Ask Engadget: Best iPhone 3G (3GS) alarm clock / radio?
By Darren Murph 
posted Oct 15th 2009 9:02PM
posted Oct 15th 2009 9:02PM
"I own an iPhone 3G and I'm looking for a decent speaker / alarm clock for it. I am going to listen music in a mid-sized room, so I want nice quality speakers with solid bass. I also want to use it as an alarm clock, so it would be great if there is such a feature. The price can be low-mid to mid-high range. I was looking at the Klipsch iGroove SXT; it's powerful, slick and the reviews are good, but it doesn't have an alarm clock feature. It's no deal breaker if I can set it up from the iPhone, but I'm not sure. Anyway, I'm open to recommendations. Thanks!"Don't front -- we know a big swath of you loyal iPhone owners out there also have some sort of docking alarm clock / radio, so why not share your experience(s) with yours? It's easy, we promise.
none of them work very well.. I hate my iphone
switch to a zunephone... oh wait
@ derrik
I laughed!! then again i'm a bit drunk =D
hellooo from Belfast!
@sparticus
Living up to those stereotypes eh.
@ Kris120890
cant say i didn't see that comin! what can i say it's a mates bday =]
I was only kidding? But Americans rely on stereotypes. English myself.
Don't know why I put ? in there.
:D! Goood times! 3AM and we are awake lol yaaa!!!
no more verizon sponsorship?
Hah, that was my first thought as well....
I have the Sony ICF-C7IP. I don't use the CD player at all, but I like the way the circular shape of it looks. The sliding tray for the iphone is a little annoying when you are trying to plug in the phone in the dark and it it doesn't feel very stable. Also, the display is too bright even on the lowest brightness setting. I wouldn't recommend it unless you are buying only based on looks which I was.
I have the Sony ICFCS10IP. It's a nice unit with decent sound quality for $70, but as the poster above said, the display is too bright even on the dimmest setting (and I have the model with white on black text!). Also, even though it's advertised as iPhone compatible, it produces typical GSM interference when the iPhone receives or sends a text/call.
I have one too. I cut out some blue transparency paper and put it on the face of the clock to cut down the brightness. It's still bright at night, but bearable now.
just got my iphone i have a zune alarm ihome which is amazing...but i guess ill be looking for one for my iphone and im pretty sure ill go with the ihome once again
I have an iHome as well for my iPod and I like it a lot. I would assume this would extend to the iPhone if I had one (maybe when they aren't on at&t).
@coldarmysoldier
Yeah my iphone is unlocked and such :P
buy it online then unlock it :P
Touché :)
Make a paper clip stand and buy the Night Stand app from Spoon Juice. No reason to buy a bulky dock. Thats my 2 cents!
I believe it would be more like $1 than 2 cents. The app is 99¢. A paperclip costs about 7/10 of 1¢.
*(OfficeDepot brand paperclip, 1000 for $7.)
Dude! Or buy the Oakley IPhone Case it's square and you can stand the phone on it's side.
I agree actually, but only for the alarm clock part. The iPhone does most of what you want all by itself. Just install an application like Rise & Shine (free) and you've got a great alarm clock. You just need a dock so there will still be battery life left in the morning. I actually wish there were a sideways mounted dock so you could leave it running sideways since it looks more like a flip-style clock radio that way, but I haven't seen one, other than the Kensington thing they mean for you to use with Rise & Shine. I want a "dock" which will sit there waiting for my iPhone to be dropped into it, not a power cable waiting for me to find it on the floor next to the bedside table.
The question though was mostly about speakers and only partially about the clock radio, so this isn't really a good solution for him.
Well played ABCNWESER!
My set up is actually a stand I made from PETG but pretty much is the same as the paper clip idea, with a BrookStone 110-220 to USB adapter and a USB extension cable paired with a spare apple sync cable. All together its the best alarm I have ever had. Now if apple just made some form of automator mobile I could fall asleep to a TV show and then have the NightStand app come up later sigh...
