iPhone 5 dock watch thread...

[Acerone]

A really nice looking one just launched on Kickstarter today. The OCDock. Works perfect if you have an iMac.

http://kck.st/V6JIzO

[linds15]

^^interesting, but i personally like having my phone off to the side of my monitor, also even if i had a iMac/thunderbolt monitor i would have it on a mount

[darster]

The OCDock looks pretty neat. Like how cable is hidden and gives a nice clean look with imac.

[jettrue]

Why didn't I think of that? Now I just need an iMac instead of my hackintosh.

[benh911f]

Love the OCDock. Think I might have found my first Kickstarter pledge.

[animatedude]

interesting idea for ppl like me with OCD but now it doesn't work for me because i will not be able to see the Apple logo on my iMac.

[mcdj]

Originally Posted by Acerone

A really nice looking one just launched on Kickstarter today. The OCDock. Works perfect if you have an iMac.

http://kck.st/V6JIzO

Image

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A dock made for one specific phone that only fits in one spot on one computer? Now that's what I call shortsighted. Nice looking but they will be lucky to break even.

[mortfe]

Zombie Woof: Just make sure the lightening cable installed works. No chip. no work. There are a lot of cables out there that won't work. And also make sure, if you are using a case, it is adjustable. That's why I made my own. I am using a DRACO case and most cables won't fit.

[blugel]

did everyone forget about made2dock?

i had until i decided to check their page and saw that they have an iphone 5 dock up for pre-order at last....

[Hoosh]

It seems like most people are only looking for a dock that holds the phone upright, charges it, and allows syncing. What about being able to connect it to a stereo (or some other audio device) while docked?

I understand that everyone has their own preferences and I'm not putting anyone down, but I personally don't need to have my phone upright when it's charging or syncing. Don't get me wrong, that would be nice, but I'm not willing to pay $50 - $100 for only that (seems to be the price range for the docks I've seen on Kickstarter). I do, however, want it upright when I have it connected to my stereo so I can view and use the screen while it's playing music (and have it charging at the same time).

Nearly every 3rd party dock I've seen doesn't have a way to connect an audio line out. I understand that until Apple gets around to certifying companies to use their proprietary Lightning plug in these new docks the audio will be limited to using the headphone jack, hence using lesser quality audio than what can come through the Lightning connector. But still it would seem a good move to allow the use of the headphone jack, especially since Apple moved the location of this jack to the bottom of the phone, blocking it while it's docked.

I've seen the Belkin Charge + Sync Dock, which includes an audio out, but it sounds like the dock falls apart when you dismount your phone.
http://www.belkin.com/us/F8J057-Belkin/p/P-F8J057

I've also found a Chinese knock-off on eBay, but am leery to go this route because I haven't heard any reviews. Has anyone used one of these?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/310518953391...84.m1423.l2649

I've also seen docks that have holes/cavities in them to "amplify" the phone's speakers but this is not what I'm looking for.

Has anyone found another dock out there that includes an audio-out option?

[Acerone]

Originally Posted by darster

The OCDock looks pretty neat. Like how cable is hidden and gives a nice clean look with imac.

That's what I like the most. I hate cables.

http://vimeo.com/53682697

[gonca]

Originally Posted by dstedman

Anyone buy this yet?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lightning-Ma...item484c5f35af

Sounds quite cool. If you buy it please make a review.

[chaosbringer]

Originally Posted by darster

Here is a closeup. Yes I did return the Belkin.

Image

I'd love to see the inside of that dock.. I assume the connector is just a pin pass-thru and that it has no chip, since it uses the lightning cable for that function

[Zombie Woof]

Originally Posted by mortfe

Zombie Woof: Just make sure the lightening cable installed works. No chip. no work. There are a lot of cables out there that won't work. And also make sure, if you are using a case, it is adjustable. That's why I made my own. I am using a DRACO case and most cables won't fit.

Thanks for the heads up on this. Just looked pretty cool but your right all the way from China and if the chip doesn't work. I may wait until there is some Ebay feedback before taking the plunge.

May wait a while for the new Braeburn dock, those folks seem to really shine for their customers and quick responses to my email questions as well.

[JNGold]

All these docks worry me a bit in terms of using them with cases with specific Lightning connection cutouts. It seems like only the docks that use existing Lighting cables will work if they allow the actual connector piece to be raised just enough to fit thru the case.

While I was in the Apple store I tried the JBL micro dock for the Ip5 and I couldn't get the iPhone in the Caze case to make a connection due to a small "bump" at the base of the dock/connector.

[darster]

Originally Posted by chaosbringer

I'd love to see the inside of that dock.. I assume the connector is just a pin pass-thru and that it has no chip, since it uses the lightning cable for that function

I don't think I will be opening that dock. Using it.

