Customer Reviews

iHome iP47 Bluetooth Clock Radio for iPod and iPhone (Black)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Be warned, this product only has a 90 day warranty. After owning this product for only five months it began producing an overwhelmingly loud hissing noise that could not be remedied. Thinking I had a year warranty like most modern products, the iHome company quickly informed me of my expired 90 day policy. Now I have a defunct product not even six months old, complete waste of money.

So I bought the iHome IP47 model so that I could charge my iPhone while listening to music at night. I was also looking at something that would wake me up in the morning--this model boasted 2 alarms. And what edged me to buying the IP47 rather than the IP9 or IP99 was that this allowed you answer your phone while still docked. As I don't have a landline, I liked this idea, even if it cost me some extra bucks.

So... getting this home and setting it all up, I was mighty disappointed that the sleep function didn't really work. Yeah, after 15-30-60-120 minutes the sound tapered into silence BUT my iPod portion was STILL going! Ha! All it did was turn the sound off!

Secondly, I could never get the one alarm that is supposed to trigger the iPod to work. It always defaulted to the buzzer. I was also disappointed to find that the other alarm was set to trigger only the radio--I couldn't choose iPod for that one too.

Thirdly, the nice bonus of a remote to adjust your volume, advance to the next song, etc. was a nice idea, but not an actuality. The advance to the next song feature worked directly after first docking the iPhone with the iPod already playing, but the feature stopped working after a minute or two. Volume still worked, as did the ability to pause or switch to radio.

Fourthly, the Bluetooth to connect my iPhone so that you can use the phone function part of the iHome IP47 only worked some of the time. Even when docked, it sometimes would lose the signal.

And lastly, the thing that bugged me the most and decided me against even exchanging the IP47 for either a IP9 or IP99--which were basically the same thing but without the Bluetooth phone feature--was the docking station. It was very precarious setup and, as I had to touch the iPhone screen sometimes since my remote wouldn't work, pushing buttons also pushed the whole phone, making me wonder how long it would take to ruin my iPhone.

So I returned the iHome -- period... no exchange. The people at Apple didn't even ask *why* I was returning it. (I wonder if that's telling.)

In the end, I bought a Sony Speaker Dock and Alarm Clock Radio that works with the iPhone. (I'd give it 4 1/2 stars)
* Sleep function that really works (turns your iPod off)... check
* Remote that actually works... check
* Remote that allows you to move OUT of the playlist and into another... double-check! (iHome doesn't do this at all!)
* 2 Alarms where both allow you decide what you want to wake to... check
* Dock that has a backstop to hold your phone securely (and recharges your phone too)... check!
* Able to answer phone while docked... well, no, but not missing it
* Sound quality... check--about the same as the iHome
* Right price... check--about the same as the iHome IP9.

Bottom line: I recommend AGAINST the IP47--not worth the money--even if it was half the price. Think twice about the other iHomes, as well, considering the docking strategy Apple uses for them.

Positive: Interference free iPhone usage and great ergonomics
Negative: Needs more phone features

I purchased this for 4 reasons:
1. No interference from iPhone while listening to iPod function
2. No interference from iPhone while listening to AM/FM radio
3. Charging dock for iPhone while I'm at the office.
4. Bluetooth speakerphone which allows me to answer and make calls while leaving the iPhone in the dock

So how well does it do?
Regarding reasons 1 and 2 above, the iP47 works flawlessly. I have had absolutely no noises while my iPhone was docked or residing near it in the regular phone mode. I don't hear any hiss, hum, pops or clicks. The speakers are excellent for spoken words such as podcasts and AM talk radio. The speakers are decent with great volume for music and FM radio. If you're a big podcast fan, I strongly recommend the iP47. The AM/FM radios include a small AM loop with stand (1.5' of cord) and FM cord (3'). The reception is good as I have a history of bad reception in my office building.

Regarding reason 3, the dock came with a variety of bases for the iPhone and other iPod devices. It is easy to move the iPhone in and out of the dock. Unfortunately, the dock is at the top, so there isn't any backstop for the iPhone. I was concerned about this since you lightly push on the phone to change settings while it is in the dock. My concern was that either the dock or phone might get stress damage by pushing on the phone while it's in the dock. The buttons on the iP47 and on the remote control help to prevent the need to touch the phone, but they don't completely replace it. One big plus is that the phone can make and receive calls without losing your place on the iPod or other Apps on the phone.

Regarding reason 4, this was really an afterthought when I was comparing this device with others. I really like the fact that I didn't have to remove the phone from the device to make and receive calls. The speakerphone works great when you use a regular speaking voice and you are 9" to 2.5' from the iP47. Both the iP47 and the remote have dialing capability; however, I was disappointed that it didn't include basic phone features such as last number redial and storage of 10 frequently called numbers. To make a call, you either have to enter the phone number by hand (not my preferred alternative now that everybody has some many numbers) or use the iPhone touch screen while in the dock (see my comments above).Since the iP47 uses Bluetooth, the iPhone doesn't have to sit in the dock to use the speakerphone capability. In the final analysis, I really like this feature and I'm glad that I spent more $$ to get this unique capability.

Other comments: I didn't buy this phone for the alarm clock, but that seems to be standard if you want an AM/FM radio and iPod/iPhone dock. However, it does have a couple of great features including a 4 position dimmer (including no light) and 2 alarms (one iPod and one radio). It doesn't have the 2-5-7 day feature that I use for my home alarm clock, but it is very easy to turn off and on. I also like the day light savings time adjustment which is a simple on/off switch on the back. The iP47 has an input jack, but I haven't tried that. All in all, this is a great device. I wouldn't have paid full retail for it, but I got a great deal from an Amazon.com merchant.

