Sleek dock restores earphone jack for iPhone 7

By

You can have your iPhone 7 and earphone jack, too, with the iLDOCK.
You can have your iPhone 7 and earphone jack, too, with the iLDOCK.
Photo: iLDOCK

Apple famously knows what we want before we do, yet so many fans say the iPhone maker got it wrong when it took away the earphone jack on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

Jokes, outrage, even night terrors, erupted on social media in real time as the new iPhone design was revealed. Not long after, a startup went to work to bring the anxious a $10 fix.

The makers of iLDOCK have crafted an elegant dock that plugs into the iPhone’s Lightning port that lets you listen to music while you charge your phone. It is an unobtrusive square machined to integrate with Apple’s design and colors with a 3.5 mm earphone jack and charging port.

There is also a 5-in-1 Plus model that includes an SD card slot to let a user quickly transfer files, like photos and video, to free up space on the phone.

Apple, seeking to give its newest iPhone a waterproof rating, announced earlier this month at is annual fall produce launch, the new iPhone would not have an earphone jack. Apple also introduced a pricey pair of wireless earbuds that immediately made many fans scoff.

[contextly_auto_sidebar]

Maybe Apple is right and we will want to enjoy our music without wires. Right now, iPhone users may not be ready emotionally for such a change. The iLDOCK crowd-funding campaign on Kickstarter is one indication.

Seeking to raise just $5,000, iLDOCK has raised more than $15,000 with 28 days still to go. A $10 pledge gets you the earphone jack/charger port model. A $20 pledge buys the iLDOCK plus, with earphone jack, charging port, SD and TF card readers and a USB slot.

earphone jack adaptor
The iLDCOCK Plus, left, and its little brother offer solutions for storage and a plug-in for earphones.
Photo: iLDOCK

Shipping is scheduled for December.

The iLDOCK requires no drivers or software and its Plus model with a media card can expand storage.

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.