Here you go fanfoot http://www.ihomeaudio.com/iP41
I used to work at Best Buy and had to work overnights frequently. I would play tunes on my iPhone using all the models we sold. I think for the money, the Sony ICFCD3IPSIL ($99) or Sony ICFC7IP ($75) which is smaller are excellent. They are not high-style and it only has one speaker but the sound quality was great. It was the only one that I could crank and hear at a pretty good distance without major distortion. The Sony ICFC1IPMK2BLK ($99) is also good and has stereo speakers but it's bigger. The Klipsch and JBL couldn't handle higher volumes.
dont have an iphone but if i did, i'd just hook it up to my preamp with a 3.5 jack or rca to ipod thingy
AlarmGame is really good
I use a JBL OnStage IIIp and the NightStand app, LOVE IT!
Hi, Bora here, thanks for all the recommendations.
I think I'll be doing the same thing. A speaker dock + Night Stand would be great. I wonder if they work seamlessly with JBL OnStage IIIp. It's one of the best speakers I could find here for the price.
OMG! It doesn't exist! I still have a Bose Sounddock, and a regular alarm clock, but got tired of all the clutter on my nightstand. I picked up the Sony version for about $70 on a whim, and can't believe how much it sucks. Sounds tinny and weak. Display is way too bright on lowest setting. I hate it. Keep waiting for Bose to stick an alarm clock into a sounddock. Thought about a wave radio, but way overpriced and no built in ipod dock. Still looking.
Gonna buy a Sony ICF-CL75iP when I find a place that has it...
WANT.
Engadget, can you get your hands on one of these and do, well, a "hands-on"...? I, as like others, am very tempted by this device! Please advise.
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SYOrderItemAddProxy?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&partNumber=ICFCL75IP&orderId=.&quantity=1&URL=OrderItemDisplay%3forderId%3d.&mode=add
Isn't this shame that such an expensive phone doesn't have good enough speakers for alarms or listening music?
You need to spend extra on so many aspects of iphone apart from $200+contracts.
Memorex Dual Alarm Clock Radio Mi4290P
- No annoying bright lights
- Intuitive controls
- 7/5/2 alarm settings for weekday/weekend
- cheaper than most other clock radios that have the same functionality
http://memorex.com/products/product_details.php?section=&CID=&SID=&PID=50757&FID=
Thanks for the help!
nightstand - wake up to playlist or song
several themes that look oh so very sweet
I've had my eye on the Logitech Pure-Fi Anytime. What do people think of it?
http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926INGFS10119788&catid=24926
I have one. It's nice. Love the motion-activated snooze button. Sound quality's great (at least as far as I can tell), plays iPod, fm radio. I'd recommend it.
it's good although I use it more for the speakers than the alarm clock aspect. I usually just leave my phone elsewhere and use the built in alarm to wake me.
A second vote for "NightStand"
iHome iP99B. I use it with my 3GS and I love it. Use it as my main bed-side alarm clock - have had zero problems with it...
the problem is,that most of these iphone sounddocks only have mediocre soundquality without much bass and the often extremely high prices (up to 300$) make them ripoffs. so why not simply buy a cheap 2.1 system and plug your iphone in via the normal 3,5mm jack? you can have incredible sound for far below 100 bucks. i for one have the speedlink gravity 2.1 system and couldnt be happier (for the 50€ price).
good luck
I have the Bose Wave with the Iphone adapter. It works very well and the sound quality is better than most. A bit pricey but does an excellent job
Darren, did you mean something like "don't fret", or is "don't front" some new bit of urban slang that I haven't caught on to?
srsly? you've never heard "don't front"?
hell maybe it's outdated now and you're too young to have heard it :(
I own the Logitech Pure-Fi Anytime and I can't say I would recommend it. The features of it are nice and if it worked properly, it would be a great product. However, the alarm function is not dependable at all. Granted I have it set to use my iPhone 3G as the alarm, I haven't tested it with using the radio or buzzer. It is supposed to automatically turn on the iPod function of the iPhone and randomly play a song. This is not always the case. And the problem is that when it doesn't work, it just does nothing, meaning no sound goes off and you end up sleeping in and being late to work. There are times when it thinks it's working (the alarm icon is flashing as it should) but no sound comes out. Again late for work. I have had decent luck with tapping the iPod icon and choosing a song before putting it in the charger, and that seems to work most the time.
