Elegant LIL KIKR Dock Shames Apple’s Own

By

Elegant, functional and useful. Unlike Apple's effort
Elegant, functional and useful. Unlike Apple's effort

Apple’s iPhone and iPad docks suck. They look great, but they also grab onto your phone and won’t let go, they don’t fit if you use a case and they don’t do anything but charge the phone (yes, you can plug it into a stereo, but who does that?) The LIL KIKR, on the other hand, looks awesome, sounds awesome, and is made from tough, long-lasting aluminum.

I have accumulated a stack of iPod and iPad docks, but I almost never use them because I test so many cases. If I was in the market for another one, though, I’d probably choose the LIL KIKR, currently seeking funding on Kickstarter. It consists of a milled aluminum cylinder with a cut-out in the side for the iPhone, a horn-shaped hole at either end which channels and amplifies the iPhone’s speaker by up to 10 dB, and a pair of legs that stick out the back and let the whole thing perch at a jaunty angle.

The dock comes in two versions. The LIL KIKR fits the iPhone 4/S like a glove, but that’s it. The LIL KIKR+ comes with a set of foam pads and inserts to customize the dock to fit any other iDevice you have, with or without a case. Both will cost you $50, or $10 less than Apple’s own piece of junk.

[Thanks, Valerie!]

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.