iHome iP21WVC App-Friendly 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Alarm Clock Speaker Dock

• Wake to iPhone or iPod - Start or end your day with your favorite songs
• Universal dock to charge and play iPhone or iPod while docked - Enjoy your music while keeping you iPod fully charged
• App-friendly unit allows wake up with free iHome+Sleep app and paid iHome+Radio app - Use the free iHome + Sleep app to create alarms, get local weather, etc; use the iHome+radio app to access up to 10,000 internet radio stations from around the globe
• Reson8 high fidelity neodymium micro driver and EXB sound enhancement for extra bass boost with expanded bass circuitry
• Syncs clock time to always-current iPhone time; Programmable nap, sleep and snooze timer; Snooze/dimmer bar adjusts Lo/Med/Hi brightness for clock display; Line-in jack to listen to other audio sources

iHome truly gets what an iPhone/iPod accessory should be.

First, let's be clear about what it's not: This is not a stand-alone clock radio. Without the iPhone/iPod attached, it's simply a clock with a buzzer alarm (buzzer sounds like the ubiquitous vehicle back-up alarm).

To use it effectively, you must have your iPhone/iPod attached and you need two apps loaded to your device: iHome+Sleep (a free app) and iHome+Radio ($2.99). Then, if you want to use it as a clock radio, you must have the iHome+Sleep app open. If any of these conditions aren't met, it reverts to being a clock with a buzzer alarm.

"Wow," you're probably thinking, "is it worth this hassle?" Yup, it truly is.

What you get is a stylish, compact, solidly-built unit that charges your device (meaning there's one less cord), provides excellent sound for your iPod songs, and allows you an abundance of wake-up and go-to-sleep options. With the provided adapters, it's also easy to slide your device on to the unit (set ups for multiple versions of iPhones/iPods).

Time display has a good variety of settings, so you can keep it bright or dim it down depending on your preferences. Next to the bed, even with my bad eye sight, I have no trouble reading it at night at the setting I've chosen, and it doesn't illuminate the whole room.

The iHome+Radio is an excellent app giving you access to a large number of categories and stations for streamed content (and I understand they're working to increase offerings all the time). It will replace my Tune-In radio app, as it has equal offerings and is a well-designed app.

The iHome+Sleep app then turns the whole set-up into a wonderful clock radio. If iHome+Sleep can be faulted for anything, it's the overkill on its design and capabilities (e.g., you're presented with a slider bar for telling it when you go to sleep and when you wake up and it will track your sleep history for you ["Let's see now...I'm about to fall asleep, I'd better reach over and touch my slider..."]).

What it does give you:

· Wake to iPod music, buzzer, or any station that streams through iHome+Radio.

· Set your alarm(s) for weekdays, weekends, or any combination of days you want.

· If you want, automatically view Facebook or Twitter feeds before going to sleep or when you wake up.

· Vary the 'fade-in' of the alarm (starts softly, then gradually fade-in to the volume you want).

· Control how bright the iHome+Sleep screen is on your iPhone (remember, it has to be open to use this device).

· Use it in reverse and play iPod/internet radio when going to sleep (sleep timer).

All-in-all, this is a GREAT device. I've quickly gotten used to procedures you must follow, and the options it gives you are wonderful.

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I was looking forward to an alarm clock that would work well together with my iPod Touch 4th Gen. Based on the product description ("application-friendly") and on the other positive product reviews, I expected that I would be able to use iHome's own free "iHome+Sleep" app to set an alarm on my iPod, dock the iPod, and then use the buttons on the iHome iP21 to control the alarm. Unfortunately, as I discovered, the iHome+Sleep app isn't actually compatible with the iP21.

When an alarm is set via the iHome+Sleep app and the iPod is docked, when the alarm goes off, the alarm sounds through the iP21's speakers, but the Snooze button on the iP21 does *not* work to snooze the alarm; the alarm must be snoozed via the iPod's touch screen. The Snooze button on my alarm clock working is a must-have requirement for me.

When an alarm is set via the iP21 hardware itself, when the alarm goes off with the iPod docked, the iPod tries to play whatever audio it was last playing (regardless of any settings in the iHome+Sleep app). This worked okay if the last audio to be playing was music from the iPod's own Music app, but I found that sometimes if the last audio to be playing was through another 3rd-party app such as Pandora or TuneIn Radio, the iPod sometimes wouldn't make any sound at all (despite the volume not being muted). My alarm clock's alarm being audible while the alarm is going off 100% of the time is also a must-have requirement for me.