As for the good features, it can dim down pretty dark, it has an auxiliary jack for other audio sources, and probably the best feature is it has a motion sensor that can snooze the alarm in addition to a button. So when your alarm is going off, all you have to do it wave your hand over the thing and it snoozes. Pretty nice feature.
FlipTime is beautiful and pretty good.
I bought a Sony ICF-C1iPMK2 and it's pretty good. Two alarms, lots of info on the display and OK stereo sound. Drawbacks: easy to forget to turn on alarm after setting it. Display too bright even on dimmest setting. Make sure you get the one with "MK2" on the end or it won't be iPhone compatible.
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/sony-icf-c1ipmk2-speaker-dock-clock-radio-for-ipod-iphone/
BTW my gf has an iHome (can't remember the model) and I hate the flat rotating dials because they are so hard to turn, and the huge number of incomprehensible buttons makes it impossible to figure out even the most basic functions.
Put Android on it! LOL11!
BOSE.
smooth, silky bass to caress your eardrums.
iLuv
I have gone through this one a couple times. I had a JVC dual ipod alarm clock to charge the phone and a nano (for using nike+). But I upgraded to the 3gs and ditched the nano and the clock and switched to a BoynQ clock. The JVC had much better sound, but the BoynQ is more practical. Unfortunately, both (and this applies to most docking clock/radios) cause the "not compatible with iphone...." message to come up every time you dock. You just have to touch the no button to keep the radio from turning off, but it is a little annoying. Like one of the other users mentioned, I am waiting for the Sony ICF-CL75iP. On paper it seems like it will be the perfect solution. You can pre-order/backorder it from the Sonystyle website now for $150. But, I'm going to wait until I hear a review of the sound quality. The sound quality in Sony clocks varies dramatically.
I love this one from RCA, two seperate alarms, A dim and a bright setting, clock sets itself... and my favorite feature... a nap timer. Would that all alarm clocks had a easy to use nap timer.
http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/product.aspx?product=190
sorry wrong one...This is the right one: RP5512i
http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/product.aspx?product=394
iPhone??
charges my 2nd generation ipod touch just fine
Agreed. I also mentioned this RCA unit in my comments below. It is extremely overlooked, and I forgot to mention, also has a very small footprint and a USB port. The speakers are really powerful. There is palpable air being driven out of those speakers, and they're powerful!
Why is this called ask engadget?
There are so many different ways for alarm clocks to work nowadays through an iPhone or not. For example, in my small apartment, I have eight different usable alarm clocks. First, I can use the NightStand app on my iPod Touch along with a small plastic stand to hold it upright. Second, I have a logitech Pure-Fi with an iSkin Cerulean bluetooth receiver that will play the alarm from my iPod. Downside is that each device has to be connected to a powersource. Third, I have a Squeezebox Deut which will play many different alarms over surround sound speakers throughout each room. Fourth, I sometimes use iSnooze on my laptop if I'm traveling or sleeping in the living room and don't want to get up. Fifth, I occasionally use Songbird's Alarm add-on on my desktop to play over another set of surround sound speakers. Sixth is the traditional alarm clock. Seventh, my Touch Pro will function as alarm. Finally, and my personal favorite, is Clocky!! - the alarm clock on wheels that jumps of my nightstand and makes very obnoxious noises. I also have an additional alarm but for a very different purpose - a motion detector alarm that alerts me when the mailman puts mail or packaging slips in my box (my packages are left at the apartment office and they close at 5ish so it's a very useful reminder).
The Klipsch system sounds excellent for the price and a third-party alarm app should fulfill your requirements nicely, so long as you remember to turn the app on before you go to sleep each night. I use The Alarm Clock and it's quite good.
I use a Ihome, very useful, has a remote and sound quality is great
Don't be stupid. Get yourself some powered desktop speakers at the very least (audioengine a2's?), then get an app or something for an alarm clock. I can't believe it doesn't have alarm clock software included.
iPhone does have a built-in alarm clock. What it doesn't have is a "clock radio" style clock *display*. Nor does it have sleep functions, etc. I think that's what NightStand is supposed to do that iPhone doesn't already do :)
Boston Acoustics Duo-i
http://www.bostonacoustics.com/Duo-i-plus-AMFM-Stereo-Radio-with-iPhoneiPod-Dock-P393.aspx
NightStand is a good one, had it for about a year.. still use it every night......
