Dual Electronics XML8110 in-dash iPhone dock announced
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted November 18th 2009 1:54PM
posted November 18th 2009 1:54PM
It always seemed to us that plugging in your iPod with a cable (or worse yet, an FM tuner or cassette adapter) was an inelegant solution to listening to your Namesakes Series MP3 audiobooks on the road (the shorter works of Washington Irving as read by Dr. J, for example). Lucky for us, the motor heads from Dual Electronics have devised the XML8110. This 200 watt AM/FM docking station sits in your dash under the guise of a mild-mannered car stereo, featuring a solid state "mechless" design, optional steering control input, remote control, Bluetooth for hands-free operation with caller ID, and more. Coming soon for a reported $99, with an iPhone app in the works. Now all you need is some wheels! get a closer look after the break.
I just contacted DualAV and the rep stated that they will be available between the end of November and the beginning of December. Doing a Dealer search for 250 miles around my zip code, the only retailer that came up is Walmart. I also checked Walmart and didn't see anything similar to this receiver, do you have a make/model by any chance? I'm getting a car soon as want to get a decent setup for my iPhone.
But can you keep your iPhone in its case and it still be secure? The last time I tried one with the "docking" and hit a pothole, the connection breaks.
I'm amused that there are "call" and "end" buttons on the fascia, and yet if your phone is plugged into the dock that fascia is facing the floor and completely not usable.
It's too bad that the iPhone can't use an external monitor as a touch display. An ideal dock/integration setup would be one that allowed the iPhone to be docked into a slot on the dash and then be able to use the *vehicle's* touch screen to control the iPhone (as well as give it a larger display) and all the other in-car goodness, such as steering wheel controls, hands free, charging, etc.
The downside would be the ability to control the iPhone on the car's display, with all the resulting driving disasters it would cause although they could lock it out if the vehicle was moving.
I have iPod integration in my Volvo S80; while it works well enough, the conventional model has drawbacks and it doesn't look a whole lot better in other cars from what I've seen, and I guess this is just due to the limitations of the existing dock interface.
What do you mean "Coming soon" I saw this thing at Wal-Mart last week! I'll get pics...
Add bluetooth phone support with a built-in or external microphone and a little more panache on the design front and they'd have a winner.
I want it now! I won't put down this pick fork until I have them!!!