With all the hoopla around the Apple iPad launch and iPhone 4G rumors we have not had a chance to get this article out until now, but one never waits long enough for something good right? CES is always a great event for gadget lovers, and not to mention Apple gadget owners, and this year was no different with some very interesting products being displayed, including some new iPod and iPhone speakers and docking stations.

We have taken a look at some of the interesting new iPod docking stations for the iPod and iPhone that was featured at the CES 2010.

iHome iA100 + sleep app

iHome released two new and interesting iPod / iPhone speaker solutions at the CES, including the Studio Series iA100 app enhanced alarm clock with integrated bluetooth and fm radio functionality. The device also features the Bongiovi Acoustics Digital Power Station that provides an enhanced clarity of sound and more than enough power to wake even the heaviest sleeper.

What is especially interesting about the iHome iA100 is that it has bluetooth built in, turning it into a wireless control center, allowing you not only to stream music from your iPhone or iPod Touch to the dock, but also to answer and place calls through the speakerphone using its built in microphone. Not bad for those early morning-not quite woken up yet-phone calls.

As we mentioned, the iHome iA100 also comes app-enhanced allowing you to use their own iHome clock app that is available for free from iTunes App Store, giving you a nice clock screen with multiple alarms, but more importantly allows you to track your own sleeping patterns, gathering sleep-stats so to speak. This information can then be used to create customizable alarms and music settings, including new ways to interact with popular social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

The range of app-enhanced iHome speaker docks is expected to hit the market sometime this year, so we will be back with full reviews once the device becomes available. Expected price range will be around $170 in the US, or about £100 in the UK.

Branex iTamtam Go M3

Now we love iPod and iPhone speaker docks that break with the standard designs and challenges the norm, and with the iTamtam Branex has done just that, delivering what is in my opinion one of the cooler speaker dock designs since the legendary B&W Zeppelin.

The iTamtam is shaped more or less like a barstool or as a bongo drum, making it really stand out from the crowd. This latest version brings some good upgrades compared to the previous model, including a chargeable battery with up to 8 hours of playing time, allowing you to move the ’stool’ freely around the room or wherever you want to take it really. The iTamtam Go M3 also comes with multiple drivers that will provide you with a 360-degree sound and a strong bass driver for that added richness and sound experience.

Now we have not had a chance to listen to the actual sound of the iTamtam, so we can not comment on whether or not the sound quality is anyting like the uniqueness of the design, but at the price tag of around $500 (£300) we would expect it to deliver a decent quality sound to be able to compete with some very strong competitors in that price class. Perhaps the people that will buy the iTamtam are those that just have too much money and needs a new cool design gadget.

We will be back with more iPod and iPhone speaker docks from CES 2010 and other gadget shows over the coming weeks, so keep checking back. In the meantime why not check out our reviews of some of the best iPod speaker docks, including iPhone speakers.

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

 Loading …