4S With Protective Case-Need Dock

Mtnmedic · Nov 24, 2011

The 4S, which I got two weeks ago, is my first iPhone (switched from Android EVO 4G after 1.5 years, following many years with Windows Mobile). So far, I'm loving my iPhone.

I protect it with a case made by iFrogz, which covers the sides and back. A nice case. Not big or thick, just enough to keep it from excessive wear and tear. I have the iPhone insured for any hard drops, etc., thus why I'm not using something like an Otterbox, which I consider bulky. Below are photos of my iPhone in the case I mentioned, which adds only a tiny bit more to the overall dimensions of the device.

I know it won't fit in the iPhone 4 dock. However, I've read that it might fit in a universal dock, albeit a bit loosely (I can compensate for that), so long as the device sizing insert is removed from the charging well. I'm concerned that this may apply only to the older, original iPod/universal charging dock as opposed to the current universal dock. The assumption for that is the earlier original iPod was larger in terms of thickness. Or is there not any real difference between the two in terms of the charging well dimensions?

My goal is to dock my iPhone while still keeping the protective case on, preferably without having to make any significant structural modifications to the dock.

Any suggestions?

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Mtnmedic · Nov 28, 2011

Well, I came across this in Walmart the other day. Belkin Mini Dock for iPod and iPhone. $29.99....ouchie, but not really all that much cheaper online. Same price as what Apple charges for their docks. So I bought one to try it out per Walmart's 90-day return period. So far, so good. As a "universal" charging dock for iPhones and iPods, even when they're wearing protective cases, this one works very nicely. Though it has a very short USB cable (which can easily be remedied by a cheap USB extension cable you can even get at Dollar Tree or 99 Cents Only, etc), the big plus is it folds neatly into a slim, small package and conveniently stores its cable for travel. It's also adjustable for a modest range of viewing angles.

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the_ace123 · Nov 30, 2011

Hi I have the 4s with a non apple bumper fitted, I then bought a dock made by kensington which I thought I would have to remove the bumper to use, however to my surprise when it arrived the 4s fitted perfectly without removing the bumper, the info on the underside is as follows, Kensington charge and sync dock for iphone and ipod product#K33498 model#M01091, hope this is of some use.

Mtnmedic · Dec 2, 2011

the_ace123 said:
Hi I have the 4s with a non apple bumper fitted, I then bought a dock made by kensington which I thought I would have to remove the bumper to use, however to my surprise when it arrived the 4s fitted perfectly without removing the bumper, the info on the underside is as follows, Kensington charge and sync dock for iphone and ipod product#K33498 model#M01091, hope this is of some use.

Thanks for the tip. I ordered one via Amazon for $15. Will be here next week and will see how that works, posting my findings here.

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Mtnmedic · Dec 7, 2011

Got the Kensington Charge and Sync Doc for iPod and iPhone (Model # M01115) as mentioned above and shown below. Paid $15 total, including shipping, from Amazon. The dock is solid and well built. It has a nice bit of weight to it (3.53 oz) and has a firm rubber coating around the body and along the edges of the bottom so it's sturdy and relatively anti-skid/slide. It comes with a USB cable (you supply the AC adapter) and two charging well adapters, one for iPod and one for iPhone (they will work with all iPod Touch models and all models of the iPhone)-one is already installed- that adapt the dock to their respective devices. Neither adapter works with the iPhone 4/4S if it has any kind of case on it (ditto for iPods, I would assume), as the adapters are made to provide a perfect fit for "bare" devices. My 4S has an iFrogs Luxe case on it and I'd rather not be taking the bottom half of it off every time I want to charge the phone in the dock.

Removing the adapter that is already installed (there's a little slot where you can put a thumbnail or butterknife in to pop it right out) revealed a very spacious charging well that could accommodate an iPhone 4/4S wearing most cases (except the Otterbox...that thing is BIG). The dimensions of the charging well improve from approximately 2-3/8" long x 1/2" wide x 3/8" deep with the iPhone adapter installed to a little more than 2-1/2" long x 1" wide x almost 1/2" deep without any adapter installed. Of course, the docking the iPhone works perfectly but, even with its case on, there is approximately 1/8" clearance on each side of the phone (left and right), 1/8"-3/16" clearance in front of the phone and nearly a whopping 1/4" of clearance behind the iPhone.

That huge gap in the back made me nervous because the iPhone, now docked, would be supported and cantilevered in space solely by the charging pin plug. It seems to be reasonably solid and stabie, but one wrong bump backward and that could spell trouble for the plug and the charging jack on the iPhone. So, something was needed to bridge the gap and provide support for the iPhone's weight as it leans back at an angle when docked.

As a temporary measure, until I find something nicer and more solid, I used three strips of velcro (2 of pile and 1 of hooks)-making sure the soft pile from one of the strips would face outward to the back of the iPhone to prevent scratches. Together, the three strips mounted/stacked against each other and affixed to the rear wall of the charging well bridge the aforementioned gap nicely. Albeit they still allow for a tiny bit of give (as they are a bit flexible), they provide the right amount of thickness and a reasonably firm but soft surface for the iPhone to rest upon while docked. Check out my pictures below. It's not pretty but it gets the job done. I believe a single THICK piece of velcro pile or-even better-a single THICK piece of felt backing or even soft rubber cabinet bumpers, etc. would work rather well. This is a simple modification and you can use your imagination as to how you want to bridge the gap behind the iPhone. Of course, an iPhone with a bigger case might actually fit in the charging well fine without any sort of modification.

Finally, for what it's worth, I added a couple small, thin "egrips" brand grip-strips (they come in silver or black) to the bottom of the dock to provide extra skid/sliding resistance. There is a bit of a recess in the middle of the dock because edges of the bottom are raised by the dock's rubber coating. The strips fit perfectly flush with the rubber coating. This actually works very nicely.

So, there you have it: the charging dock solution for an iPhone 4/4S wearing a case at a great price.