Sirius XM announces SkyDock for iPhone and iPod touch
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted August 26th 2009 3:46PM
posted August 26th 2009 3:46PM
Read - Pics: New XM SkyDock satellite radio controller for iPhone
Read - Stern Fans Rejoice: Sirius XM SkyDock for iPhone
SIRIUS XM RADIO INTRODUCES THE FIRST DEVICE TO RECEIVE LIVE SATELLITE RADIO CONTROLLED BY THE iPOD TOUCH AND iPHONE
XM SkyDock allows customers to enjoy live XM and "The Best of SIRIUS" in their vehicles using the iPod touch or iPhone
NEW YORK–August 26, 2009–SIRIUS XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) today introduced XM SkyDock, the first satellite radio controlled by an iPod touch or iPhone. The XM SkyDock is also one of the first products to take advantage of the new hardware control capabilities of iPhone OS 3.0.
Designed for easy use through the existing vehicle audio system, SkyDock has a built-in XM tuner controlled by a free App that users download from the App Store. The App allows control of the XM tuner using the capabilities of the iPod touch or iPhone Multi-Touch user interface. SkyDock will also charge iPod touch and iPhone devices while listening to live satellite radio.
"XM SkyDock will allow millions of users to add live SIRIUS XM Radio capability to their iPod touch or iPhone while in their vehicle," said Bob Law, Group Vice President and General Manager, After Market Division, SIRIUS XM Radio. "XM SkyDock makes their favorite programming from XM and 'The Best of SIRIUS' available to iPod touch and iPhone users anywhere they drive, coast to coast."
Listeners can use their iPod touch and iPhone to listen to all their favorite sports, talk, news, entertainment and commercial-free music programming, including Oprah Radio, MLB Home Plate, the PGA TOUR Network, Opie & Anthony, Bob Edwards, Jamie Foxx and Blue Collar Comedy. For the first time, subscribers can also listen to the complete "Best of SIRIUS" package, including Howard Stern and his two 24/7 channels, Martha Stewart Living Radio, SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, sports play-by-play and the Playboy Radio channel, all controlled by the iPod touch and iPhone.
Listeners can also tag songs they hear on XM's music channels for later purchase from the iTunes Store–including songs on XM's 24/7 artist branded commercial-free channels such as Jimmy Buffett's Radio Margaritaville, Elvis Radio, Eminem's Shade 45, The Grateful Dead Channel, B.B. King's Bluesville, Willie Nelson's Willie's Place, Siriusly Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen's E Street Radio. Other features include game alerts and sports ticker, artist and song alerts as well as a stock ticker.
The XM SkyDock is a perfect companion to the SIRIUS XM Premium Online App, which allows subscribers to receive SIRIUS XM's Premium Internet service on their iPhone and iPod touch when they are out of the vehicle and on-the-go, at home, or at the office.
XM SkyDock comes with SIRIUS XM's patent-pending PowerConnect technology, which simplifies Do-It-Yourself vehicle installation, working through the existing vehicle radio and making it easy to move from vehicle to vehicle. An Aux In Cable is a standard in-box accessory to facilitate Aux In connections in vehicles with Aux In capability. SkyDock's flexible stalk optimizes the iPod touch or iPhone placement in the vehicle. Customers can view the touch-screen interface in portrait or landscape modes. Accessories include Magnetic Mount Antenna and spacers to accommodate the various iPod touch and iPhone product generations.
XM SkyDock is compatible with iPod touch (1st generation), iPod touch (2nd generation), iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. All models require iPhone OS 3.0 or later.
XM SkyDock will be sold in stores and will also be available at www.shop.xmradio.com with an MSRP $119.99 in fall 2009. The XM SkyDock App will be available at the same time.
This device has been granted preliminary approval by the Federal Communications Commission but is still undergoing evaluation by the Commission.
For more information on XM, please visit www.xmradio.com
Considering that you can only use the XM or the TOMTOM apps one at a time. I don't see this being an issue. Using the cigarette lighter plug as a mount makes it easy to switch out when you need to.
What happens if you want to use this XM dock at the same time you need to use the TOMTOM dock? You would need a dock for your docks.
When I first heard about this, I dismissed it thinking it was stupid. But then I got to thinking... this is brilliant! Using the iPhone/iPod Touch allows XM to finally design a intuitive and beautiful interface that many third-party car receiver manufacturers have tried to do but failed! If something is missing... just update the app! You don't have to mess with firmware downloads or suckered into buying something that can't be updated.
I'm a huge fan of XM. (I have three active receivers.) And I love the variety of music and talk radio it gives me access to. But I've never been happy with how it's integrated with my vehicle along with my GPS and iPod Touch. This looks like the ultimate solution. I can have my iPod and XM in one cradled connection to my radio making for a cleaner setup overall.
This really isn't a product for the iPhone because of the fact that your music will be interrupted by calls (But then again who talks on the phone in the car with the radio turned up?) I'm a bit skeptical on how good the FM in this is. We'll have to wait and see.
And to those people that say that $120 is too much: I bought my first XM Radio for $300 and it was nothing like this. The receivers you see for $50 are of very poor quality. You defiantly get what you pay for. I'm looking forward to checking this out.
You used the word "brilliant." I do not think it means what you think it means.
No thanks.. I'll stick with my Stiletto 2. That way I can use the tom tom kit (if it has lane assist, haven't been able to find out. Otherwise I'm just gonna get a nuvi 755T).
So, does this only work with the "premium online" subscription?
