The modern world is difficult to imagine without personal electronic devices that are always at hand. One of the manufacturers, namely Apple, has long won the hearts of many caring users. IPhone smartphones, iPad tablets, iPods - all this finds application in various aspects of everyday life. Of course, you can’t do without the process of charging the device’s battery, but few people know that this can be done, not only by “tying” the device to the cable, but also with pleasure and benefit at the same time. All you need is a dock for the iPhone. This article will talk about what types of them are, why they are needed, and will help determine the choice of the most useful and convenient device for charging an Apple smartphone.
Some statistics
It is not possible to calculate the exact number of smartphones that are used by almost every person on earth every day. Most often, figures showing the production volumes of various devices are classified or simply not disclosed. In addition, even counting devices sold from store shelves, you can find out completely incomplete information. And all because there are online stores, sales of "gray devices" and other unlit factors.
Thanks to independent researchers such as GSMA Intelligence, you can find out that in 2014 the number of activated and used SIM cards exceeded 7.2 billion! It is easy to imagine that (again, according to independent estimates) Apple occupies a large niche in the competition. Actually, for that part of users who live in Europe and on other continents, it has long been customary to use a device such as the Apple dock in everyday life.
What is the dock for?
Translated from English, dock station sounds like a “docking station” (popularly called “cradles”). Its main task was initially to provide users with the opportunity to expand the initial functionality of the device. Docking stations in their original form had more connectors for connecting multiple devices and simultaneously charging the main one.
In addition, along with charging, it became possible to transmit multimedia data and traffic from the connected device. Convenient and very functional. But time does not stand still, and now docking stations can become whole portable audio systems and simply beautiful accessories, suitable for the interior design of the home even of the most sophisticated owner.
Practical use
So do I need a dock for the iPhone? This question was easily answered by Apple experts when the iPhone 2G appeared. The first devices came bundled with a similar device, which caused a flurry of positive emotions and feedback from fans of the "apple". When the company from Cupertino realized how popular the docking stations were, the latter were removed from the iPhone standard equipment and began to be sold separately. Of course, this was done because of the thirst for profit. But this did not reduce the popularity of devices, and the number of satisfied customers continued to grow with the release of new models of smartphones, tablets and players.
Types of Docking Stations
Every self-respecting manufacturer of accessories for Apple technology does not disdain the creation of high-quality chargers. Actually, the docking station for the iPhone is a charger, and that is why the variety of these devices has long exceeded all conceivable and unimaginable limits. As described above, the main difference is the ability to charge, play music and decorative functions. Very often, special fasteners-holders are attributed to this category, which help fix the device in the car or on any surface. Such devices have only mechanical functions and are not equipped with connectors for charging. That is why you should not confuse docking stations with mounts.
Compatibility
Most often, cradles are designed for use with certain device models. But there is such a thing as a universal docking station. Of course, when you purchase a particular charging stand, you want the cradle to continue to fulfill its function when changing the Apple smartphone, for example, to Samsung. But in this case, the uniqueness of the accessory is violated, which is not very beneficial to the manufacturers of the stations themselves. Here you don’t need to think, because it’s more profitable to sell several different products, albeit with a time difference, but getting a big profit. But on the other hand, the buyer can opt for lesser-known brands that produce universal coasters. However, this statement is true only in the case of a change in the brand of a smartphone or tablet. But here the devices of the same manufacturer most often retain their standard connectors, and you will not have to change the cradle. For example, the docking station for iPhone 5 can easily “shelter” the newer 5S and SE models, and in some cases the larger 6, 6S, 6 Plus and 6S Plus.
Popular brands
Of course, there are a lot of manufacturers of accessories, including docking stations, so much that they can’t be counted on the fingers. But still, some of them are relatively more popular among competitors in their price segment.
For example, if you need to be able to charge your smartphone and listen to music at the same time, such names as Bowers & Wilkins, Bang & Olufsen, JBL, Bose and Philips most often flash. Entire portable audio systems can produce high-quality sound and enjoy listening to your favorite songs. If the cradle is needed simply as a beautiful stand, suitable for the interior, and at the same time charging, then the dock for the iPhone from Juice, Twelve South, Belkin, HengeDocks and the like will turn out to be quite high-quality.
Apple Brand Credits
For those who are very seriously passionate about the "apple" brand, there are branded coasters. Of course, recently their diversity has been reduced to almost zero due to low sales. But if you visit the manufacturer’s website, you can see that a couple of models still lingered on the market. Of course, the Apple dock will not show cool functionality, but it can guarantee full and unhindered charging of the device. Currently, small cradles with an 8-pin connector are offered (standard Lightning, used since the days of iPhone 5). The color scheme is quite boring - the stations are offered in black and white.
But, in addition, Apple guarantees full compatibility and excellent performance of the aforementioned brands Belkin and Twelve South, which is confirmed by their presence on the official website.
iHome iDL46gc Lightning Dock Station
It will be fair to describe the functionality of several cradles. The first device is a docking station with speakers, a built-in FM-receiver, as well as an alarm clock and a calendar. IHome iDL46gc is a great option not only to charge your favorite gadget from Apple, but also to listen to music from it. In addition, the station’s functionality provides for 6 cells to preserve FM frequencies, if suddenly in the morning I wanted to listen to the news or enjoy new songs on my favorite wave.
The cradle automatically syncs and charges any device with a Lightning connector. But this is not a simple docking station. Charging the second device becomes possible due to the presence of an additional USB connector, which will allow to fill the batteries of devices with a Micro USB connector, USB Type-C and others with the appropriate cable. The relatively low cost (in the region of $ 100) makes this device an indispensable center of entertainment and time planning on the desktop.
Onbeat mini
You can not ignore the compact device from the manufacturer JBL from the United States. The cradle is equipped with a Lightning connector in conjunction with a 3.5 mm stereo TRS jack. Originally planned as a docking station for iPhone 5, 5C and 5S, OnBeat Mini pleasantly surprised the owners of newer Apple models, because the latter also perfectly fit into the niche for the device.
A modern speaker system equipped with broadband branded speakers delivers deep, high-quality sound. This can hardly be expected from such a "baby." In addition, JBL equipped the dock with a built-in battery that will allow you to play audio offline for up to 8 hours. A nice addition is the presence of an energy-saving mode, which is activated after 10 minutes of inactivity. It should be noted and the on / off and volume buttons that the dock is equipped with. The price, by the way, is quite high for it - $ 150, which is logical, because you always have to pay for quality.
Fuz Designs EverDock
Developers from Fuz Designs did not bother with cool audio systems, alarms and other, in their opinion, unnecessary functions. All that they did was a very convenient and functional cradle, which allows you to place almost any device on yourself, even if a cover is put on it. The design of the stand is quite stable due to the material of which it is made - solid aluminum.
Special silicone pads are supplied with the device, replacing them, you can fix the cables with almost any connector - Micro USB, 30-pin, Lightning and others. The latter allows you to forget about changing the dock for a long time, because when you purchase new devices, you can always use the functional EverDock. The extended version with the Duo prefix will also allow you to simultaneously charge several devices, without taking up much space on the table.
Docking station for "iPhone" - a fairly convenient and useful accessory. Strong fixation in a visible place is the key to the integrity of the smartphone or tablet. Well, if in addition to have a portable audio system, a pleasant pastime is provided. And finally, a little tip: in order not to ditch the device’s battery, you should beware of fakes and unknown manufacturers. No need to skimp on buying such an accessory - and then with a calm mind you can forget about unexpected breakdowns.