Apple's iPhone dock includes Bluetooth headset charger -- but is it free?

See that dock? Yeah, it's the first official confirmation of a rumored Bluetooth Headset port which allows the dock to simultaneously charge both your iPhone and Apple headset. It was just posted to Apple's new iPhone Q&A page. What we don't know, however, is whether or not this is an optional dock or if it's the one included in the box (a "dock" is included with the iPhone). It's certainly not the stubby dock Apple pictured earlier. We're guessing it's a paid accessory which will likely cost you more than the Chinese knock-off.

Update: Our sources let us know that it's included in the box with the headset -- no wonder it's gonna cost about $120.

[Via TUAW, thanks Aaron P.]

Read -- Included dock
Read -- Q&A page

[daedalus @ Jun 27th 2007 11:14AM]

Oh Apple...

you kill the iPod wall charger only to bring it back for the iPhone...


Guess their market research results indicated that people dont want to charge their phone through a computer

[Leonard Nimrod @ Jun 27th 2007 8:39PM]

@ daedalus
This is because the iPhone can only be synced to one computer so you will either need to have a separate charger for the office or home, whichever place you don't have your iPhone dock. iPods last a good deal longer than the iPhone will last despite its impressive, reported battery life.

Then again, it may just be an additional option, like with the Bluetooth earphone also in that pic. I think Apple charges $20 or $30 for the wall charger However, if you are a long time iPod user you can just use one of those FireWire dongles and wall chargers you got so long ago. They will charge faster than USB, too.

[nxs @ Jun 27th 2007 5:52PM]

what's worse, the headset is mono. As shipped, Iphone will not support stereo bluetooth headphones. (for that, they would have to enable A2DP)

[Joe Smith @ Jun 27th 2007 11:19AM]

that's an ultra small dock connector

[JE @ Jun 27th 2007 11:23AM]

Up its free, check out the tec specs page

[George @ Jun 27th 2007 11:42AM]

Here comes 1000 negative comments so I'm attaching my template again.

FILL IN THE BLANK POST FOR EVERY i-PHONE HATER

Another iPhone post, every time I log onto engadget looking for __________, I have to wade through these dang posts.

What a wast of money the iphone is. I can't believe it doesn't come with ______ feature. I use that all the time on my _____, and it is ridiculous that such a hyped phone wouldn't have it.

All I know is I bought a _________ from ________ service provider. I cracked it open and added some lasers and flame thrower. I also taped a digital camera to the back. SO my phone can do everything the iPhone does for only $_____ dollars per month.

[KnightmareCS @ Jun 27th 2007 11:35AM]

shut the f*** up!

[George @ Jun 27th 2007 11:43AM]

Fill out the template ya whiny bitch

[taintedblue @ Jun 27th 2007 11:48AM]

Another iPhone post, every time I log onto engadget looking for the next great revolutionary phone, I have to wade through these dang posts.

What a waste of money the iphone is. I can't believe it doesn't come with every feature ever invented for every electronic device ever. I use that all the time on my imaginary wonder phone, and it is ridiculous that such a hyped phone wouldn't have it.

All I know is I bought a wonderphone 3000 from SuperTel service provider. I cracked it open and added some lasers and flame thrower. I also taped a digital camera to the back. SO my phone can do everything the iPhone does for only $2 dollars per month.

So there.!

[George @ Jun 27th 2007 11:56AM]

taintedblue, that was awesome. I might start using that one.

[Joey M @ Jun 28th 2007 3:18AM]

George: I appreciate you fighting the good fight and posting my template.... but I feel like I deserve some credit. Perhaps an (originally written by Joe M).

BTW, Are these iphone haters starting to sound a little bit like the current administration? Whenever a critic disagrees with their preconceived idea they cry about the critic is biased.

[Joe @ Jun 27th 2007 11:37AM]

Is it just me or does the headset part of the dock look photoshopped?

[Malcolm @ Jun 27th 2007 11:39AM]

photoshopped or not its on the apple website so i assume it is real.

[Chris Hanham @ Jun 27th 2007 3:29PM]

Regarding the headset-charging dock, maybe Apple has done the sensible thing and included a standard dock with the iPhone package, and the alternative headset version with the headset itself.

Let's hope so

[Ben @ Jun 27th 2007 11:39AM]

whats the link to the iphone free news feed?

[Geoffrey Sperl @ Jun 27th 2007 11:47AM]

You could just use the search tool, you know.

[Ben @ Jun 27th 2007 12:40PM]

let me rephrase, how do I execute this query, "show me all news posts except for those with the tag iphone"

[Ellianth @ Jun 27th 2007 11:42AM]

Seems to me they can't decide what color scheme they want to use. Reminds me of an over-rated OS I used at school once.

