**Kensington Studio Dock Review: A Comprehensive Look at the Ultimate iPad Accessory**
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### Introduction to the Kensington Studio Dock
Chris begins his review by introducing the Kensington Studio Dock, priced starting at $379. He highlights its uniqueness and utility as an iPad accessory, emphasizing that it transforms your iPad into a desktop computer-like experience. The dock is versatile, functioning not just as a stand or a dock but also as a charging system.
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### Unique Features and Functionality
Chris reveals that the Studio Dock is more than a single accessory—it's three in one: a stand, a dock, and a charging system. He compares it to other products like the 12-cell HoverBar Duo Stand ($80), HyperDrive 901 ($100), and Mophie Four-in-One Wireless Charging Mat ($150). Despite its higher price, he argues that the Studio Dock offers more value due to its integrated features and stability.
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### Workflow and Usability
Chris praises the Studio Dock for enhancing productivity. He describes how pairing the iPad with this dock feels like giving it "superpowers," making tasks like web surfing, media consumption, and multitasking feel seamless. The ease of rotating from horizontal to vertical orientation is a standout feature, especially for reading and writing long articles.
The integration with Apple Pencil is another highlight. Chris demonstrates that using the Apple Pencil while docked is surprisingly stable, offering a natural sketching or handwriting experience without needing to undock the iPad.
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### Comparison with Magic Keyboard
Chris contrasts the Studio Dock with the Magic Keyboard, noting that both are expensive but serve different purposes. The Magic Keyboard is portable and includes a built-in keyboard and trackpad, making it ideal for on-the-go use. In contrast, the Studio Dock is desk-bound but offers more connectivity options and charging capabilities.
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### Design and Build Quality
The Studio Dock impresses with its aluminum build, resembling a proper Apple accessory. Its design keeps cables organized, minimizing clutter, and the base is heavy enough to remain stable during docking or undocking. This stability is particularly useful for precise tasks like sketching.
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### Charging Capabilities
Chris emphasizes the dock's multi-device charging capabilities. It features a Qi wireless charging area for iPhones and AirPods and includes ports like USB-C, HDMI, headphone jack, and Ethernet. The optional Apple Watch charger adds versatility, especially for users needing quick charges throughout the day.
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### Value for Money
Considering the cost of separate accessories ($330), Chris argues that the Studio Dock's integrated features justify its price. He suggests it's ideal for those who want a decluttered workspace and prefer an iPad as their primary computer. However, he advises saving money if you already have compatible stands, docks, or chargers.
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### Conclusion
Chris concludes by recommending the Studio Dock for serious iPad users seeking a feature-rich, stationary setup. While not a must-have, it offers convenience and versatility, making it a worthwhile investment for those who value its unique benefits over portability.
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**Final Thoughts**
The Kensington Studio Dock is more than just an accessory—it's a productivity tool that enhances your workflow by offering multiple functionalities in one sleek package. Whether you're looking to elevate your iPad setup or need a stable, efficient workspace, the Studio Dock delivers on its promises.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey it's chris and today i'm back with the review that i promised when i unboxed the kensington studio dock which starts at 379 dollars and is absolutely one of the most unique and useful ipad accessories to ever exist if you've ever wished that your usbc ipad air or ipad pro could function more like a desktop computer then this is the device for you although i kind of feel like a lot of people out there have misunderstood it see here's the big revelation you shouldn't be thinking about this like a single ipad accessory because it's really three in one it's a stand it's a dock and it's a charging system considering 12-cell's hoverbar duo stand costs eighty dollars and isn't nearly as stable the hyperdrive 901 dock costs a hundred dollars and can't be tucked out of the way and the mophie four in one wireless charging mat is 150 and has a larger footprint the studio docs admittedly high price tag isn't quite as outrageous as i think it might have at first seemed the real question is of course is it worth spending the money and by the end of this video you will walk away with a definitive answer and to be honest i think some people's minds might get changed now if like me you love the ipad's magic keyboard for its truly incredible typing experience you might be torn between which ultra expensive ultra pro ipad accessory is going to give you the most bang for your buck between the studio dock and the magic keyboard well they're meant for vastly different purposes but it's a theme we're going to touch on throughout the video so let's get started by talking about workflows and what the studio dock is actually like to use let me start by saying i feel like pairing your ipad with the studio dock is akin to giving your ipad super powers it almost feels like you're using a completely new or different device and as the pictures on the website kind of depict this does make your ipad feel more like a desktop computer not just because of the super cool aesthetic or the pro display xdr like vives that it gives off but also because you kind of feel like you're working at an imac mini of sorts especially by the time you end up adding in your favorite external keyboard and mouse so web surfing media consumption multitasking just general computing it all feels as good as it gets on ipad os on the studio dock i love with a capital l how easy and quick and smooth it is to rotate from horizontal to vertical orientation which is the way that i prefer to read and write long articles but of course an enormous part of the ipad experience is using the apple pencil in combination with the paper-like screen protector for an absolutely astonishing and best-in-class ipad stylus experience so how much of a pain is it in reality to dock and undock your ipad for a sketching or handwriting experience well actually it's really easy it's not hard at all in fact what i love here is that it's so easy to take this off of the stand and plop it down on the desk next to you for a true tablet like experience now here's something that's kind of interesting though and i kind of stopped at this at first but if i dock the ipad into the kensington studio dock i can actually come in here and use the apple pencil i can actually come in here and use the apple pencil while it's still docked and you know what it's actually pretty stable very stable now i did test integrating this with my mac setup specifically i'm talking about sidecar and it is awesome as you can imagine especially if you use a keyboard and a mouse combo that pair with two different devices for easy switching between mac and ipad primary tasks but ultimately the studio dock is just massive overkill if you're only looking for a sidecar stand now the magic keyboard and the studio dock are both very expensive they have that in common but