I hope they designed the app to be usable while you are using other apps. What do you do when you need Google maps, Tomtom, email, a phone call? Will the app close and stop playback, or is it going to work seamlessly?
who uses satelite radio, when internet radio is free? cmon as bout as good as a compass i guess.
Hard to get Internet radio in a moving vehicle outside a 3G coverage area.
Well unless Pandora shuts down or cuts off their ability to work on cell phones I don't see me or probably alot of other people ever considering to buy this.
You can do all of this, spend an additional $120, go through the extra installation, get the service, pay an additional $20 a month....
Or you can just simply listen to Pandora or Slacker Radio through your iPhone.
This doesn't make any sense. I don't see why anyone would spend an additional $100 for a dock and an additional fee per month when you get better service for free through internet radio apps.
Sorry XM/Sirius - your market has all but been destroyed by the combination of 3g networks and free iPhone radio apps.
I love listening to the NFL, MLB, and Howard on my Slacker. er. Pandora. oh wait. Guess what...there's more content people want to listen to than is on Pandora or Slacker.
FYI guys, you can get Howard on the iPhone now.
Just use your sirius log in info with either PocketTunes or WunderRadio apps. It connects to the sat radio service through the Sirius website like you would on your computer, which has full access to Howard 100/101.
I've got both apps, I find WunderRadio to be the better of the 2 personally. Listen to Howard all morning at work, it's great.
Also note that if you get it on the iPhone through WunderRadio/PocketTunes, you can opt for the cheaper $13.99 internet radio package since those apps use the internet to connect to Sirius.
You guys are douches, obviously you did not read the article. This is not internet streaming, the wording is very specific to denote that it has a satellite tuner. e.g.
"...the first satellite radio controlled by an iPod touch or iPhone."
"The App allows control of the XM tuner..."
This means you get near CD quality sound without reception issues or delay due to 3G / WiFi coverage (unlike Pandora, Slacker, Last.fm). So if you enjoy better sound, premium channels, and better reception, and are willing to pay for that, you can get rid of one more device in the car. Problem is, buttons are usually better than touch screens for driving.
As much as I love XM, the one thing you won't get off the birds is good sound quality - most channels are squeezed into about 24 kbps or less of AACplusV2 bandwidth, which will sound about on par with a decent signal FM station. A few are given some more room to breathe, namely the classical, jazz, and "audiophile" oriented channels, but even then, the internet feeds, which top out at 128 kbps AAC on a high-end connection, will sound much better. That said, the beauty of the birds is you can get reception in the middle of nowhere, while a 3G connection is fleeting outside of major cities, and there are places where even EDGE is non-existent. That's where this app and dock will be great.
XM innovation??? Honestly, who gives a shit.
I don't get this at all. I have the Sirius/XM app which streams to my iphone over 3G and I use aux cable for a hardline connection. It works beautifully for $2.29 a month. Finding a clear FM channel to broadcast to is impossible and if you are traveling you are constantly searching for a new one which defeats the purpose of having sat radio. I get 130 or so channels, I plug it in to the 12 volt to keep it charged. Why do you need anything else if you want sat radio on your iphone?
Is it portable? I mean that is stupid u have to plug it in ur car cig adapter thats no fun what about the ppl who already have sirius in there cars and want a portable unit? This is not a replacement for the sirius app. I think the whole appeal of the sirius app is the fact that u have sirius and u can take it with u like a stiletto 100 anywhere u get signal. If this was portable id be all over it.
I assume the iPhone does no processing? Because if it doesn't, and it acts as a straight controller, you could presumably change app and leave the tuner in the dock running, even taking the iphone out of the dock without interruption.
(Which might explain the dedicated power button on the dock...)
I have a similar mount in my vehicle, which causes the need to hold onto the thing every time I take a turn, lest the weight of the iPhone cause the whole contraption to swing down and start an iPhone yardsale on the floor of my car. Here's hoping they have taken this into account. Especially if you orient it to "landscape" view...
Great,
What a dumb move, having had Sirius radio in my car for 6 months I was psyched at the iPhone app and $3 cost. I am willing to give up a few channels in exhange for no longer having to pull my hair out everytime I pass under some trees or an overpass.
Now they want me to pay more again, add an ugly dockin mount and go back to the unreliable satelite signal?
Rediculous!
So let me get this straight. Sirius wants me to spend 120$ on a dock, when i can already listen to it on my car, and my computer but still can't listen to stern on my iphone by it self. This is so ludicrous i think i may just cancel the whole account and go podcast willy jones.
Just created an account to say thanks to Y3K-Bug! Wunder Radio is wunderbar!
Okay,
First off, I am an avid Sirius fan, listen to it quite a few hours a day, nfl, music, howard, comedy, etc.
So I think this product has a HUGE flaw.
What ever happened to al la carte? Best of XM/Sirius doesn't cut it for me. Why is this an XM based product, why would you make something like this, this late in the game (post merger), and not include the compatibility for it to be Sirius based product also. Again, I don't want to pay extra to listen to NFL, howard. Give me al la cart, music, sports, comedy, family, talk, etc.
I see this being good for ipod touches, not iphones, to much going on with the phone to use it.
Ohh, and I doubt we will see a true al la carte for at least another year, if ever
If you have a line in to your receiver (most seem to have them on the front of the unit these days) and buy a $10 cord you could just play the Sirius XM iPhone App over 3G and listen to it in your car without needing this new contraption.
I see the benefits in some ways but I'm not sure it's worth the $169 price tag.
Did you see this: Movie about Sirius XM sends U.S. postal worker to the stars?
http://www.prlog.org/10340245-movie-about-sirius-xm-sends-us-postal-worker-to-the-stars.html