Cheap charging dock

[quangtran1]

Hi all, I just purchased a cheap charging dock on eBay for $16. Now I'm thinking there's no way, that at this price, it would have a built-in battery like the OEM dock, right?

 

[Rukbat]

You can get a quality lithium battery for a phone for about $7 retail, so yes, it could have one large enough for a Gear.

 

[pre1561]

Kim Komando has a good article about using third party chargers. All bad. I wouldn't use one, even though everbody in my family buys them and have never had a problem,,,, YET. Except for a heat problem.

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

 

[quangtran1]

You can get a quality lithium battery for a phone for about $7 retail, so yes, it could have one large enough for a Gear.

Are you saying that the slot for the battery is there? I just need the lithium? Thanks.

 

[foxbat121]

Hi all, I just purchased a cheap charging dock on eBay for $16. Now I'm thinking there's no way, that at this price, it would have a built-in battery like the OEM dock, right?

Why don't you try it out and let us know. Simply click on the dock to your watch and see if it charges without connect the USB cable.

I too am suspicious that those docks actually contain battery in them. Not only you need a li-ion battery, you also need a complicated charge, reserves charge circuitry to charge the watch from the battery. But without someone actually try it out, we just don't know. The eBay listing never mentioned anything about containing a battery inside. So, I'd expect it doesn't.

 

[quangtran1]

Why don't you try it out and let us know. Simply click on the dock to your watch and see if it charges without connect the USB cable.

I too am suspicious that those docks actually contain battery in them. Not only you need a li-ion battery, you also need a complicated charge, reserves charge circuitry to charge the watch from the battery. But without someone actually try it out, we just don't know. The eBay listing never mentioned anything about containing a battery inside. So, I'd expect it doesn't.

I tend to agree with you.

 

[foxbat121]

I tend to agree with you.

Still, let us know what you find out.

 

[quangtran1]

Still, let us know what you find out.

I received the Chinese charging dock today. It does not have any circuitry to charge the lithium battery. Charging the watch with it using USB acts normal. I don't have any issue with that, just using it as a spare charging dock at the office.

 

[xendula]

Thanks for the update!

 

[foxbat121]

I remember when I checked out the pictures of the eBay listing, I don't see the LED light next to the microUSB port. Hence, I suspect it doesn't have battery inside but a simple pass through to the watch. Regardless, it is still a good thing to have especially the official ones are so easy to break and hard to buy them (most places are out of stock).

 

[xendula]

Quangtran1, can you post a link to the seller you git yours from.
It makes me feel better knowing I am buying something that works.

 

[quangtran1]

Quangtran1, can you post a link to the seller you git yours from.
It makes me feel better knowing I am buying something that works.

It's item 151570455323 by estoreoutlet.

 

[xendula]

Thanks!

 

[budgitApp]

Has anyone ever stumbled upon a charger where you don't need to snap the watch in place? In Samsung stores, they have a really nice stand, you just put the watch on it and it charges I believe, I wish there was a charger like this I could buy.

 

[drjosephkim]

The OEM charging cradle has a little round black button below the set of 5 charging pins. I've noticed that the generic 3rd party cradles don't have this little round button.

 

[quangtran1]

Has anyone ever stumbled upon a charger where you don't need to snap the watch in place? In Samsung stores, they have a really nice stand, you just put the watch on it and it charges I believe, I wish there was a charger like this I could buy.

I have one of those. I got it from a local Best Buy friend when he was resetting his displays. It's not as reliable as you'd think. I threw mine away. The watch does not make very tight contact with the dock. It rests there from the tension of the anti-theft security cable.

 

[foxbat121]

Yeah, when I was in AT&T store to purchase mine, they had a hard time to get the demo watch charged via that thing (it can barely maintain contacts). I certainly won't use it at all.

 

[quangtran1]

The OEM charging cradle has a little round black button below the set of 5 charging pins. I've noticed that the generic 3rd party cradles don't have this little round button.

I know what you mean. I bought three of the non-OEM charging docks, so I can save the original one in case I decide to sell the watch. They do not have that button. As far as I can tell, that button's only purpose is to display how much charge is left on the lithium battery. When I push it, the blue or orange LED shows up.

 

[budgitApp]

I know what you mean. I bought three of the non-OEM charging docks, so I can save the original one in case I decide to sell the watch. They do not have that button. As far as I can tell, that button's only purpose is to display how much charge is left on the lithium battery. When I push it, the blue or orange LED shows up.

I believe that button activates the internal charging battery... In the non OEM cradles there is no internal battery and by consequence there is no button.

 

[Floridadomer]

If anyone is interested, I just recieved an email from Samsung that the cradle is off of Backorder.