I contacted iHome technical support via email and explained the problems I was having, as described above. The reply I received was "Sorry model iP21 is not apps enhanced, our sleep apps do not work with the iP21."

Therefore, the iP21 wasn't useful for me as an alarm clock, but only as an iPod speaker. Since an alarm clock was what I needed, I returned it.

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This is a great alarm clock. As other users have mentioned, the sound quality is not super bass and super loud, but from a speaker this size (and an alarm clock) it has pretty good sound. My favorite feature of this device, is the size, it is pretty small (it looked humongous in the picture), which is good, because my night stand is small. The other nice feature is the dimming. I have always hated alarm clocks that light up the room, and in the past I have covered alarm clocks with towels to cut out the light, this alarm clock can go from bright, dim1, dim2, to no light all with an easy push of the snooze/dim button (I can turn if off at night and when I want to know the time hit the dimmer! It only has one alarm, but that is OK for me. It has back up battery, and unlike past clocks that just save the time (cut the display off), this one keeps the display running and operations in tact (which is real nice). However, the best feature that is not advertised that much, is the inclusion of Apple iPod/iPhone inserts, in the past my alarm clocks, have not included the insert, and my iPhone 4 did not come with one (I have been using an iPhone 3G insert with the iPhone 4, for the longest (which is not really snug on the iPhone 4). The unit comes with the following inserts: iPhone 4, iPhone 3G (and 3GS), iPod Touch 4G (also iPod Nano 6G), iPod Nano 5G, and iPod Touch 2G. My only flaw with the device, is it does not have next/previous track buttons, you have to use the iPhone/iPod controls to go through your music, which is not that bad, but it would be a nice feature. It supports the app that keeps track of sleep, and alarms. However, I have found this app, tries to keep the display lit on the iPhone when in use, which is more light (and not good for me).

To let you know (I used an iPhone 4), unless you have the iPod playing all sounds (type clicking) and app sounds (like YouTube) are disabled and cannot be heard while docked (YouTube, can be played if you start a YouTube video and hit play on the alarm clock). However, the phone will ring (and vibrate) and texts and emails will vibrate only (no sound). -This might be picky, but I wanted to let you know.

In the end, the alarm clock, has nice features and an easy to use system, with an easy to read and understand display with the best dimmer options (no light!!!), and everything you need to plug and play, oh, and also, you do not have to set the clock, it connects to the iPhone/iPod and pulls the time from the device (which is great for iPhone, since the time is synced with the carrier!)

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Let me get out of the way that the sound quality is not the best I've ever heard, but that's not what I expect from a clock. Especially one with no built-in radio function. I have an older iHome under-cabinet unit in my kitchen that sounds much better, but the quality is acceptable for this unit's purpose.

What do I love? It charges your iPod, looks nice, has a small footprint on my night stand and is easy to use. It has a gradual wake and a wonderful dimmable display. So nice not to have glaring numbers in your face all night but still be able to check the time.

I got the app and had it set up with my iPod Touch in just a few minutes. I've used the alarm with and without the iPod and it was simple and effective both ways. I also love the time synch with the iPod. Plug your pod in and push a button the time is set!

There are a ton of features available through the apps (iHome+radio and iHome+sleep). You can make as much or as little use of them as you like, but they're quite nice. Take a look at those apps to see what this unit can really do for you.

Overall, a quality product that does what it should and makes great use of the iPod.

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I must confess I've been using the same alarm clock for over twenty years. It's a Nakamichi and when I bought it I was ridiculed for spending so much on an alarm clock. Jump forward a few decades and now the expectations for bedside clocks have apparently risen dramatically.

I decided to give this clock a try. I installed the app on my iPod touch and have been tracking my sleep habits. I managed to resist the temptation to over-share by having the app automatically post my sleeping habits on my Facebook page. Too much information, in my opinion.

Anyway, the nitty gritty of this alarm is this...

Pros:

cool, high tech gadget

small footprint

easy to use

very customizable when using the iPod/iPhone app

ability to set the time using the iPod (very cool)

Cons:

tinny sound quality, even with the extra bass boost in effect

the stand-alone alarm doesn't even have a radio, so unless you've got your ipod connected you're going to be waking up to a simple alarm

the display doesn't dim enough for my taste

The company sells larger units which hopefully sound better. For now, I think I'll stick to my trusty old alarm but if you want to wake up in the digital age, this could be worth a look.