Logitech has some pretty nice options. Small enough to still fit on the night stand, but still provide a lot better sound then the iHomes that most people usually buy to dock their iPhone/iPods. I think the Logitech Pure-Fi Express Plus is the best value for the two I would suggest from Logitech, it's only $95, and it supports AA Batteries for portability. The Pure-Fi Anytime has much smaller speakers and does not sound as full as the Express. The Logitech Pure-Fi Express Plus does sound a lot better then the iHomes.
http://www.smalldog.com/product/72468
I wanna ask engadget which is the best alarm clock / radio for Windows Mobile.
A hammer
I bought my dad a 3GS, and then went in search of the perfect dock/alarm clock. I took my iPhone with me to BestBuy and Walmart, and tried every unit they had on display. Much to my surprise, some of the ones that I thought would rock sounded horrible - iHome and Sony in particular. The one I found that both sounds good and sells for a reasonable amount of money is the RCA they sell at virtually any Walmart - the one with the pop-out iPhone dock. Seems they designed this one to be every bit as much a stand-alone clock radio as it is an iPhone dock/speaker combo. That's important, because the functionality as an alarm clock is a stand-alone feature. You won't confuse this with a much more expensive Bose system - but for the money ($69 at my local Walmart) it's a steal.
You might want to consider a Logitech Squeezebox Radio. It's pretty new. Big advantage is that it can play your music (or internet radio) directly from your PC via WiFi.
I spent a while searching for a good one. I tried one of the vertical Sony units (not the round ones) and it had pretty good sound for the price but it lit my whole room up on the dim setting. I like to have it dark when I'm sleeping so I returned it and picke up the dual dock iHome model (iP88).
For the size and price range it has very good sound. I tried as many as I could find in stores and in my opinion you need to step up to the Bose or something on that level to beat it.
You can dim the backlighting down very low or even off, 3 alarms which you can select whether they go off everyday, weekdays, or only on weekends. Battery backup (really any decent alarm should have this feature, I would expect most do). I'm happy with the unit overall.
Personally, I just follow the ABB (Anything But Bose) rule.
I want a good speakerphone system for the iphone
I have a UFO shaped dock with alarm clock function. It has great sound quality for $75 ( I got from http://www.uxsight.com/product/23275/mp4-mp3-ufo-dock-station-speakers-for-apple-ipod-mini-nano-iphone-alarm-clock.html ). The only problem is it is compatible with iPhone 1st gen, but not iPhone 3G / 3GS!
I just went with the iHome, it works for me and it has decent bass, two alarms and it doesn't put the iPhone into airplane mode when I plug it in
iHome iP9! I've been using it for a while now, and if you need a dock for your iPhone and iPod at once, it's perfect. And it's got 3 alarms, great sound quality, and custom wake playlist!
Does using apps like NightStand damage your screen at all after extended usage?
I bought Awaken and I've been pretty happy with it. The main thing I like is that you can select a playlist and have it slowly fade in the volume—much nicer way to wake up than having it suddenly kick in at full volume. Plenty of other nice features too.
Really feeling my Philips BTM630
upon the same question, i am on my quest,
& I was recently told by a vendor to get this :
PHILIPS DC315/12 (about same price range as the Logitechs)
over the different logitech pure-fi i was looking at because, he told me, the Philips one would still allow for complete function of the phone where the others would switch it to airplane mode...
True or not ? couldn't find out...
and that could be an interesting issue to help make choices...
Anyways i might be getting this Philips one, just because that what seems to be my best fit but i'm still not 100% sure. Advice ?
Also, i agree with the 'nightstand' app being a great option but i'd just like to have a real dedicated piece of hardware just to show me time and wake me up, next to my bed, with different alarms set depending on the days, and i want it to play my own tunes and no crappy french radio, so, iphone is the solution. so why not charge it at the same time and there we go...
Why isn't apple making a cheap one of those. i mean i know why (why bother) - but it's such a simple yet universal product...
