Dec 4, 2008 05:00 PM
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The Gadget: iHome's iP47 speakerphone has an unbelievable amount of integrated functions, like A2DP stereo Bluetooth connectivity, iPhone/iPod docking, GSM interference shielding, iPod alarm clock playback, AM/FM radio and on-board dialing direct from the unit. And, it has a remote control. It's one of the only iPhone speakerphone units out there now.
The Price: $200
The Verdict: Good, but not fantastic—and a bit pricey. For all the functions it has, each one has a small flaw that prevents the whole from being spectacular.
The main point of the iP47 is the speakerphone functionality, which connects to your iPhone via Bluetooth (not via dock connector). The speakers for speakerphoning sound fantastic, but the microphone is definitely less impressive. Everyone we called said we sounded like we were on speakerphone and had varying degrees of difficulty understanding us once we moved too far away from the base. But, it was a joy for us to use it, no matter what the other people said. Their voices came through quite nicely, and it can be loud.
Other bits like iPod music playback and AM/FM radio were alright, but not great. The speakers are slightly tinny for the size, and in general the sound reproduction can be described as top-heavy. For playing back music as an alarm clock in the mornings, it's definitely more than adequate, but it's no substitute for a decent speaker system.
We didn't get a chance to test the A2DP stereo Bluetooth playback, but other features like alarm clock, radio, and the remote all worked fine.
The biggest function is the speakerphone, which, like we said, works just fine on our end. You can charge your iPhone at the same time you're talking (iPhone 3G compatible) and even leave your phone in another room and still be able to converse. The price is fairly steep at $199, but for users who NEED a better speakerphone than the one built in, we'd recommend it. [iHome]
Send an email to Jason Chen, the author of this post, at jchen@gizmodo.com.
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