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Odd design fail: no charging while on kickstand

V

Vance

Android Enthusiast
I would love to use my TB as my bedside clock/alarm, but we all know it is essential to charge overnight as well. And the primary use of the kickstand, to watch video, is also a battery sink. So, why did they place the usb connection so that it is unusable when on the kickstand, thus rendering the kickstand dramatically less useful?

All they had to do was turn the kickstand around.
 
I thought the same thing until I had the smack of reality that the kickstand can also be used in portrait mode. It would have made more sense to charging port on the side with the volume rocker.
 
dr_trousers said:
I think it's a ploy to make us buy a docking station.
Click to expand...

Or a ploy to get us to buy the thunderbolt 2: now with an improved design. You can now charge landscape!

And this will be the only upgraded feature. And the phone will be bumped up to $300 to accommodated this new magical design
 
I still think the biggest design fail I have ever seen was the iPod Touch... Who the hell puts the audio jack on the BOTTOM of a device?!? No purpose for that one.
 
jms493 said:
Or you can stand it upright and charge it....
Click to expand...

Well, yes, you can charge it lying on its back as well, but the biggest draw of the kickstand is to watch video, no? So, landscape is essential there.

But, you are right, for a nightstand clock, it can still be used. But landscape is MUCH better for that since it is more stable against getting knocked over and I can make the numbers much bigger for my bad eyes to see at night! :0)
 
jms493 said:
Or you can stand it upright and charge it....
Click to expand...

Except that it falls over very easily when connected to a cable.

For example, using Swype will likely push over the phone. There's something about that cable that throws the balance off when it's upright.

...

What about a charging usb cable that plugs in at a right angle?

Everything that I see out on the web is at a right angle but it's the wrong angle for this.
 
ska.t73 said:
I still think the biggest design fail I have ever seen was the iPod Touch... Who the hell puts the audio jack on the BOTTOM of a device?!? No purpose for that one.
Click to expand...

That was so when you held it in your hand, the cord came out the bottom "naturally", instead of awkwardly over the top, or sides. However, it only worked when held. Every other time (as in, ALL THE TIME), it was pointless.
 
funny that you mention the ipod with the jack on the bottom. i wish the TB had the jack on the bottom. mostly based on how i put it in my pocket (top down, so when i pull it out, it's in my hand correctly). can't do that with the jack on top...
but i guess if you're standing up your device and using headphones (when does that happen?) you'd need the jack elsewhere.

randy
 
When I have my phone in my pocket with the headphones attached it is because I am listening to music/podcasts and will need to have access to the volume rocker. Since this is near the top of the phone, I am glad the phone is "upright" in my pocket so I can get to it! :0)
 
Vance said:
When I have my phone in my pocket with the headphones attached it is because I am listening to music/podcasts and will need to have access to the volume rocker. Since this is near the top of the phone, I am glad the phone is "upright" in my pocket so I can get to it! :0)
Click to expand...

i use the rocker through the pocket (without removing the phone) and i could easily toggle the volume in the "upside down" position. just saying.
 
rlevine said:
i use the rocker through the pocket (without removing the phone) and i could easily toggle the volume in the "upside down" position. just saying.
Click to expand...

Ah, I can never get that to work, so I have to actually reach in. I wish Android would work with iPod headphones which have volume controls inline!
 
ska.t73 said:
I still think the biggest design fail I have ever seen was the iPod Touch... Who the hell puts the audio jack on the BOTTOM of a device?!? No purpose for that one.
Click to expand...

easy answer: for runners.

those arm band/slings that hold the ipod touch on your arm with the top towards your elbow, which means the headphone jack is close to your shoulder, allowing you to run the cord closer to your shoulder instead of having to loop it from elbow level.

when you look at your arm, assuming the jack was on top and the ipod touch was mounted 180 degrees from described above, it's now upside down to the user.
 
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