62xx & 72xx Desktop Cradle

Hands on review by lgreenberg

April 1, 2006

Price as reviewed: $10.96

Available at Smart Phone Depot

Since I noticed a thread this morining inquiring about a cradle for the 8700 I decided to throw up a review of the one I've been using.

Many of use like to keep our Blackberries “at the ready” on our desks. Unfortunately no one has yet to release a desktop charging stand or cradle specifically meant for the 8700x series Blackberry.

A while back I went ahead and ordered the cradle designed for the 62xx, 72xx series device to see if it would work. And it indeed does. Mostly.

The cradle is made from hard, black plastic. It is slightly angled backwards.



In the case of the 8700 you simply place the device into/onto the cradle and the backwards angle keeps it in place.



There is a small channel underneath the cradle and a notch on the side so that you can neatly run a charging cable through.

I placed some clear tape over my cord to keep it in place. It had a habit of coming out of the channel before I did so. Now it never moves.



With the cable installed the cradle becomes both a desktop stand and desktop charger.



You could also run the Blackberry’s USB cable to the device instead making the cradle a sync and charge cradle.

The only issue with the use of this cradle is that the Blackberry isn’t held in securely. It’s not difficult for the device to fall out if pushed hard. To help with this problem I’ve installed some Egrips in the bottom part of the cradle. This stopped any accidental slippage. Also with the device plugged into the charging cable it’s held more securely by the strength of the cable.



Rating - 4/5

Pros: Keeps the device upright for better viewing, keeps cable in reach.
Cons: Not 100% secure.