Customer Reviews

Griffin Simplifi Dock for iPod and iPhone, Media Card Reader, and USB Hub in One Device - Aluminum

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

I've been searching for a few secondary iPhone docks for a while, as I've wanted to use the iPhone (first generation) docks as audio docks on a couple of stereos in the house. Moving the came-with-it dock to that venue meant I wouldn't have one at my Mac. Technically I didn't need it (just needed the USB to Dock Connector Cable) but I wanted the ease of docking. Apple's price for their docks are rather high -- and I figured if I was going to spend the money, I might as well get something with extras.

Enter the Simplifi which, while not doing anything earth-shattering, adds a few pluses to the arguably-required dock for your iPod or iPhone: a two-port USB hub and a camera card reader, capable of handling the most common types (Compact Flash, SD (including SDHD), xD, and Memory Stick/Memory Stick Pro).

A warning if you use Memory Stick Pro (the little card); it will read the small cards but you need to use the adapter (that makes it sized to the original cards). You can put that little card all the way in there, and it'll read it, but it's too small to be able to pull back out. (Yeah, I did it. To get the MSP out, I just kind of stuck the adapter on it and pulled it back out. Boneheaded move as I knew it was too small for the port.)

The finish is nice and the build seems good. The unit is a bit heavy, unlike some USB hubs, which always (and, to me, inexplicably) always try to be the lightest object on the market (which aids in their flipping over, leaning, falling off the back of your desk, etc.).

Included is an AC adapter (which gives it some extra juice should you have the unit a little too far down the chain or connected to an unpowered hub) and a very short USB cable. Maybe that's just me; the USB cable is a mini USB to regular USB plug, and about a foot long. I figured this was no problem as I had plenty of longer cables on hand, but whenever I used one of them (and I tried several) my iPhone would eventually bounce off as "unrecognized", scaring the bejeebus out of me. Going back to Griffin's included USB cable solved the problem. (FWIW, a quick response from Griffin tells me that an extension cable, and not a replacement, would be a better solution). I got around the issue by making it the "first stop" off my MacBook Pro's left USB port, and hooking my other hub downstream of it. (FWIW, hooking it up to the hub via the included cable wasn't an option as the hub is pretty far removed from where I wanted the dock to be.)

It's a little on the pricey side; nearly as much as Apple's own Universal Dock. Still, it's go the added card reader, though some may consider that unnecessary fluff. I like it for the weight and the fact it's not a dead end (i.e., it's a hub); the card reader capability is lagniappe. After a few weeks of daily use, I'd recommend it.

PROS
- USB2 hub (has two "free" ports when in use)
- Card reader for most popular camera cards (see above)
- iPod/iPhone dock*

CONS
- A little pricey [**NOTE - Review is of the original release, which was much higher than Amazon's currently-noted price **]
- Included USB cable is short**

*Note that I confirmed with Griffin that, though their site and literature is not yet updated, the Simplifi works with docking iPods and iPhones (including the 3G; confirmed this with Griffin via email)

**Again, per my review, you have to use the USB cable it came with; trying to use an aftermarket miniUSB to USB male will cause drop-outs. I emailed Griffin about this and they recommended using a USB extension cable with the included cable rather than using an altogether different cable (in fact, they offered to send me one).

This is probably the best combination iPod/card dock on the market, and at the end of the the day it gets the job done, but there are a few warts.

1. The the build quality is OK but not outstanding. The innards are not fixed to the external extruded aluminum casing. With no tools and only a little force you can pop the insides right out. What this really means is that if you shake it, you can hear rattling. For what it costs, I was hoping for a more sturdy assembly.

2. The rubber base, while a nice idea, doesn't help to keep the unit from sliding much because the whole unit weighs so little. For an all-in-one desktop fixture I wish it had a bit more heft.

3. There are two regular USB ports on back, but none on the front. To me it seems like a non-braier that one of those two ports should be facing forward for easier access. Heck, I would have settled for a port on the side. Putting both on the back borders on malicious.

4. This is not a UDMA reader, so the performance isn't optimal with UDMA flash cards. For example, my Lexar 300x UDMA 8GB CF card reads at about 35 MB/sec using a UDMA reader, but only 25 MB/sec in the Simplifi. Not the end of the world, but I wish I didn't have to accept a 30% slowdown in exchange for convenience.

5. And finally, there is a *blinding* blue LED on the front. I'm barely exaggerating when I say it's distracting and very uncomfortable to look at. It would be fine if this LED was on when the unit was in use or moving data, but it's on all the time, even when nothing is plugged into it and my iMac is asleep.

I almost returned the unit because I got so many complaints from my family about the blue LED, but I came up with a solution. Remember how I said the so-so build quality allows the innards to pop out without tools? I opened mine up and put a couple layers of electrical tape over the LED. After putting the unit back together I can still see LED, but it's very dim and not annoying. That I could do this without any tools is why I'm giving this product four stars instead of three.

Also, ignore the comments about the Simplifi not working with a non-Griffin USB cable (Type-A to Mini-B) between it and the host computer. I've never even used the enclosed Griffin cable, preferring an off-brand cable I purchased online a long time ago. The reviewer must have had a bad USB cable, because I've had no trouble syncing my iPod touch and copying data from memory cards over a non-Griffin cable.

