A:AnswerYes, it does have to be plugged in. The way this product works is there is one power cord that run from the outlet to the base of the charging station. Inside the charging station (the top comes off) you plug in all of your USB charging cables and then route the cables out the back side and plug it into your devices to be charged. Please see photos below.
A:AnswerAs you look at the deck on the table with the charging port facing you, the right two slots are for tablets and the left two slots are for phones.