Mobile Phone Accessories Review

The iPhone is, undeniably, one of the greatest wonders of modern technology—almost as innovative as its great-great-great grand-daddy Mac was back in 1984, and  exponentially more powerful.  Even before its introduction, iPhone’s rivals were racing full-speed day and night to catch-up.  Now, the cellular world is full of clever imitations and a lot of cheap knock-offs, but the original is still the greatest.  iPhone devotees, which include everybody fortunate enough to own one, will argue with their very last breath that the device is worth every penny…and then some.  And the competition is still about seven car-lengths behind.

Although it’s difficult to imagine how this handheld piece of computer wizardry could require anything extra…well, that’s life in the digital universe.  And it’s a good thing iPhone owners feel such intense devotion to the Apple brand and such willingness to fork-over the extra bucks for the best quality products.  Although cheap imitations abound among peripherals just like among phones, the Apple products still rule. 

If you’re the proud new owner of one of these miracle devices, you very soon will want to invest in a docking station, so that you can charge your phone and sync it with your music and other computer functions.  Go ahead and look at some of the off-brands just to satisfy your curiosity.  But plan to buy one of the two docking stations directly from Apple.  They offer two: the “iPhone Dock” and the “iPhone Dual Dock.”  Clever names, huh?

Both docking stations include approximately the same equipment, perform approximately the same functions, and cost approximately the same number of dollars.  They’re not exactly redundant, but they obviously are very very similar.  But, in head-to-head sibling competition, the iPhone Dual Dock emerges with a slight advantage.  Testing them individually and against one another, we had no difficulty with either dock as we charged the phone;  and both docks worked well with USB power chargers, too.  The major difference is that the Dual Dock is the only one really set-up to charge a Bluetooth headset.  Because the Dual Dock is a little bit wider and its USB cable is hard-wired into the unit, it is a little more stable.  In the end, you trade-off: you gain stability and convenience at the price of some awkwardness packing the Dual Dock for travel.  A reasonable trade in our judgment.  

Both the Dock and the Dual Dock cost $49.  Because you inevitably will want a Bluetooth headset to complement your cool phone, the Dual Dock is definitely the wiser investment.  Although your Apple Bluetooth headset will come with its own charger, the Dual Dock will afford you more convenience, more functions, and more options.