This dock has one flaw that kind of bothers me. Even when it is connected to the AC adapter, it will not charge my iPhone unless it is connected to my Mac. This is kind of annoying. I thought I could use this dock as a charger since it had an AC adapter (unlike the Apple dock), but its just not possible.l I just noticed that it says so clearly on the griffin support webpage for this product. I guess it was my fault for not reading their support page first. Anyways, the fact that it's a USB hub and that it can load CF and SD cards is great, it saves me a lot of desk space and means I only have one cable plugged into my Macbook. I just wish it could work as a charger when my Mac was in another room.

Not much to say. I used the enclosed cables and power supply. I plugged everything in and the light on the dock came on immediately. But when I put my iPhone in the dock, it did not charge or connect. I restarted my computer a few times trying to figure out why my iPhone was not charging. Then just before repacking the unit to return, the USB connection was recognized! (USB Voodoo?).

And remember, charging power comes from the USB cable, not the wall-plug-in power supply. The wall-plug power is used to support the other dock functions (2 back USB ports and card readers).

Other drawback...No inserts to accommodate Griffin slim iPhone case.

Good Luck!

If your desk is like mine with multiple power supply cables, USB cables for various items, and then you have your digital camera ready to download your photos, and seeking another cable, well Simplfi by Griffin Technology answers all these needs in one device! Finally...

You get 2 USB ports, read and writes media card reader in formats:

Memory Stick
Memory Stick Pro,
SD
XD
Compact Flash

The included AC power source allows power to some USB devices we use and the included mini USB cable to your computer is there too. I liked powering up my iPhone or iPods, each size device matches the included dock adapters so they fit perfectly. I tried charging my iPhone while inserting my Canon's Compact Flash media card, and quickly the card was read, opened up iPhoto, and the iPhone showed it was being charged, and sync'd, all at the same time. I then added another device, since the Simplfi is also hub, so less clutter. I liked it's looks too, anodized aluminum, so it matched the current Mac products. A blue light glows to let you know it's on. It's functional, and nice looking.

So we have:

charge / sync dock for iPod and iPhone
media card reader
a powered USB hub

a home run, get one!

As with all Griffin Technology devices, you get a year of warranty support. I know when I call them,they answer quickly, know the products, and will help you, resolve any issue even if it means sending you a complete replacement. I wish all companies were as easy to deal with! They are the gold standard!

OK, I wanted to quickly add a review regarding the Simplifi. In theory, it does everything you want it do, but one simple thing it does not- Charge.

1.) For those of you who think your device will charge via the AC adapter plug while your computer off - you're wrong.

This device only charges when the computer is on, something Griffin neglects to mention on their website.

2.) No matter how much they tell you otherwise, this does not include a dock for the iPhone 3G. Griffin states "initial" packaging units do not contain this dock, but latter ones do. Well guess what, none of them do. You figure a product that has been out since late 2008, they would get around to sticking a 3G dock in the box sometime during the year 2009. You can buy one through their website, however. Why include a dock for an original iPod from 2001?, who hasn't upgraded by now?

Overall, I really liked what the Simplifi offers, USB ports, syncing, memory card slots, clean design. But this really falls short of the ultimate goal - charging your device through the wall!

In short, it uncluttered my desk and simplified my life. Best of all, it does everything it is supposed to do and does it well.

Looks great next to my iMac, but it is much more difficult to use these card reader slots than any other card reader I've had before. SD not too bad, but xD and CF cards take several tries to get in right. Also has a bright LED that stays on even when the computer goes to sleep that I could live without. Dock works fine.

I can understand where some of these negative reviews come from; however, if you have an iMac, this is the perfect charger.

The negatives listed:

-Cord too short
-Doesn't charge with computer powered off

Are pretty much negated with the iMac. When your iMac is in sleep mode, the phone will still charge (I'd imagine most iMac owners are like me and simply put the unit to sleep rather than power it off at night).

Also, while the cord is short, it is fine tucked a bit behind and off to the side on the iMac.

Overall, this unit is very nice. It is well-made and "hefty", doesn't feel cheap at all.

The SD slot works great; I already used it to transfer files from my camera SD card. And unlike the SD USB adapter I was previously using to transfer from the card, this unit will move over video files.

I'd give this item 4.5 stars, only docking .5 because the SD card reader does not "click" the card into place, making it easy to "unclick" it when you want to eject the card. You have to just force it in (you'll see the light flicker to know it's being read), but getting it out, it feels a bit weird to just be tugging on it to yank it out.

But other than that, this item works as advertised. I basically needed to replace my current Apple iPhone/iPod dock because as I started watching media players (Boxee, Front Row, or Plex) on my iMac and using the Apple remote, I would have to block the sensor on the dock when charging, or else if my phone was in there it would start playing music when I hit "Play" on the remote.

Obviously, this isn't an issue with the Griffin as there is no sensor. Only final note is I can't speak to the utility of the USB ports on the back as I haven't used them.

To sum up, if you own an iMac, you're not going to do any better than this charger dock, so just buy it. :)

I just received my Griffin Simplifi. I wanted to plug in my iPhone 4 to a dock that didn't require me to pull off the Bumper. The Apple dock doesn't fit with the bumper on. Several people mentioned that this unit worked well... and it does, but not perfectly.

Here are the issues:
- It doesn't charge my phone when the computer is off, despite having a separate A/C adaptor. (and they are upfront about this on their website, I just didn't look until after I bought it.)
- It didn't charge my iPhone 4 until I plugged it directly into my computer, it didn't work off a powered USB hub. (it would sync but not charge on the USB hub.) Weird, definitely but it works now, so I'm ok with it.

Definitely handy and not terrible looking (and got my separate card reader off my desk!)