under warranty. The whole process took about 10 days (shipping time & repair) for which I was without my tablet. Although the USB port now works, I`d rather not go through that process again. I`ve only had the dock for a few days, but so far it appears to be a nice solution to the problem. I like how the dock is weighted and does not have the feel of just another cheap piece of plastic. I have not tried using the audio jack because I prefer using my Bluetooth headphones for listening to music. I think this dock is well made and would recommend it for those having the USB problems.

First off, if you are having trouble charging your nexus 7 with the USB port, this dock will fix your problems. My Nexus 7 USB port is completely useless, and this dock charges my tablet in a few hours. It is WAY overpriced at $40-50, but it is cheaper than a new tablet. It is built well, and it complements the tablet's minimal design. As far as I can tell, all the complaints about this dock are completely unfounded. If you cannot charge your nexus 7 through USB, this pogo dock bypasses the defective port and breathes new life into an otherwise doomed device.I have been having problems charging my nexus 7 through the USB port. It would sometimes not charge. Other times, it would charge unbelievably slowly. It might only gain 20% overnight. I did some research and discovered that this is an extremely common problem. The Micro USB plug can bend and mess up the port inside the tablet. After determining that the cord was not the problem, I was forced to find another way to charge this device. This seemed like the best option so that I could still use this tablet.My nexus 7 has been having trouble a lot with slow charging. Recently, my dog knocked my tablet off my nightstand, causing the Micro USB to become loose. The USB can sometimes make contact, but a disapproving glance is enough to disconnect it. I managed to charge it to 20% (over the course of a day) so it wouldn't wreck the battery before this dock arrived. When it did get here, I immediately set the tablet on it, and it began charging! When I turned the tablet on however, it did not say it was charging. I left it on and docked, and I can confirm that the battery percentage does increase. In about half an hour, it went from 19% to 41%. I haven't seen this device charge that quickly in months! I was concerned that it didn't say it was charging though. I found out that the dock requires at least android 4.2 to be officially recognized. This may be the problem people are having thinking that it isn't charging.As for those who say the pins are too stiff, I just can't imagine this being the case. All they have to do is make contact, so even if they were too stiff, they would still make contact. I can only assume that they received a different dock from the one I received. The dock I have doesn't require any effort. You just set the tablet down and it begins charging. It requires no pressure to make contact or anything. It just gently rests on the dock and charges. If your dock requires pressure to get the device to make contact, maybe you should try the following:1.) Turn off your Nexus 72.) Make sure the dock is plugged in.3.) Set the powered off nexus 7 on the dock. If it comes up with the charging indicator, it is connected.While my tablet is turned on in android 4.1, there is no indication that it is plugged in other than the increasing battery percentage. The 4.2 update is required to enable all the fancy docking features.Overall, this device is worth $40-50 to me because it allows me to use my nexus 7. It is well built and stable. It is impossibly easy to charge your device. You just set it in the dock and it charges. It also might be a wise preventative step to avoid breaking the flimsy USB plug. This is apparently a common problem with this tablet, which leads me to believe that Asus is gouging nexus 7 owners on this dock because it is necessary to use the tablet.Overall, I am just happy I can use my previously doomed tablet once more. If anything goes awry, I will update my review. So far though, it is an expensive but necessary accessory. I don't ever remember the USB port charging my device this quickly.Also note that all you get is the dock. You will have to use the wall adapter and cord that came with your nexus 7, or a compatible one.UPDATE: It's 4/8/2014 and the current price is $70! This is absolutely outrageous, and there is no justification for this price other than scarcity. If Asus would have put a sufficiently strong USB port in the Nexus, there would be no need. At this price, you are getting ripped off beyond belief! It originally sold for about $30-40! I got mine for $50... and that's only because it was the only way to use my tablet. At $70, I am rather offended. I hope nobody pays that price. If they do, I may just put mine on amazon to be sold off... It is currently obscenely overpriced. It probably would cost Asus less than $5 to make this... it's just some wires and a heavy base... nothing fancy at all.

USB charger would no longer fit Nexus 7, preventing the tablet from charging. Mostly due to many years of use & some damage from the kids charging it. The dock with pogo pins solved the problem, and easier for the kids to charge too. Should hopefully get many more years out of it from now.

For anyone confused, this is for the 2012 model.

Bisogna spingere il Nexus 7 per bene fino in fondo, poi spostandolo a destra e a sinistra finchè non tutti i connettori sono inseriti, o questa base può dare brutte sorprese. Questo è particolarmente importante se si intende far uso della presa audio, che potrebbe non funzionare anche se il tablet è inserito quanto basta per permetterne la carica.

以前、MSIのEnjoy71というタブレットを使っていてUSB端子を壊してしまってファイルのやり取りどころか充電が出来なくなってしまった経験上、タブレット(スマホもだが)の充電は卓上ホルダ等を使用できるならなるべく使用しよう！　と心に決めていた為、このほどNexus7(2012)が手に入ったので早速購入しました。　Nexus7を横置きでこのドッキングステーションに置くと充電可能です。さらに、ドッキングステーションにスピーカー用の端子が付いているのでオーディオケーブルを繋いでやれば外部スピーカーから音を出せます。角度調整等は出来ませんが、ドッキングステーションと外部スピーカーが有ればお手軽に卓上シアターが出来上がる、という訳です。まぁ、値段が高いですから、誰にでもお勧め、という訳にはいきませんが、少なくともUSB端子を労わって、長くNexus7と付き合おうと思ったら、あって損は絶対無いです。　　　　　追記私は中古のNexus7と同じく中古のドッキングステーションの組み合わせですが、フィッティング等、まったく問題ないですね。中には「倒れる」「充電用の端子の位置が合わない」等の不具合を言っている人もいますが・・・。　　　　　追記'nexus7(2012)のsimフリー版が手に入ったので、追記します。simフリー版も問題無く充電可能でした。勿論スピーカー設定もwifi版と同じく本体・外部を選べますし、スクリーンセイバーも起動しました。これでnexus7(2012)を2台使用ですが、他の人の言うような「倒れる」「充電端子の位置が合わない」等の不具合は出ていないので、不具合の有る人は本当の意味で『ドッキングステーションが不良品』の可能性が有りますね・・・。まだ保証期間内でしたら、サポートに連絡して修理を依頼した方が宜しいかと思います。

We had two tablets that no longer worked as the port had been damaged, now they are back working so this has been great, we have just had to make sure the children know never to disconnect the port!