Until now, the only iPhone dock that I’ve ever used was attached to an alarm clock. Simple iPhone docks have intrigued me, but I had yet to try one and see if they were useful. The number one reason I never picked one up was due to the myriad of cases I enjoy using, since the cases make docking difficult. LandingZone’s IONA dock for the iPhone and iPad allowed for use with most iPhone cases, so of course I jumped at the chance to finally try one of these for myself.
In the box you’ll find the dock, 4.5 ft Lightning cable, instructions, and 4 spacer adapters to use depending on whether you have a case or not, and also depending on the bulkiness of your case.
I used the instructions to judge what size of adapter I needed for the dock. The instruction manual has a guide for which adapter should work based on the thickness of your phone case. I chose the one for thin to medium thick cases and it was spot on.
Once the adapter was in place, I looped the cable through the bottom, put the front cover into place, and voila, the dock was ready to go. I sat my iPhone 6 on it and it fit wonderfully. Excited, I then pulled my iPad out and borrowed my sister’s iPhone 6 Plus to test. Her phone with a case fit the same adapter as mine, but my iPad didn’t fit with the case it had on. Only very thin cases work for the iPad, which I read afterwords on the IONA’s website. There is also an indent where a headphone jack can be plugged in, which is nice for listening to music or connecting your phone to something that may not have Bluetooth.
Next, I brought it where I saw it fitting in best for me; my computer desk. I placed it left of my first monitor, and it actually looks really good. The height of my iPhone is right on with the height of my monitors. Every once and a while, I’ve noticed myself trying to use my mouse to click on a notification that pops up and laughed. It will definitely be staying on my desk, as it is much nicer than having a cord strung about.
Since their website claims that the dock is designed to “perfectly match MacBooks and Thunderbolt monitors” I had to test that theory as well. Using my dining room table as a secondary desk, I played around on my 13 inch MacBook while having this dock nearby. It was nice having the iPhone there and being able to rotate the dock 120 degrees was a definitely plus in that situation. I could turn it and show someone what was on my screen, or simply just easily adjust it how I wanted. As for perfectly matching with the MacBook, the iPhone 6 did match up, while the 6 Plus was a little taller. The height was still nice for having next to the laptop, but I preferred the height compared to a monitor.
I’ve used this for a few weeks now, and I am growing more and more fond of it as time goes on. I love how they thought of different things that docks may have problems with and made something that not only looks great but has excellent usability. The price point may be a little steep for some, since it still is just a dock, but being able to use whatever case I want, along with the rotating base, looks, and perfect height of the dock, I would still recommend it.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by LandingZone. Please visit their website for more information.
Product Information
| Price: | $59 |
| Manufacturer: | LandingZone |
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