[mdavid727]

Finally got my ip5 adapter for my elevation dock. Works well but the original concept was that the phone would come out of the dock without having to hold the dock down. The new lighting connector breaks that concept. In any event, it's still a good looking dock.

[meistervu]

Originally Posted by Hoosh

It seems like most people are only looking for a dock that holds the phone upright, charges it, and allows syncing. What about being able to connect it to a stereo (or some other audio device) while docked?

Dock with audio out used to be a requirement for me, but ever since I set up all my speakers on Airplay, I don't need audio out any more.

Airplay give me the freedom of not having to dock the phone to listen to my music. It costs a bit more to set up initially, but after that those speakers are available to all my iOS devices and my MacBook.

One application I can think of for dock with audio out is to use the phone as an alarm clock. I am OK with the internal speakers for that purpose.

[takeshi74]

Originally Posted by JNGold

All these docks worry me a bit in terms of using them with cases with specific Lightning connection cutouts.

Cases and docks are always a matter of concern. That was the case even with the 30 pin dock connector.

[JNGold]

Originally Posted by takeshi74

Cases and docks are always a matter of concern. That was the case even with the 30 pin dock connector.

True, but somehow less so with the older form factor. Case manufacturers had more design options with thicker iphone 4/s without compromising the structure and stability of the case. I had several bumper style cases that worked just fine with an iHome style dock as well as 3rd party docks that I purchased for work, etc. With the iPhone 5 being so darn thin, case manufacturers that choose complete covering of the bottom don't have much choice due to the slimness of the device itself.

[mortfe]

The alumimum cases were always a problem because of their thickness. If these idiots, making docks, raised the connectors slightly, there would be no problem. Look at the new iPhone 5 docks, the better ones let the connector slide up & down and tighten with a set screw. Everybody uses a case but they don't take that into consideration.

[mirumu]

Originally Posted by Hoosh

Has anyone found another dock out there that includes an audio-out option?

There is another complication with audio out on docks. The Belkin one looks like it just plugs into the headphone socket. It's great if you just want to be able to plug in some headphones while having your phone docked. I'm surprised there aren't more docks doing this. Doing it that way isn't a true line-out however so doesn't sound so good if you want send the signal into an amp, etc.

What I'm looking for is a dock with just a lightning connector, but has an internal DAC for a true audio line-out. The only dock I currently know that's going to do this is the Elevation Dock+. Elevationlabs don't mention it on their website, but their kickstarter page talks a bit about it. Sounds like it will be out around April next year, but I'm sure it's going to be quite expensive. Hopefully some other cheaper alternatives will appear.

Originally Posted by mortfe

The alumimum cases were always a problem because of their thickness. If these idiots, making docks, raised the connectors slightly, there would be no problem. Look at the new iPhone 5 docks, the better ones let the connector slide up & down and tighten with a set screw. Everybody uses a case but they don't take that into consideration.

Personally I don't use a case, but I agree this is something manufacturers need to sort out. I wonder if they could do something like Apple's old universal dock with it's interchangable dock inserts?

[meistervu]

I think with Airplay, the market for dock with audio out has gotten a lot smaller.

Think about it. The nice thing about a portable device like the iPhone is that you can pick it up and play with it while listening to music. I think this describe the major of the population. With Airplay, you can walk around the room with your phone in your hand or in your pocket or on the couch, and be able to pick it up to change the playlist or switch to a song, answer a text, a call, etc. It's a lot more cumbersome it the phone has to be docked for the music to be played through the connected speakers.

And if you want to plug your headphone in, it's a lot more convenient to plug it into the phone so you can be mobile, rather than having to tie yourself to the dock with a headphone out.

For those who want a dock with a built in DAC, you probably won't expect a good DAC from an accessory company like Belkin, so the price is going to be pretty high (hundreds of dollars). I am sure someone will market one, but it won't be popular as most people won't spend that kind of money on a DAC to listen to their compressed tunes. Furthermore, if they are fanatic about their music collection, chances are they would use a different player other than the iPhone for playback because of low storage space, hence a Lightning dock with audio out won't interest them.

[linds15]

although i would have enjoyed a dock with DAC, now that i have an apple tv i probably wouldnt use it anymore even if i had it

[mirumu]

I agree there isn't the same need for Docks with headphone jacks and line-outs any more. I wouldn't use one at home either. I think they do still have a place in the office though.

Personally when I'm at work I do want to be able to see the screen of my phone, especially if I'm listening to music and wouldn't otherwise hear calls. With most iPhone 5 docks currently you can either have your screen visible or listen to music, but not both. Maybe one day we'll have nice Airplay devices for the office, but today it seems we have to compromise.