MHL Docks Lands At Mobile Fun!

William Judd

We get a lot of cool gadgets in the office, but it’s rare that I’ll want to sit down and order one as soon as I see it. When I saw this dock though, I got quite excited — and now it’s actually here. I’ve been wanting to watch videos on my HDTV from my Galaxy S2, but it looked like I couldn’t have a simple solution that just worked, without having to worry about keeping the power-hungry S2 charged.

This dock is the solution I’ve been looking for. It works through MHL technology, a new interface that can utilise existing connectors to do some clever things. The dock is one of the first implementations, allowing you to plug in HDMI and USB for power directly into the dock, so that you can simultaneously watch HD video on your phone and keep it charged. The connection supports 1080p 2D or 3D video content as well as 7.1 channel sound, making it a legitimate way of watching HD films on your TV without using a computer.

Samsung Galaxy S2 Desktop Sync and Charge Cradle With HDMI Out

The picture above shows the Samsung Galaxy S2 variant, but there are also individual versions for the HTC Sensation and HTC Evo 3D, two other leading Android smartphones that support MHL technology. Most new phones coming out (e.g. the Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Note) will also support MHL technology, so look for docks for these phones in the future.

You can see examples of the docks in the picture below (Evo 3D dock is on the left, Sensation dock on the right).

Desktop Sync and Charge Cradle With HDMI Out (Evo 3D on left, Sensation on right)

I’ll definitely be picking up one of these fine beasts to review; if you’re looking for a convenient way to keep your phone charged and watch videos on your HDTV then have a look at the appropriate product page for more information:

If you have any questions about how it works or want to talk about any other of our mobile phone accessories, then feel free to contact me via the comments below or the usual social networking things: