The OCDock Is An iPhone 5 Dock That Should Come Attached To Every iMac [Review]

By

OCDock

If Apple sold an iPhone 5 dock designed to work alongside the iMac, then the OCDock would probably be it. Born on Kickstarter and provided by the fine folks at BiteMyApple.co, this device fixes to the base of your iMac or Apple Thunderbolt Display and provides you with a beautiful built-in dock that looks like it was always a part of your machine.

OCDock by OCDesk
Category: Docks
Works With: iPhone 5
Price: $79.99

The OCDock has a paper-thin wire that runs under the base of your iMac’s stand, so it looks like it’s completely integrated. It also has a spring-loaded base that moves up and down, so it will even accommodate your iPhone in a case — providing the case isn’t too thick.

What It Does

The OCDock has just one purpose, and that’s to provide you with an iPhone 5 dock that looks right at home alongside your iMac or Thunderbolt Display. But it takes that to another level by actually attaching itself to your machine; it’s not just a silver block that sits next to it.

Empty.
Empty.

There’s a super thin piece of residue-free tape on its bottom that fixes the OCDock to the base of your iMac. This prevents it from moving around, and means you can pull your iPhone out of the dock without having to hold its base down with your other hand.

And according to BiteMyApple, that adhesive strip is reusable, so even if you upgrade your iMac, you can continue using the OCDock with your new desktop.

The OCDock is super simple to apply; just stick it to the base of your device — try to get it as close to the center as you can, or it just looks silly — then run its paper-thin cable under the stand and into the back of your iMac.

Once it’s fitted, you won’t see the cable at all — it’s completely hidden.

Even if your iPhone’s in a case, it should fit just as comfortably as a naked iPhone.

Because it’s made of metal, the OCDock is super strong. It shouldn’t suffer too many knocks anyway, because once it’s fixed you won’t be moving it around. But it’s certainly built to last.

The patented metal plate inside the OCDock is spring-loaded, so even if your iPhone’s in a case, it should fit just as comfortably as a naked iPhone. The dock also comes with additional rubber supports of different thicknesses that you can swap out to provide the best fit.

In Use

If you have an iMac or a Thunderbolt Display, the OCDock is possibly the prettiest dock you can get for your iPhone 5. It looks like Apple put it there.

OCDock-bottom
The bottom.

The fact that it’s fixed may be a downside to some, because you can’t move it around your desk. But it’s already in a perfect place. It’s right in front of your eyes where you can see it, but it sits almost underneath your iMac, so it’s not exactly taking up space you’re going to need for other things.

But the question I’ve been asked by everyone who’s seen the OCDock is: Does the iPhone get in the way of the display? And the answer is no. Mostly.

I have an old 24-inch Apple Cinema Display, and when I dock my iPhone naked, it sits level with the black bezel around the edge of the screen. So it’s doesn’t encroach on my dock.

In my thin Belkin case, it sits over the edge of the display ever so slightly, but not enough to obstruct the icons in my dock. I’d say it overlaps by about a millimeter, but this all depends on the angle of your display and your eye level.

Anyway, it’s certainly not something you need to worry about.

One thing I have noticed is that, because the OCDock’s base is spring-loaded, your iPhone can be moved slightly from side to side, and back and forth white it’s docked.

I stopped pulling before something broke, but I’m surprised I didn’t yank out the Lightning connector.

Most of the time, this isn’t an issue because the dock doesn’t move. But you’ll need to be careful around it. When I pulled out my external hard drive from behind my display, it’s USB cable got caught around the iPhone and I accidentally pulled the iPhone forward as well.

Fortunately I stopped pulling before something broke, but I’m surprised I didn’t yank out the Lightning connector. Perhaps that’s a testament to the OCDock’s strength and built quality.

Conclusion

If you want an iPhone dock that looks awesome alongside your iMac or Thunderbolt Display, you’ll have a hard job finding one that beats the OCDock. It’s a little pricey at $79.99, and you’ll have to wait until April for it to start shipping, but it’s most definitely worth it.

You can also get OCDocks that fit the iPhone 4/4S, and an OCDock Mini that has no sides. The Mini will also hold your iPad, but it’ll block your display, which is no good when you’re using it.

Screen Shot 2013-03-20 at 18.20.38
Product Name: OCDock
The Good: Prettiest iPhone dock I’ve ever seen. You’ll want to buy an iMac just to use it.
The Bad: It’s not shipping until April. You can’t move it around.
The Verdict: It’s no wonder the OCDock was a success on Kickstarter. It’s a great product that’s well worth its $79.99 price tag. Save your pennies and order one!
Buy from: BiteMyApple

[rating=excellent]

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