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IPAD 2 BUYERS’ GUIDE
IDESIGN
Moving Beyond the Dock: iW1
On iPad and iPod/iPhone dock designs
With iA63 (shown at left in prototype form),
iHome wanted to offer a rotating iPod/iPhone
dock in a small footprint - unlike larger rivals. For
iA100 (below), the goal was to accommodate
encased iPads, “given an 80% attach rate for
iPad case purchases,” says Stein. The three main
considerations: “To be aesthetically beautiful when
docking not only the iPad, but an iPhone or iPod,”
acknowledge that “people don’t like removing
their protective case when docking an iPad,” and
meet “the engineering requirements of delivering
a secure and durable docking mechanism” given
constant Apple design changes. iA100’s flexible
Dock Connector was the key to handling iPads.
On App-Enhanced Speakers
“The decision to create a wireless product and move
away from an integrated dock was actually quite
liberating,” Stein recalls regarding iW1’s creation.
Since wireless iOS and iTunes devices stream audio
to it, iW1 “doesn’t really require a dedicated control
panel.... Because of this, we deliberately pushed
for a capacitive touch panel to deemphasize the
hardware control interface and enhance the rich [iOS]
interactive experience.” So why depart from prior
iHome designs? “It was important that [iW1] look
distinctive to help highlight the difference between
our wireless and traditional docking solutions.... the
design language was driven by speaker performance,
seamless integration with iTunes and iOS devices, and the wireless control of
your music at the touch of your fingers.”
Creating the earliest app-assisted speakers forced
iHome to define the role apps would play in the
experience. “We wanted to offer more than just EQ
adjustment and we saw this as an opportunity to
harness the power of iOS computing performance
and offer a better sleep experience,” says Stein.
“The initial challenge became one of scope; what
features do we offer and how do we differentiate
ourselves from the sea of alarm clock apps that
were already available on the App Store.” iHome
created iHome + Sleep, with radical new alarms,
sleep trackers, and social networking, updating it
for iPads when iA100 was released.
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