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Apple has no plans to sell standalone dock for iPhone 5

Monday, September 24, 2012 · 4:18 pm · 26 Comments

“Apple Senior VP of Marketing Phil Schiller has reportedly said that the company has no plans to release a standalone dock for the upcoming iPhone 5, making it the first of its kind without such an accessory from Apple,” Jacqui Cheng reports for Ars Technica.

“We learned about this after Schiller apparently responded to an e-mail from a concerned iPhone buyer,” Cheng reports. “Published at 9to5Mac, the original message asked Schiller about the noticeable absence of an iPhone 5 dock and wanted to know if one was in the works.”

Cheng reports, “Schiller appears to have responded (in part): ‘We do not plan on making a dock for the iPhone 5. Most people who use docks use them with speaker or clock systems.’”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Note: Would you buy an iPhone 5 dock from Apple? Answer in our poll in the left column of the main site.

Categories: News

Tags: Apple Inc., iPhone 5, iPhone 5 Dock, iPhone Dock, Lightning Dock, Phil Schiller

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Comment Feed

26 Comments

Bobby emm

Monday, September 24, 2012 - 4:22 pm · Reply

Sounds like a business opportunity to me!
- Thelonious Mac
  
  Monday, September 24, 2012 - 5:16 pm · Reply
  
  I wish this one would come back:
midwestmac

Monday, September 24, 2012 - 4:35 pm · Reply

Airplay.

I haven’t used a wired dock in quite a number of months. Not that this market is going bye-bye, but I think Apple is thinking forward in this case and, as is posted above, this is a business opportunity for others but one that will not have a lot of longterm growth as wireless options become more prevalent.
- iFan
  
  Monday, September 24, 2012 - 6:23 pm · Reply
  
  I use the Apple iPhone docks in my Ford vehicles connected to SYNC. I velcro them in place and then it serves to keep the iPhone secure while driving – my Fusion has the best place – that little coin drawer to the left of the steering wheel. I routed a USB cable from the SYNC connector in the storage bin, through the instrument panel to the back of the drawer. When not in use, I can close the drawer and not see it.
  
  I’m really hoping someone markets a similar dock for the iPhone 5. I was VERY disappointed when I read this!
qka

Monday, September 24, 2012 - 4:54 pm · Reply

Isn’t there an aftermarket dock that took the Apple dock cable and clipped it into a base unit, making a dock? I see someone doing something like this for the new Lightning cable. No approval from Apple required.

If such a thing did not exist, you are free to take my idea and make it happen.
- silverhawk1
  
  Monday, September 24, 2012 - 6:00 pm · Reply
  
  My Norelco electric razor has a dock.
  - botvinnik
    
    Monday, September 24, 2012 - 6:34 pm · Reply
    
    Otis Redding was sittin’ on the dock of the bay…
    - botvinnik
      
      Monday, September 24, 2012 - 6:35 pm · Reply
      
      wastin’ time.
  - Jax44
    
    Monday, September 24, 2012 - 10:03 pm · Reply
    
    Dock Halliday had a six shooter…
    - Jax44
      
      Monday, September 24, 2012 - 10:05 pm · Reply
      
      Holliday
JoeArchitect

Monday, September 24, 2012 - 4:59 pm · Reply

Bad decision. simple Apple-designed (“small and clean”) iPhone dock is preferred in many situations

… like at your office, right there next to your mac. just drop iPhone in there in the a.m., it stays fully-charged, and sits upright – so you can see calls or whatever coming in – and takes up minimal footprint. no sloppy cables dangling around, and when your coffee spills the iphone says dry. I do not want some stupid-looking plastic iHome clock radio there

… like next to your bed. who needs the “extra” iHome clock radio when you can just have a small dock there – the iPhone itself serves all clock-radio functionality. and you can see the clock (upright) and it charges while you sleep (duh).

