Docking Stations Being Re-Evaluated Amid Release of Nine-Pin iPhone 5
Apple’s decision to abandon the 30-pin connector in the thinner iPhone 5 has created a stir among consumers and manufacturers with docking systems for iPods and iPhones that can’t accommodate the new nine-pin connector. The new connector, called Lightning, has also been a boon for enterprising marketers of Bluetooth-enabled docks and speakers. Wireless speaker company Soundfreaq was the latest to tout its compatibility with the new iPhone Friday, with a reminder that 30-pin iPod docks “are now obsolete,” it said in a news release.
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"Since the first iPhone, consumers have been able to charge and dock their iPhone via the traditional 30-pin connector,” the release said, and “now Apple has terminated a large group of accessories, including one of the most common -- audio docks.” Soundfreaq also used its presumed demise of the iPhone dock as an opportunity to sell its USB charger for the iPhone.
"While you might be thinking, without the ability to dock your iPhone, you can no longer charge it, Soundfreaq eliminates that issue, as all Soundfreaq products are equipped with a universal USB power port, allowing users to charge any USB-chargeable devices, including iPhone 5,” it said.
Monster has redesigned its wireless ClarityHD speakers -- abandoning docks on them altogether -- in favor of wireless connectivity after Apple engineers asked why they were still using wires for connection, Product Area Manager Mitch Witten told us at the CEDIA Expo. On Friday, following the iPhone 5’s debut, Witten told us: “For the current products we make, we expect most people will go the wireless route. That’s why we have both the AAC and apt-X codec’s on our Bluetooth devices for high resolution audio over Bluetooth."
Apple’s two solutions for plugging its new Lightning connector to 30-pin docks include a 7-inch phone-to-30-pin adapter cable, listed on its website for $39, and an adapter plug that goes between the phone and a dock ($29). The devices will be available in October but separately from the phones, according to Apple. CNET reported Friday that Apple’s U.K. iPhone 5 pre-order website removed a page after it incorrectly informed customers that iPhone 5 would come with a Lightning-to-30-pin adapter. Customers who spoke to customer service reps were informed the cable had to be purchased separately, CNET said.
To dock or not to dock remains a strategy question going forward for third-party companies wanting to work with Apple devices. A customer service rep at iHome -- maker of clock radios, docks and other iOS-compatible music systems sold widely into hotels and to consumers -- told us reps learned Friday that iHome would offer its own Lightning-to-30-pin connectors, but not until next year. The company also plans to offer dock-based music systems for the iPhone 5 in the same timeframe, she said.
Market newcomer AudioXperts told us last month, when it introduced its yet-to-ship EVA tabletop music systems, that it chose not to include docks or AirPlay in its systems because it didn’t want to be beholden to Apple design changes. AudioXperts’ Bluetooth and AirPort Express-enabled clock radio is due in stores in November, according to Eli Harary, president, and users will have to buy the $99 AirPort Express base station separately to enable AirPlay streaming.
A customer service rep at Bose told us Friday that Bose “doesn’t currently have information from Apple about what’s going on” regarding iPhone 5 docking solutions for Bose SoundDock systems. When we asked if we should contact Apple directly for an answer, he emphatically said we didn’t have to contact Apple, and encouraged us to register our product, if it hadn’t been already, so that Bose could contact us when an adapter solution was available.