Review: Samsung monitor features wireless charging for your smartphone

I'm all in favor of eliminating clutter on my desk.

If you've been to my office, or even if you've seen my weekly video, you probably noticed my desk can get a bit messy.

I try to corral it every few months, but it can resemble a rat's nest in a hurry.

I keep an iPhone charging dock on my desk to keep my phone's battery topped off during the day.

If you're interested, the dock is the Hi-Rise from Twelve South.

It's a charging dock that keeps the phone up off my desk and at a comfortable reading angle.

The only problem with the dock is its cable, which I had to provide.

The Hi-Rise uses Apple's own Lightning cable, which is about three feet long, and I keep the extra cable wrapped with a wire tie.

For a long time, I've been wanting Apple to put a convenient charging port on a Mac or even on a keyboard.

Maybe next year.

Android users can rejoice because Samsung has released a line of computer monitors that have a wireless Qi charging pad built into the monitor's base.

There are quite a few phones that are Qi charge compatible, including models from Samsung, Google, Motorola and Nokia.

I've been testing the Samsung SE370 ($180, www.amazon.com), which is a 24-inch widescreen monitor along with a Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (thanks to Samsung for providing the review units).

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The SE370 monitors come in two sizes - 24 inches and 27 inches - and they have 16:9 viewing ratios with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels.

The panels have a 178-degree field of view and a 1000:1 contrast ratio.

The bezel is white and the stand that houses the charging pad extends toward the user and is a natural place you'd set your phone when you're sitting at the computer.

The ports around back include inputs for HDMI, DisplayPort and VGA. The monitors work with Macs or Windows PCs.

The SE370 is optimized for gaming, especially if the user's computer uses an AMD graphics card.

According to Samsung "the monitor synchronizes the screen refresh rate with the frame rate of a user's AMD graphics card to minimize input latency, as well as to reduce stutter and lag during gaming and video playback."

The monitor has a game mode, activated at the touch of a button, which detects changes in scenes and instantly corrects blurry images, enhances colors and alters contrast for improved visibility.

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Samsung includes a new Eco Saving Plus function that reduces screen brightness to save energy. There are manual or automatic settings that help cut energy consumption by 10 percent.

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I've had Apple monitors in the past with USB ports that were quite handy, but Apple could take a page out of Samsung's playbook and include wireless charging in iPhones and in Apple's monitors.

The SE370 is one of the most helpful monitors I've ever used. Usually a monitor is something you think about when you buy it and then it just becomes a part of your desk that you don't really worry about again.

The SE370's charging pad just sits there - ready to charge your phone.

When you put the Note 5 on the charging pad, the phone's display ripples like a stone was tossed in a pool of water and a small LED lights up on the base to show the charging status. It's a neat effect and it made me smile each time.

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Pros: Clear, sharp wide screen, Qi charging pad

Cons: I'd love it in a color other than white; not height adjustable.

Bottom Line: A beautiful monitor that effortlessly charges your phone - what more could you want?

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