The advantages are that it is very practical. Great design. I like the light on them. It's nice to just wave your device near a magnet and it will shut up. The downside is that after a month or more we'll have to put them in the right position and leave them alone if you want them to charge. I dropped my device when the mini USB connector was in the port. I thought my device was broken but it was the USB part that splintered and hit my friend in the arm. No big deal, but the metal was still bonded and difficult to get out. Still, it was nice to have the luxury, if only for a little while.