iHome iP47 Bluetooth Clock Radio for iPod/iPhone (Black) Review

Positive: Interference free iPhone usage and great ergonomics
Negative: Needs more phone features

I purchased this for 4 reasons:
1. No interference from iPhone while listening to iPod function
2. No interference from iPhone while listening to AM/FM radio
3. Charging dock for iPhone while I'm at the office.
4. Bluetooth speakerphone which allows me to answer and make calls while leaving the iPhone in the dock

So how well does it do?
Regarding reasons 1 and 2 above, the iP47 works flawlessly. I have had absolutely no noises while my iPhone was docked or residing near it in the regular phone mode. I don't hear any hiss, hum, pops or clicks. The speakers are excellent for spoken words such as podcasts and AM talk radio. The speakers are decent with great volume for music and FM radio. If you're a big podcast fan, I strongly recommend the iP47. The AM/FM radios include a small AM loop with stand (1.5' of cord) and FM cord (3'). The reception is good as I have a history of bad reception in my office building.

Regarding reason 3, the dock came with a variety of bases for the iPhone and other iPod devices. It is easy to move the iPhone in and out of the dock. Unfortunately, the dock is at the top, so there isn't any backstop for the iPhone. I was concerned about this since you lightly push on the phone to change settings while it is in the dock. My concern was that either the dock or phone might get stress damage by pushing on the phone while it's in the dock. The buttons on the iP47 and on the remote control help to prevent the need to touch the phone, but they don't completely replace it. One big plus is that the phone can make and receive calls without losing your place on the iPod or other Apps on the phone.

Regarding reason 4, this was really an afterthought when I was comparing this device with others. I really like the fact that I didn't have to remove the phone from the device to make and receive calls. The speakerphone works great when you use a regular speaking voice and you are 9" to 2.5' from the iP47. Both the iP47 and the remote have dialing capability; however, I was disappointed that it didn't include basic phone features such as last number redial and storage of 10 frequently called numbers. To make a call, you either have to enter the phone number by hand (not my preferred alternative now that everybody has some many numbers) or use the iPhone touch screen while in the dock (see my comments above).Since the iP47 uses Bluetooth, the iPhone doesn't have to sit in the dock to use the speakerphone capability. In the final analysis, I really like this feature and I'm glad that I spent more $$ to get this unique capability.

Other comments: I didn't buy this phone for the alarm clock, but that seems to be standard if you want an AM/FM radio and iPod/iPhone dock. However, it does have a couple of great features including a 4 position dimmer (including no light) and 2 alarms (one iPod and one radio). It doesn't have the 2-5-7 day feature that I use for my home alarm clock, but it is very easy to turn off and on. I also like the day light savings time adjustment which is a simple on/off switch on the back. The iP47 has an input jack, but I haven't tried that. All in all, this is a great device. I wouldn't have paid full retail for it, but I got a great deal from an Amazon.com merchant.


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