This is probably one of the worse products I ever owned. I purchased it thinking it would be a great speakerphone and alarm clock for my iPhone. First I used it primarily as a speakerphone. I could hear the person/people at the other end well enough, but they couldn't hear me unless I was literally speaking right into the unit.

After becoming frustrated with that, I decided to bring it home from the office and just use it as my alarm clock. Surely it was more functional than my Sony radio alarm clock that is 20 years old. I loved the idea of waking up to music on my iPod or iPhone.

Well, unfortunately, it is not functional with my iPod touch or my iPhone. EVEN THOUGH THE WEBSITE SAYS YOU CAN USE YOUR IPHONE OR IPOD TOUCH AS A SOURCE FOR MUSIC FOR YOUR ALARM IT WILL NOT WORK. I, do, however happen to have an old iPod Photo that was collecting dust, and that works wonderfully. But that means that the lifespan of it is limited to old iPods that are either no longer being produced (like the Photo) or on their way out (like the Classic). Great.

So I contact support. I email them and a week later I get a response. It was a fairly cryptic "we know this doesn't work but we're coming out with an update soon. Do you want to wait?". I responded back as to what "soon" mean. Another week passes. I got a response with no specific date. I emailed back asking more specifics. Another week passes. I get another response that is just as cryptic and vague as the one before it. I write back asking for more clarification. And now... three weeks after that... STILL NO RESPONSE.

You have got to be kidding me. Not only is iHome falsely advertising, but they don't seem to care to make things right.

I will NEVER buy an iHome product again and STRONGLY encourage anyone looking to look elsewhere.

This product doesnt support the new upgrades for the iphone. The music doesnt stop when switching to different modes like iphone to fm or am and the remote doesnt stop the music from playing. Everytime you switch modes and then go back to ipod or iphone you have to redo the bluetooth in order for it to work. I would not suggest for iphone owners to buy this product.

Bought it from apple store. Expensive than buying it from Amazon. Clock is easy to read with two brightness setting. Clock was perfectly adjusted once plugged. Sound quality is good but not the best. FM radio is easy to setup. Haven't tried the AM yet. Needs to hook antenna to it which I haven't done yet. Two alarm setting with different options to choose radio, ipod or snoozing. Adjusting the alarm clocks are not user friendly at all. Buttons are not lighted at night that make seeing the buttons impossible. But it's easy to figure where is the Talk button if you need to answer a phone call while asleep. Setting up the iphone for bluetooth connection is not a straight forward job. It took me three times of trying until it paired. Once paired, it will work fine until you go outside with your car and hook another bluetooth device. It get confused, and sometimes you loose the automatic reconnection. This means repeating the process of pairing again. To get away from this annoying problem, I turn off my car bluetooth device way before reaching my garage. Sound quality is always great, clear, and crisp. You need to be about 1-2 feet near the device so the recipient will be able to hear you clearly. There is no place on the ihome that tells you where is the microphone located. Now I do not need to carry my phone on me all the time, although i need to keep it next to me so I can know who is calling. The caller ID of ihome gives you the numbers only, no NAME. With iphone next to you, you will be able to see the PICTURE too of who is calling. Ipod functions works great with the regular ipod, not the one built in the iphone especially the remote control. With iphone in the docking station, it gives you a A2DP bluetooth failure because iphone doesn't have this option. Changing the MODE into ipod will fix this problem. the remote control will work perfectly for 2 minutes then it stops from functioning to change songs. I searched the internet, changed the lock time on the iphone with no success. I contacted ihome company, with no solution to this problem at this time. Wait for firmware update. The remote control and iphone worked with me perfectly once for hours. You can try it but it is not convenient at all. This will work if you have iPod in the house. Keep the ipod in the docking station to play the music. the iphone is already hooked by bluetooth. Make a phone call from the ihome. then remove the ipod and dock your iphone. only at this time, no error message when you dock your iphone (it always appear). use your remote control for hours without any interruption. I tried it twice and it is working, but I think I will never do it again. Annoying.

In general, this is an amazing device, needs fine tuning to be perfect. Hopefully with the firmware update of ihome things will get better.

This would have been the perfect ipod/phone/clock radio for my husband EXCEPT that none of the buttons are back lit so you can't see them at night. He tried adjusting the screen but it was either way too bright or way too dark to be able to see the buttons to turn the alarm on or off. If they come out with a new model with lit buttons, we'll definitely buy it.

Works great with the iphone! Can keep it in a hard case and dock it to charge it. Only downside, is you can not listen to your voicemail through the bluetooth setup, but can make calls and receive calls etc. I love it, the best product so far for the iphone from what I have seen.

I regret getting this alarm clock because the digital display is impossible to read at night; the backlight is nice, but you can't read the numbers. Also, the "off" button is hard to locate in the dark; when my alarm goes off, I have to turn on the light to find the off button...and this is not appreciated by my husband! All the buttons feel the same so finding the "off" button is only possible when you turn on the light. It is also hard to very hard to manuever in the dark; you have to turn on a lamp to see where to plug in your iPhone; the backlight does not allow you to see the buttons or the iPhone charger.

I was a little leery buying the iHome brand, since there are so many other brands of iPod docks out there. But let me tell you, you get a lot of bang for the buck. At loud volumes, this thing sounds great. Sound is clear and distortion free. Having this thing on my night table is like having a boombox next to me.