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Home > iPhone, iPad and iPod Accessory Reviews > Charging
iHome Charging Station
What's hot: Charge all your mobile devices! iPad holder, quick charging and slide-out platform. What's not: Plasticky. Doesn’t come with inserts for any iPod model.
Reviewed October, 2010 by Tong Zhang, Senior Editor When iHome released the iB967 charging station that can simultaneously charge the iPhone, iPod, BlackBerry and an eReader, it became a very popular charging solution, and rightfully so. The iHome iB967 can hold all your devices on or near it and charge them all at the same time. But the iB967 lacked an iPad slot. Enter the iHome iB969G Charging Station. The iB969G has everything that the iB967 has plus a holder and both standard and quick charging ports for the iPad!
Design The iHome iB969G has a simple yet very functional design. It can be compact when you aren’t charging large devices or spacious when you are. This is done via a sliding plastic platform that opens to accommodate larger devices. The charging station measures 3.2 x 10.5 x 9.8 inches, and it can dock and charge two iPhones (or an iPhone and an iPod), an iPad and another device (smartphone, eReader, etc.) at once. The Charging Station has two iPhone/iPod charging/syncing ports. The docking ports are wide and spacious. If your iPhone is in a case that has some bulk but allows the 30-pin connector to work while in the case, the wide port on the iB969 will likely accommodate it. For iPhone 3G and smaller iPods, you should use either the included iPhone 3G insert or get iPod inserts from iHome to use with the iB969G. The iPad slot allows you to store the iPad horizontally but not vertically while it’s charging. The syncing port and AC port live on the back of the iB969. With the slider closed, the platform in front of the two iPhone/iPod docks can easily accommodate a large phone such as a BlackBerry, Android or other phones. Even an HTC HD2 or an HTC EVO 4G will fit perfectly. But what if you have an ebook reader such as an Amazon Kindle, B&N nook or a Sony eReader? Slide the platform open and the space doubles in size to over 5” wide. Now your ebook reader will rest on it comfortably.
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Conclusion As you accumulate more and more mobile gadgets, charging them all becomes a cumbersome chore. The iHome iB969G certainly can help make it easier by charging four devices at once in a docking, charging and syncing station that’s well thought out and well designed. The charging station is easy to use, and we especially like the slide out platform for larger devices like ebook readers or digital cameras and camcorders. The quick charge for the iPhone and iPad will please users who need their devices charged in a hurry. And the iB969G is smart enough to stop when all the devices are fully charged. You will likely find a cheaper price than the $59.99 list if you shop around, making it a very worthy purchase. Price: $59.99 Web site: www.ihomeaudio.com
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