Review: USB iPhone docking station, landscape or portrait?
Posted on onsdag, juni 30, 2010 @ kl. 23.33 by david
Instead of buying a new white "Dock Connector to USB Cable" for my iPhone 3G, I picked up a USB docking station.
Why buy a docking station?
Since I bought my iPhone 3G back on launch day in 2008, I have had to buy 2 additional USB Cables for charging/syncing because they simply wear out. Enough is enough. I needed to look for something better in the same price range so I started looking at very simple Docking Stations.
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I found out that docking stations are great for:
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Desktop Before
Desktop After |
Doesn't Apple make a Docking Station?
Apple iPhone DockThe Original iPhone (2007) came with a cable + the iPhone Dock, docking station. Since the iPhone 3G (2008), all recent models have come only with the Dock Connector to USB Cable and a USB Power Adapter The Apple iPhone Dock will allow you to charge and sync your iPhone and has the same 3.5mm jack for audio as on the top of the iPhone. Bottom line: Very basic, almost too basic. Classic Apple. The latest iPhone 4 does not come with a dock either :( |
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So what is the best iPhone Docking Station?
The best iPhone Docking Station for you depends on what you are looking for.
Two questions you need to ask yourself here:
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What do you need?
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Where do you need it?
Docking stations come in all sizes, colors, and ranges of features. Basically it comes down to these features:
- Charge your phone
- Charge + Sync your phone (USB)
- Charge/Sync + Music (some refer to this as a mp3 docking station)
About a year ago I bought a Docking Station by Logitech for listening to music at work, but it does NOT Sync with my computer.
New Docking Station for my iPhone 3G
As I mentioned above, instead of buying a new Apple USB cable, I recently picked up a new USB Docking Station from a site that sells iPhone Accessories.
I was looking for a simple, yet portable iPhone Dock that I can use either:
- at work on my desktop for syncing email, calendar, and contacts.
- or at home on my bedside table for charging while I sleep.
Why not buy the Apple Dock? This thing has Landscape Mode!
Onni-Tec Rotating USB iPhone docking station. Dock, USB Cable and USB Charger included.
Design
The Dock is made of sturdy black-colored plastic and surprisingly does NOT look or feel like a cheap piece of crap.
Rotating parts
I was a bit worried about how well the rotating parts would work. Too loose and flops over or too tight and its takes too hands to rotate.
Again I was surprised that rotating was easy by gripping on either side. It offers enough resistance to not "flop over" when moving it.
Super Nova Blue LED
The front of the docking station has a blue light which obviously shows when it is receiving power. I accept this as a feature as many other products offer some indication that the device has power. But this LED is bright. I mean Super Nova bright. It competes with the Sun and almost wins. :)
So far its the only thing I would change, as it lights up a room on its own.
Doubles as a night light in the bedroom.
Gallery
Apps in Landscape mode
So why is Landscape mode so important?
Many of the current iPhone apps offer a landscape/portrait mode. So why not you iPhone as it was intended?
Here is a list of Native iPhone apps and my favorite apps that I use frequently in Landscape mode.
Native iPhone apps |
My Favorite apps |
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(Phone, Calendar and Map do not support landscape mode) |
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What does this Rotating Docking Station cost?
Check out this link to the online store MyTrendyPhone where I got this accessory for my iPhone 3G. (Price in Pounds)
They also have pricing in Kroner (Swedish, Danish, Norwegian) as well as Euro and other currencies.
Additional Information:
Link to the Manufacturer:
Future hacks...
In the car
I have an idea of using velcro on the bottom of this Docking Station for on the dashboard of my car.
All I would have to do is add the velcro to the unit and plug in the USB cable with on of these iPhone USB In-Car Chargers.