I have been looking for something more than utilitarian for a while - with no success yet. However a while ago I saw this post on Engadget and can't wait to get my hands on one.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/30/philips-hf3490-wake-up-light-is-also-a-bedside-lamp-ipod-dock/
Dude, the Logitech Squeezebox! I know it's not iPhone centric (and I have a 3G), but who cares? When this sucker comes out in a few days, I have heard nothing but wonderful things. The alternative really is the Sonys that everyone has been talking about, and I can't really think of a compelling reason to spend my money on those instead of the Squeezebox.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/06/logitech-squeezebox-radio-review/
No iphone dock. What's the relevance?
I bought a Teac HD-1 from Costco a couple months ago. It was $99 and it has an HD Radio receiver. It sounded very clear, the dual-alarms worked great, and overall things were nice. However, the display was too bright even on the dimmest setting, and worst of all... after leaving HD Radio running for about 5 minutes, it auto-switched itself to the AM band! I was really mad that it wasn't the alarm clock that answered my dreams. It was fully iPhone compatible too, and the sound quality was excellent, granted its larger size as well.
In all... Wish it would've turned out better. I returned it to Costco for a full refund and have not been able to find a replacement. So at the moment, I use my battery-powered travel alarm clock with basic beeping. I suppose it gets the job done.
I use the sony XDR-S10HDIP. It runs about 150 not bad. great speaker's fills even a large size room nicely. Plus it has a built in Alarm Clock and HD Radio. I use the alarm app on the iphone and pump it through the speakers.
I don't know if my setup is the best but I use the LUXMO horizontal speaker dock with an app called "Alarm Clock". The speaker is loud, the app stays on all the time. It's snooze button is the entire touchscreen. It's not the best but it's close.
The ultimate answer is the WakeUp Light by Philips. Not only you get to wake up to your favourite tunes, but also gently with a slightly increasing light source. It works really fine for me! Definitely recommended!
I recommend checking out the Boston Acoustics Duo-i clock/radio with iPod dock.
http://www.bostonacoustics.com/Duo-i-AMFM-Stereo-Radio-with-iPod-Dock-P199.aspx
It's not made specifically for the iPhone, so you might have to turn on Airport mode if you get interference. I have both the Boston Acoustics Receptor clock/radio (old model) and the monaural Solo clock/radio and they are by far the best sounding clock/radios I have ever heard and have exceptional reception. They're the only clock/radios I've ever had that could reliably receive the public FM radio stations I love to wake up to in the morning. The sound is warm, detailed, and full. Even the controls are easy to use. Even my wife loves them. We even bought a Solo for her office at work. I should have bought a Duo-i. :-)
I've plugged my iPhone into the Receptor and the Solo using the aux input jack. It sounds fantastic and will play loud enough to fill a room, or even a garage. I seriously recommend checking out the Duo-i. It may just be what you need.
You can find reviews of it if you search the web.
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/boston-acoustics-horizon-duo-i/
http://reviews.cnet.com/radios/boston-acoustics-horizon-duo/4505-7875_7-32849935.html
I just found out that Boston Acoustics is coming out with a Duo-i plus that is certified to "Work with iPhone." Even better.
Yes, it comes with two alarm settings.
http://www.bostonacoustics.com/Duo-i-plus-AMFM-Stereo-Radio-with-iPhoneiPod-Dock-P393.aspx
My wife and son use the Sony. Nice, functional but the sound is kind of "blah" I have and Altec Lansing which has pretty good sound for such a smal unit but it is also portable and rechargable. Down side is no built in alarm I use the iphones alarm which is great! I also use the free Kensington Rise and shine app which is great. Phone charges at night and good decent sound.
I've been using the Logitech Pure-fi Dream for the last few weeks, and I've been quite impressed. Works flawlessly with iPhone 3GS, and has 2 alarms with option to wake to buzzer, radio, or any iPhone/iPod playlist.
In my testing, I found the sound quality to be much better in this than the Pure-fi Anywhere/Anytime, but a little worse than the Elite (which isn't geared as much as an alarm clock, per se). More than enough oomph for my medium-sized bedroom.
Negatives include a bulky footprint, small display (a little annoying to squint at in the middle of the night), lack of portability, and cost.
I'm using the iHome iP9 (comes with a suffix of B for black or S for silver too). Works well. I just completed my search and wish that I'd seen a few of the others mentioned in the previous comments, but the iHome is probably the best for $99-. the Boston Acoustics is probably very good, but twice the price. Make sure to select a model that is certified for the iPhone (not just the iPod) in order to avoid listening to RF interference through the speakers.
