Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

DO NOT plug iPhone into original Bose Sound Dock

M

mmignano

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 6, 2006
9
0
Just wanted to warn everyone here who owns the older bose sound dock and iPhone. Do not, under any circumstances, try to use your iPhone with the dock. I've read many reports online of people having success with it even though the phone warns you that the two are incompatible. However, my roommate (who is not as much of an apple junkie as I am) tested it out yesterday. Sure enough, it shorted the phone and bricked it within seconds. The phone is now inoperable, with a voided warranty (due to using it with 3rd party products).

Just figured I'd give everyone a heads up.
 
On a related note, this happened to me when plugging my iphone into of all things an IPOD HIFI. DO NOT DOCK THE IPHONE INTO THE HIFI. Not only did it brick within seconds, I heat up like a brick oven...in my pants. Thankfully, the apple store gave me a new one, no questions asked.
 
dopeasy said:
On a related note, this happened to me when plugging my iphone into of all things an IPOD HIFI. DO NOT DOCK THE IPHONE INTO THE HIFI. Not only did it brick within seconds, I heat up like a brick oven...in my pants. Thankfully, the apple store gave me a new one, no questions asked.
Click to expand...

Must have been something else, cause every time I go to Best Buy I put my phone in it, and listen to it. I go about once a week to see if they put it on clearance yet since it's discontinued. Maybe he put it on wrong, and did some damage to the pins in the phone and shorted it that way?
 
I fried mine too..

Checked on the web and of course it says it's compatible. Popped it on a Soundock and the screen went white as my face did the same. Rebooted it and seemed OK, but as soon as you started to charge it, it cut the phone connection. Battery wouldn't charge and the thing heated up like a toaster. Tried replacing the battery but seems the motherboard is shorted out. No warranty so only option is to buy a new one! Gutted.
 
This is very disturbing news as I have the original Bose Sounddock and I've just got an iPhone. :eek:

Fortunately, I hadn't got around to trying it out as I have been using the iPhone linked to a Bose Companion 5.

Are we absolutely sure that it's a problem: I can't see anything on the Bose website to confirm it?
 
Anytime the iPhone is docked to something with a line out port, the incompatibility message pops up. Even on a universal dock in my friend's vehicle! It works fine with my FM modulator. I would imagine that if an incompatible connection bricks the iPhone, the iPhone would not have the same dock connector as the incompatible devices. I would hope Apple thought that, at least...
 
Sorry but this is clearly a one off. I have been using my iphone in my 2 year old bose sound dock since I got the phone last week, and it works perfectly.

It will happily charge the phone while docked as well. Just use the 2nd largest adpater plate that ships with the dock and it fits perfect. (Don't use the largest though as its too big)

If you read the Bose website it even states on there that it is comptaible with the iphone.

The only thing that doesn't work is the off button due to the slide to turn off.
 
I've tried my iPhone on one of those things at a store and it worked fine.
Well it sounded like crap of course but it didn't hurt the iPhone.
 
pooryou said:
I've tried my iPhone on one of those things at a store and it worked fine.
Well it sounded like crap of course but it didn't hurt the iPhone.
Click to expand...
I believe the OP was saying that the iPhone is incompatible with the early Sounddocks (which came out over two years ago) not the current model that you would have tried instore.
 
CD3660 said:
I believe the OP was saying that the iPhone is incompatible with the early Sounddocks (which came out over two years ago) not the current model that you would have tried instore.
Click to expand...

I think he means the original one rather than the new portable one. I don't think it has anything to do with age. I'm fairly certian that other than releasing it in Black the Sound Dock has not changed in technical specification since launch.

Mine is over two years old now and works perfectly.

Quote from the Bose website:

*Works with any iPod® featuring a click wheel, including all nano, mini, photo and video models. Also plays music with iPhone™. (In the event of audio interference, set iPhone™ to Airplane Mode.) iPod is a registered trademark and iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc.
 
dopeasy said:
On a related note, this happened to me when plugging my iphone into of all things an IPOD HIFI. DO NOT DOCK THE IPHONE INTO THE HIFI. Not only did it brick within seconds, I heat up like a brick oven...in my pants. Thankfully, the apple store gave me a new one, no questions asked.
Click to expand...


iPod HIFI and iPhone works fine for me - no problems
 
Bose fried iPhone

The guys right. Mine just fried on the older Bose dock. To bad I didn't read this forum first.
 
I can confirm that there is a problem with the Bose Sounddock and the iPhone.

I lent my old Sounddock to my brother, who has an iPhone. The minute he connected it the screen started acting strangely and the iPhone warmed up rapidly.
He immediately removed it from the Sounddock, and it seemed to work OK for a few minutes before turning off.

Now it can't be turned on, and does not react to charging or docking to the computer. Obviously he blames me for bricking the phone, since I was always jealous of it.
 
