iHome Portable Alarm Clock Stereo Speaker with USB Charging for Smartphones

• Portable and compact audio solution operates on 4AA batteries or included universal voltage AC adaptor
• Alarm Clock with backlit LCD display
• Quick Charge USB charging port with included MicroUSB cable
• Works with iHome Sleep alarm app for enhanced wake and sleep options (free Android Market download)
• AUX line-in with included stereo audio cable allows connection of any external music source with a 3.5mm headphone jack

I picked this unit up for the hubby, he has spent some time using it and here are his thoughts:

The iC16 is a simple LCD alarm clock with side firing Reson8 stereo speakers. Unit has AC adapter, small coin battery to maintain clock and alarm settings, and is portable with the use of 4 AA batteries. The AC adapter brick is rather large and sits at a right angle to your outlet/power strip. Set up and installation was easy. Size is 8 5/8"Lx2"Hx2" D.

LCD Display:

Could be a little bigger

To control the lighting it has 3 dimmer selections plus off.

Has a Daylight Saving Time switch in the back.

Alarm functions:

Simple set up and operation

Gentle Waking feature is nice, where the volume slowly increases up to the the level you set it at.

Snooze/Dimmer button is nice and big. A nice feature is the snooze time can be changes from 9 min (default) up to 29 min.

For the alarm to operate you must have AC or 4 AA batteries installed. The coin battery only maintains the clock and alarm settings.

Android Phone Feature

One of the nice things about this is the ability to hook up your smart phone and listen to your playlists through the speaker system or listen to a You Tube video, listen as you play your favorite game, etc.. With the included auxiliary jack/cable it is very simple to attach.

In addition you can charge your phone through the unit via a usb to mini-usb cable. This feature only works with the AC adapter plugged in.

There is a usb mode switch that switches between A and B. This could be a little bit more clearer as to what the difference is. Switched to B is the default and it worked for me.

Another nice feature is the free iHome alarm app from Android Market works with the iC16 so you can wake up to music on your Adroid or alarm.

One thing that is a little bit odd is that to play your music you have to press the power button vs it automatically turning on when you start playing music/sound from the hooked up Android or shutdown when you stop playing music/sound. Maybe it has more to do with saving battery life when in portable mode?

Speakers:

Are on the sides facing out.

For it's purpose the sound is good. It obviously isn't something you would use to entertain a room full of people as the output isn't significant. If you are looking for higher end sound this probably wouldn't meet your needs, but next to your bed or in your home office it is fine.

Other uses: Works with your iPhone and iPod

You can hook up your iPhone and iPod to the speaker system to play music, listen to video's, etc.

You also use the charging mechanism, you just substitute your iPhone usb cable for the one provided with the iC16.

In addition, the iPhone free iHome alarm app works with the iC16. I didn't spend a lot of time on it so there probably are some nuances with using the iHome alarm app with the iC16.

Rating 4/5

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Design: 5 Stars

Features: 4 Stars

Performance: 4 Stars

Overall: The iC16 is a basic alarm clock/speaker system for Android that does its job well.

Setup: The iC16 is as easy to get up and running. All you do is insert the backup battery, connect the power cable, USB cable, and AUX cable. Once you plug it in to an outlet, it is simple to set the time and the alarm time. You can optionally install iHome's Android app with alarms and a sleep log.

Usability: In contrast to the iC50, the iC16 is very easy to use. With your Android connected, the power button controls whether the unit accepts sound or not. The + and buttons control sound. Also unlike the iC50, your Android device rests on the table next to the unit rather than using the flawed mounting scheme.

Sound: The sound quality is OK, but it is not on par with the iC3 speaker doc. It is good enough for a dual function device.

Alarm Clock: I like the alarm clock on the iC16 better than that of the iC50. The functions are the same, but the iC16 has raised buttons. Once you know that the power button on the end turns off the alarm, it is easy to find and turn off in the morning. The iC50 has flush, unmarked buttons making it harder to turn off.

Other: Continuing with the iC50 comparison theme, the iC16 does not have an FM radio. However, I see this as a positive. It allows for a simpler design and better performance overall. Users who truly desire FM radio can find a replacement app anyway.

Conclusion: The iC16 is a solid alarm clock and Android speaker dock. While the performance is not world class, it does its job well.

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I received this as a review unit and it was boxed nice and looked nice but does not feel up to the task. Biggest issue is the external plug without a dock. It's as if you have to hang the droid off the side and let it do it's thing. One reviewer had issues with a button and you can see why when you feel the lightweight quality.

For $45.00 you can buy a much better alarm clock, or several smaller alarm clocks. You can connect your Droid to the unit with the included USB, and it sounds pretty good. It makes up for the cheap build, but not enough to warrant more than 3 stars.

Overall I can see where iHome was going with this unit, but there are so many other more durable, dockable units out there that I'd suggest looking elsewhere before buying. If the unit was under $19.95 then it would be worth the price, not $45.00

Good sound, good idea, bad implementation.

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Full clock radio functionally with backlit display; the brightness control allows for 4 settings (1) High; extremely bright (2) medium; brighter than an advantage nightlight (3) low; too dull to see at night (4) Off; not helpful at all. Prefect for a bedroom that requires a nightlight; or for use in a home office. Dual wake, sleep and snooze functions work great and are easy to set. One Built-in USB charging port and an auxiliary-in port.

What is missing ~ cable management

Didn't try the iHome Sleep alarm app ~ Neither my hubby nor I have an Android phone.

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Out of the box, this unit is a simple alarm clock with a lighted display. The clock numerals are a bit small, but still easy to read. There is no radio in the unit. The feature that makes this somewhat special is that you can hook up your android device to it and play radio or other music, podcasts, audiobooks, etc. through the units dual speakers. You can also charge your device with the included cables. The unit has a lithium battery backup for power outages or surges, and 4-AA battery operation or you can just plug it into a wall outlet. Another nice feature is the ability to change the snooze default from the usual 9 minutes to anything up to 29 minutes.

While this iHome clock specifies it is for use with android devices, specifically smartphones and mp3 players, I was able to hook it up to my Kindle Keyboard for both charging and to play podcasts through the clock's speakers. I also used my own iPod cable to successfully charge it through the clock and used the included phone jacks to play the iPod through the clock's speakers as well.

The speakers sound robust and the control buttons on the unit are easy to find in the dark, a good feature for an alarm clock. The size is a little awkward, not big enough to park your smartphone on top of, but not small enough to be a compact travel alarm clock.