I use Directed Electronics Soloist Universal Sound Dock. I've had it for years so it can probably be had pretty cheap now. I use it for my Sirius receiver, but it also has an Ipod dock that I used to use before I got rid of mine. Sound is descent, looks sharp enough, and the display is not too bright at all like some posters have had issues with other clock radios. Only caveat is it may have came out before the Iphone, and as I have never used one with it, I cannot attest to how well it works although I assume (possibly wrongly so) if it works fine for Ipods that it should work fine for Iphones.
Check out the alarm clock from Kicker.
I just use the alarm feature built into my 3GS, and the basic $30 iPhone dock. It keeps it charged, wakes me without fail, and has no annoying display to light up my room at night. Plus, it is extremely easy to dock the iPhone, even in the dark. I tried a couple of other docks, and ended up with a couple little scratches from trying to get it docked after watching podcasts before falling asleep. As small as the Apple dock is, it takes no space at all, so it can be just set up with a small computer speaker set, and plugged into them via the audio out on the dock. Perfect solution for me, and consumes less space than all the docks I tried...
George by Chestnut Hill is great with iPods, I haven't ever plugged my phone in to test if it works so you may have to research that functionality a bit. Sound is great and it is a fully functioning alarm clock. I'd love to see more work on their firmware, but it is still very solid.
http://www.chillsound.com/
I have tried about a dozen of these, mostly duds (the iHomes, the Memorexes, etc...). They all failed on button arrangement and real-life user-friendliness. That is, they failed as alarm clocks!
The best one I had was the RCA RP5500i, because the button arrangement was good, the sound was very good, and the display was wonderfully clear, yet not dominating at night.
I now have Sony ICF-C7IP. I was attracted to the tiny footprint, and the fact that nobody makes a more ergonomic, well-designed for REAL LIFE clock radio than Sony, with logical, user-friendly buttons and programming. The only thing I dislike is the display is too bright at night at the lowest setting (why??), and the dock drawer feels too flimsy, and you need two hands to dock/undock your phone.
I am a huge internet radio fan, and have a Freecom MusicPal unit next to my Sony. It also has a very small footprint.
So, [ARE YOU LISTENING SONY??] my ultimate iPhone dock clock radio will be the one that Sony will hopefully make that is a Sony DreamMachine + WiFi internet radio in one. Sony hasn't made one of these yet, but I believe it's only a matter of time until they make a stand-alone wifi internet radio, and I already know that the alarm clock aspect will live up to my expectations because Sony does alarm clock radios better than anyone else. I'm waiting for Sony to do this, and this will undoubtedly be my next and last iPhone clock radio.
Until then... I never tried the Revo Blik + iPhone dock, but perhaps that's the only such unit currently on the market?
Yep I have to put another plug in for the Sony docks. I tried one of those iHome alarms but it did not fit well with the case on the phone, and it sounded like crap so it was promptly exchanged. The Sony has an adjustable back so you can keep a hard or silicone case on the phone the whole time, the plug on the bottom still charges it just fine, etc, etc.
Everything works - it is amazing - listen to iPod, wake to iPod, listen to pandora through the Sony speakers, and so on. It all just works - even with the remote - I am really happy about that.
The display is insanely bright but I cut a small strip of window tint (for a car) and applied it to the face - problem solved. Also after you set the alarm, if you had it off previously it won't just automatically turn the alarm on for the next day - you have to push the alarm button one more time - I am used to that by now so it is really not a problem and it only takes literally an extra second to do. Make sure to get the one that is also compatible with iPhone.
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/sony-icf-c1ipmk2-speaker-dock-clock-radio-for-ipod-iphone/
Oh yeah I almost forgot I also put it on the white noise app to fall asleep to and I have the clock automatically turn off the phone after 30 min. The best part is you can sleep to one low volume, and still wake to music/whatever at a higher volume. Sony dock is not 100% perfect but I am still a big fan of it. You can even just set the alarm on your phone and it'll play that through the sony speakers if you don't want to deal with setting it on the alarm clock itself. Big fan :P