the workflows are significantly different for each obviously the magic keyboard is more geared towards mobility portability and it comes with a keyboard and a track pad it's all built in there whereas the studio dock is more desk bound and you're gonna have to add in that keyboard and then mouse on a quick side note if you've been enjoying this video take this opportunity to hit that subscribe button because i'm going to be covering all the new ipads this year as well as all the changes coming to ipad os and wwdc and if you don't want to miss that thorough and in-depth coverage you've got to get subscribed because i don't want you to miss out and i'm probably going to have more ipad content than most of the other apple related channels out there now purely as an ipad stand the kensington dock is my current reigning favorite for one very simple reason it gets the ipad higher and closer to my face so whereas with the magic keyboard i'm actually going to be staring down closer to the desk to focus on my work the studio dock lets me actually rest my gaze where it would more naturally fall anyways which is very enjoyable and as you can imagine the height and the adjustability of the studio dock make this an absolutely incredible facetime or zoom meeting companion now the base of the studio dock is very heavy and quite substantial which comes in handy when you're docking and undocking your ipad why because it doesn't move and shift all over the desk now you can actually contrast that with 12 cells hover bar duo which isn't quite as heavy and substantial and tends to wiggle and wobble around a little bit when you're taking the ipad off or putting it back on or when you're touching the screen when you touch the screen here it's not wiggling it's not wobbling it's not going anywhere and then of course there's the aluminum look the aluminum build which actually looks like a proper apple accessory which is another way of saying it just looks really freaking good the docking capabilities here those extra connections around the back and the side are really what set this apart from other ipad accessories the docking setup here is really where a lot of that extra utility the usefulness actually comes into play so you've got an ethernet port three usba's an hdmi a headphone jack and a usbc but what's been most useful to me personally as i've been using this and testing it have been the usbc on the side and that sd card reader having a really fast connection for my external hard drive is really great and importing a batch of photos off my sony alpha is just a breeze here now if in the future hopefully the near future apple comes out with a more robust ipad os that can fully support an external display kind of similar to how a mac does then you're really going to end up appreciating that hdmi port as it is right now it feels really limited not because of the studio dock just because of the low number of apps that support full screen integration and then i've seen a lot of comments swirling around saying why would you need that gigabit ethernet port there well the thing is some people need a stable internet connection for their work for what they're working on can't be dropping out and for those people that is a port that's going to come in clutch so all of the i o and the ports except for the two that i wouldn't want to be in the back the sd card reader and the usbc are all located in the back which means all of the cords are then flowing out the back down the back of your desk and it really keeps the visual cord clutter to a minimum when you're sitting in front of this thing now if you do end up spending your money on a magic keyboard instead of the studio dock then you're gonna be stuck with some kind of a dongle situation most likely and that's just not ideal so the kensington studio dock is a great ipad stand and it is a great dock but it's also a great multi-device charger and when i say multi-device i mean multi-device see most people notice this qi wireless charging area at the base which don't get me wrong is great lets you charge your iphone and some air pods although these aren't air pods in a nice and compact area but don't overlook the fact that the studio dock is a quick charger for your ipad itself which is nothing to sneeze at now on top of that you can charge like 90 of what you could buy at an apple store here by plugging in this optional apple watch charger in the usbc port over here which i usually keep detached because it just kind of adds some extra bulk there when it's not in use but this is one thing i didn't think i'd actually end up having a use for ever but it turns out since i track my sleep with my apple watch i never actually get to fully charge it overnight and i just end up charging it a little bit when i'm getting ready in the morning and a little bit before i go to bed so oftentimes as i'm approaching the end of the work day my apple watch battery's getting pretty low i get that 10 battery warning and it's actually nice to be able to just pop it on here and get it charging all right let's get to the point let's talk about money is this something you should spend money on now you remember those three accessories that i mentioned at the beginning there was a wireless charger there was a stand and there was a dock that you could purchase separately if you purchased those all together that would come out to about 330 which is only like 50 or so cheaper than the cheapest version of the studio dock so is it worth paying approximately 50 extra dollars for a fully integrated solution like the studio dock versus having a bunch of separate accessories well if you value decluttering your workspace having a solid and highly adjustable stand that places the ipad closer to where your gaze naturally falls or if you're as serious as it gets about making the ipad your one and only computer desktop or otherwise then you might want to go ahead and spend the money on the other hand i would say save your money if you already own a combination of a stand a dock and charging setup that works good for you also save your money if you're just eyeballing this as a sidecar only stand really not worth it super overkill unless you just have money to burn now getting back to the magic keyboard if you have an ipad or getting one and you have 350 to 400 to spend on an accessory i think most people are gonna end up going with the magic keyboard simply because it is portable so it's not just confined to one area like your desk and it has the essentials baked in namely i'm talking about the stand the keyboard and a track pad on the other hand if you're somebody who is ipad first you want to make the ipad work as your only computer basically and you don't mind being tethered mostly to the desk there is a group of people out there who are going to fall in love with the studio doc as it stands i don't think i could call this a must-have accessory right now mainly because anything that you can do with the studio dock you could do with a number of other separate accessories you could do the same work but this is a really really fun accessory to use and it is genuinely useful for that ipad first crowd and let me tell you nothing destroys desktop clutter like the studio dock the key word here i think to summarize is convenience and if you can come up with a reason to justify the expense you will not be disappointed alright if you enjoyed this very thorough review of the kensington studio doc and you'd like to see more very thorough ipad reviews and unboxings and apps and thoughts and tips all kinds of ipad videos then make sure to get yourself subscribed because there's a lot coming up and there's a lot on the channel already you can go back and explore thanks for watching today and i'll catch you guys in the next one later\n"