… like anywhere you are better off using the audio-out jack (that has come with prior docks). Airplay is great but being able to dock the iPhone to connect with your stereo system results in [arguably] better sound quality and the the battery does not drain-out halfway through the party.
- Shadowself
  
  Monday, September 24, 2012 - 5:10 pm · Reply
  
  +1000
- GM
  
  Monday, September 24, 2012 - 5:26 pm · Reply
  
  You are correct sir.
- ChrissyOne
  
  Monday, September 24, 2012 - 5:31 pm · Reply
  
  …or, in any of those cases, you can just plug it in to the cable. Which is what, I bet, most people actually do, rather than buy a dock.
  If they sold a lot of docks, they’d probably still make them.
- Darren T
  
  Monday, September 24, 2012 - 6:17 pm · Reply
  
  Bad idea Phil. Long live the apple dock. I love the simplicity of just being able to drop my iPhone in the dock at night to charge.
- iGads
  
  Monday, September 24, 2012 - 6:19 pm · Reply
  
  While I don’t disagree with your examples but it probably makes more sense from Apple’s point of view to let third-party companies make them instead. Like many accessories, no?
  
  I have an older dock that I rarely use for my phone that is. Again, it comes down to a cost/benefit analysis and I’m pretty sure Phil and the boys are pretty good at that, don’t you think?
omalansky

Monday, September 24, 2012 - 5:10 pm · Reply

Won’t there eventually be a gazillion third-party docks for the iPhone 5 just like there are a gazillion third-party accessories for everything else?
iRobot

Monday, September 24, 2012 - 5:41 pm · Reply

What I’d rather cause an uproar about is the lack of ANY protection (cases or bumpers) for iPhone 5 at launch. It’ll be a couple of weeks at least before the first 3rd party cases start arriving, but for Apple to offer nothing at launch is very disappointing.
- Rocket
  
  Monday, September 24, 2012 - 6:15 pm · Reply
  
  Check Amazon/Ebay/Google and you will find hundreds of cases for the new iPhone 5. I got mine days before the first iPhone 5 was delivered and its a great case.
- FTB
  
  Monday, September 24, 2012 - 10:03 pm · Reply
  
  there are TONS out there. At best buy they had 2 racks full of them that i looked at while i was there.
  
  MiniSuit Clipster Combo Case with Kick Stand + Holster Belt Clip for Apple iPhone 5 (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and Unlocked Models)- Black
  
  I have this for my 4S, decided to order it for my 5 last night. the kickstand works great and isn’t in the way, or make the case huge.
  Verizon wants $30 for it, Amazon $10
Complainer

Monday, September 24, 2012 - 6:12 pm · Reply

I’d also like to complain about the iPhone 5′s lack of support for the industry-standard Android OS. Like Blackberry, Windows Phone 8, Palm, and Samsung bada, this is just Yet Another Android Wannabe.
- Darren T
  
  Monday, September 24, 2012 - 6:20 pm · Reply
  
  Wrong site Wally! Go complain to someone that cares about Android
The Other Steve

Monday, September 24, 2012 - 6:39 pm · Reply

I never thought that a dock was a good idea, that puts a lot of pressure on that connector, and the new Lightning connector is even smaller.
The Other Steve

Monday, September 24, 2012 - 6:44 pm · Reply

Be aware that if someone buys something with a built-in dock that Apple may change it yet again, like they did with the magnetic power connection. So no more complaining, Apple does what it does with no guarantees that everything will remain compatible forever. Live with it or go buy an Android thingy and roll your dice with them.
derekaw

Monday, September 24, 2012 - 7:03 pm · Reply

I always buy an Apple dock. I like the look of my phone docked at my desk

I will buy a third party dock when they come out. Maybe one that acts as a USB hub as well.
Vega 51

Tuesday, September 25, 2012 - 3:54 am · Reply

Bad move apple! I have six docks in my house. One for my iPad and one for my iPhone, next to my bed, in the kitchen, and in my office. I even take them on work trips for my hotel room. The apple dock is clean and simple like all their products! Make the apple dock! Stop thinking profit and listen to your loyal customers! I’ve never docked my iPhone on my Zepplin, only my iPod!