[Tony Bowman @ Jun 27th 2007 11:43AM]

so, you get a dock sans port for bluetooth headset with the iPhone. but when yo buy apple's bluetoooth headset, you get a new dock with that the has the port for the headset.

sounds fair to me. i like my Motoroall H700 just fine, so i'll just roll with that.

my only question is, is the iPhone compatible with the cable that i sync my 1st-gen nano with?

[Geoffrey Sperl @ Jun 27th 2007 11:46AM]

Tony: Yes - "iPhone has the same 30-pin dock connector as the iPod, so many properly designed accessories can be used with both iPhone and iPod."

[Tony Bowman @ Jun 27th 2007 11:47AM]

sweet, thanks!

[Geoffrey Sperl @ Jun 27th 2007 11:45AM]

Look at the Apple page - I think there are two docks.

The one in the "Setting up iPhone" is the stubby one from before. I wonder if that one comes with iPhone and the combo charging dock comes with the headset.

[Mile @ Jun 27th 2007 11:49AM]

I don't see the Apple logo on it. It must be on there, right? They wouldn't *not* put it on, would they? Hold me.

[Justin @ Jun 27th 2007 6:09PM]

Only Apple logo on the docs is stamped into the rubber base on the bottom. If you mean the headset...I don't know where it's logo is.

[Ominx @ Jun 27th 2007 12:03PM]

Anyone else notice this?
Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)

I'm assuming this is cellular functions...

["Bob" @ Jun 27th 2007 9:43PM]

Every device has a maximum operating altitude. Apple even posts the same specs for the iMac. http://support.apple.com/specs/imac/iMac_Late_2006.html

I would imagine this isn't an Apple-specific shortcoming, I just believe other manufacturers aren't as forthcoming with the operating limits of their equipment. (Though to be honest, I haven't really searched... just spent about 30 seconds on Dell's site, couldn't find it on their specs pages)

[fli @ Jun 27th 2007 12:16PM]

Here comes 1000 negative comments so I'm attaching my template again.

FILL IN THE BLANK POST FOR EVERY i-PHONE HATER

Another iPhone post, every time I log onto engadget looking for PORN, I have to wade through these dang posts.

What a wast of money the iphone is. I can't believe it doesn't come with KY TINGLING SENSATION feature. I use that all the time on my "PERSONAL TIME", and it is ridiculous that such a hyped phone wouldn't have it.

All I know is I bought a BLOW UP DOLL from BLOW FOR U service provider. I cracked it open and added some lasers and flame thrower. I also taped a digital camera to the back. SO my phone can do everything the iPhone does for only $50 dollars per month.

[MJE @ Jun 27th 2007 12:19PM]

Notice the dock with the BT headset charger is just that, a charger not a dock. The 30 pin cable cannot plug into it, rather it looks like it has an attached powercord. No syncing then, strictly power?

[Mile @ Jun 27th 2007 12:26PM]

Would you not sync over wi-fi or Edge?

[brian @ Jun 27th 2007 12:46PM]

It will be an upgrade dock. The docks which are mounted on the in-store displays do NOT show this functionality. In fact, they look almost identical to the iPod's dock connectors (except they are a single piece of molded plastic). Expect to spend more on the headset dock.

[h8rain @ Jun 27th 2007 1:46PM]

Anyone else notice that the BT headset looks like it will use the magsafe connector?

[Chris @ Jun 27th 2007 1:51PM]

This is a 3rd party from an Asian maker.. Look at the style of the prong on the wall plug..

[Charles @ Jun 27th 2007 2:28PM]

I have seen no indication that the price of the iPhone bluetooth headset is $120 or $129 or anything like that. This price has come from unconfirmed rumor sites. I believe that someone has mistaken the price of the Jawbone headset, which sells at the AT&T stores for $129. Someone (probably the Jawbone manufacturer) put out a bunch of press releases that claimed the Jawbone headset would be "sold along with the iPhone at AT&T stores." Well yeah, that headset has been selling at those stores for months now. But it has nothing to do with the iPhone, except that they're trying to cash in on the iPhone hype.

[Chris Hanham @ Jun 27th 2007 9:00PM]

Another couple of thoughts about the charging of the headset.

The end of the headset has four dots, which could be holes for the microphone, or two of them could be holes for the mic and two could be charging contacts. If all four are for the microphone it's possible that the headset is charged using a contactless induction system, like that used for rechargeable toothbrushes.

Either way, the headset would need the dock in order to be charged (there doesn't seem to be provision for plugging in a charger), in which case the dock would have to be included with the headset.