Just a heads up to everyone out there. I have read conflicting reports on using the iPhone with the Bose SoundDock. I have one that was purchased 15 months ago, not very long ago as far as I am concerned. This weekend I plugged my iphone (new to me, $250 refurb that I just got last week) into it to charge, and it popped up a screen that said something to the effect that the item was not compatible with the iphone, would you like to use it in Airplane mode to prevent distortion. I said no and pressed the button on the top to turn it off. I picked up the phone about an hour later and it was very hot. When I turned on the screen I would only get color bars across it, changing patterns almost like a screen saver.

I waited and tried it again later. It worked for a few seconds, then said the batter was dying and would go back to the colored lines. I charged it from the PC for a few hours, tried it again, same thing. I was like, on snap, there goes $250 since I had it unlocked. Somehow I was able to get it up, and before it locked back up I went the settings screen and had it wipe itself clean, and then eliminated the zIphone's icon. I could not get rid of the installer icon because the phone wont stay on when plugged into the PC.

Called AT&T, they told me to take it to a local store. Went there, they said take it to Apple, who luckily is in the same mall. By then the battery was so drained it would not come up at all. Apple rep went in the back, and came back out shortly after with a brand new iphone.

Sorry for the long post, but I will not plug this thing into anything but headphones and my iphone dock from now on. I have read online of other people running into issues with the Bose SoundDock so be careful if you plan on using one...
 
All that these devices does is charge the iPhone via the Firewire power pins. Unfortunatley, a small percentage of iPhones have batteries that don't work right with the Firewire power. Just take it back to an Apple Store and complain, as I lost one iPhone using it with my iTrip Auto (either that or the cold) and it screwed up the screen. It is not a problem with these devices, but a problem with the small percentage of iPhones.

TEG
 
So basically what we have learned is some devices fry the iPhone, some don't. WOOT, now I know more! :)

I've plugged it up into a radio I got at BB & Beyond and it gave me the "not made for iPhone" warning but didn't kill it. Same thing with this other dockable thing I have at work (although I unplugged it). I have to think it would be uber-stupid to make something with the same form factor (the dock connector) that will blow up if used. Of course all these electronics makers that use the same size AC plug and 500 different currents fit my description.

I think I'm going to get the DLO portable speakers for iPhone. They're only $50, made for iPhone, rotate, have AC adapter, etc. Anybody used those?
 
TEG said:
All that these devices does is charge the iPhone via the Firewire power pins. Unfortunatley, a small percentage of iPhones have batteries that don't work right with the Firewire power. Just take it back to an Apple Store and complain, as I lost one iPhone using it with my iTrip Auto (either that or the cold) and it screwed up the screen. It is not a problem with these devices, but a problem with the small percentage of iPhones.

TEG
Click to expand...

Is this a fact?
My iPhone seemed odd because my Belkin iPod car charger would never seem to charge it, but instead just make the phone really warm to the touch. I have an almost 3 year old Bose SoundDock that I've never tried my iPhone with.

I recently exchanged my iPhone at the Genius Bar for a new one (speaker issues) and haven't tried it with the car charger or Sound Dock either. I haven't jailbroken or unlocked my iPhone, so if either of these things screw up my iPhone, I should be fine to get a new one from Apple, right?
 
ive been using mine with my bose sound dock for about 6 months now without one single problem..i have no idea what you all are talking about..I guess I am just lucky.
 
This happened to my wife's iPhone last Saturday, same symptoms. Plugged it in the dock, screen goes crazy, then it dies. Doing a hard reset makes it work again but it eventually can't catch any cellular coverage after which it shows the "iPhone cannot make or receive calls" error. Feels warm to the touch as well then it finally dies.

Fortunately it was replaced by the Apple store.

So who's to blame here? Apple or Bose? I feel for the other people whose iPhones died but were not replaced by Apple. Or maybe given the runaround because Bose and Apple are pointing fingers at each other.
 
Toys For Boys said:
Checked on the web and of course it says it's compatible. Popped it on a Soundock and the screen went white as my face did the same. Rebooted it and seemed OK, but as soon as you started to charge it, it cut the phone connection. Battery wouldn't charge and the thing heated up like a toaster. Tried replacing the battery but seems the motherboard is shorted out. No warranty so only option is to buy a new one! Gutted.
Click to expand...

if you read that from the official website then they should do something about it...
 
I left mine in for 5 minutes when i felt it was boiling point..

however fail to understand why it wont work with iPhone when it does perfect with iPod touch..
 
Iphone and Iphone 3g will definitely produce audio in the Sounddock original. the only compatibility issue is that it will not charge. the sounddock original charged the ipods using firewire pin. apple changed to charging with the usb pin on current ipods and iphones. therefore, your iphones should play sound but will not charge with the original sounddock. the original sounddock is not technically certified for iphone however.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back