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The environment at the Macworld 2011 Media Preview Reception was fairly dull. Only a handful of companies choose to attend and even fewer had something new to offer. Fortunately, at least one gizmo caught my eye. The folks at AltiGen launched a brand new Apple iPhone docking solution for a traditional calling experience at the show.
While most consumers are switching over to Bluetooth headsets, some business users still prefer office-like phones for making calls. The iFusion lets users dock an iPhone for calls and charging. A pass-through USB port makes it possible to sync with iTunes easily.
“This breakthrough device provides the ultimate desktop experience,” said Niel Levonius, AltiGen’s Director of Corporate Strategy. “Offering optimal comfort, convenience and style, the iFusion has been designed to complement the look and feel of Apple products, while meeting the demanding requirements of today’s iPhone users.”
The iFusion connects to the iPhone over a Bluetooth connection for audio. Picking up the handset answers a call and putting it down ends one. The dock also includes a speaker phone for hands free-calling. There is even an audio out jack for connecting the iFusion to a set of stereo speakers. Since the dock supports A2DP streaming, users can play music on the iFusion as well.
A few buttons on the front face offer quick access to mute and volume controls. According to the company spokesperson, a dock for Android devices such as the HTC EVO should also be available soon. The current iPhone model will be available in April 2011 for $169 in glossy white and black colors. AltiGen is also accepting pre-orders on their websites starting today.
This is definitely on the pricey side of things, would you buy one?
Links: iFusion Smart Station
$169? really? possibly for $49.
haha, can’t believee that you even write about this. just a joke. why would u want a wired phone? backwards technology much?
I don’t get it. You pay $169 to turn a mobile phone into an immobile phone?! Didn’t we already say “bye bye landlines” when we got unlimited minutes on mobile phones?! Know more about iPhone on “Aneesoft”
Well, it’s a great solution for businesses. Holding a handset is definitely more comfortable that holding an 9.7mm thin sharp edges i-Phone 4 during long conversations. The microphone and speaker quality is quite high. This will helps a lot for hands-free conference calls. You don’t see the need in this product, I disagree and when my boss to invest :)
i would love to hear a more detailed review of how well the speakerphone works. for long conference calls from my home office, i hate wearing a bluetooth headset, and people bitch about the sound quality. $169 is a bargain if it provides usable office speakerphone capability
This is using Bluetooth for audio as well… The dock is simply to charge. I would presume it would have audio quality which sounds just as compressed as a headset.