Review: Bracketron MetalDock For iPhone 4/4S

With the troop here at GS Headquarters getting ready to retire our iPhone 4S companions, we still have a couple things left up our sleeves for all you readers. Even though we’ll all be sporting the latest and the greatest out of Cupertino, the iPhone 4/4S are still alive and well, being sold at a $99 price point as well as a free price point, so the accessories are still alive and well. Especially all those companies that made a living off of the 30-pin connector as well as design/size.

As I wrap up my time with my 4S, I found a little accessory sitting at my doorstep. Intrigued as I wasn’t expecting anything, I opened it up with a fat old smile on my face. The Bracketron MetalDock, an accessory I remember hearing about a while back and was very interested in trying out. The brushed metal finish would look incredible sitting next to my 27″ iMac. From a design standpoint, I felt it would look incredible when matched up with the rest of the Apple paraphernalia littering my desktop. So let’s see how this little guy stood up, or at least how it helped my iPhone stand up…

The MetalDock is extremely lightweight and very portable, which is perfect for the on-the-go traveler that needs a way to easily charge and use their iPhone as an alarm clock. Dressed all in metal, the MetalDock is a heavy-duty yet features a very minimal design. Nothing more than a small L-shaped piece of material with a 30-pin connector, and a 3′ USB cable are all you get in this sexy little package.

Designed for use in both landscape and portrait mode, it’s great for use at your desk or on the nightstand. It works great with all of the alarm clock and clock apps on the market. The integrated USB cable is just that, a USB cable, so you’ll need a 12-volt wall adapter so you can plug it in, but assuming you have an iPhone, you’ll probably have one of those lying around somewhere.

I was somewhat worried once I pulled it out of the packaging about how it would stay standing once the iPhone was set in place. Good news is the rubber feet on the bottom near the cable work great and hold the iPhone securely in place, even when violently slapping at it in the dead dark of morning attempting to turn it off. Something I should mention is that this will only work with an uncased iPhone 4/4S, there is no extra room for even that of the slimmest case. With that said, the iPhone, when naked, fits perfectly in this neat little design.

The 3′ cable is a very nice feature, it is embedded into the dock, so you won’t be able to unplug it from the device and store it separately, which isn’t a big deal but worth noting. I did find this too short at times, at the computer it is great, not too much extra slack but when using it as an alarm clock in the bedroom, I didn’t have enough range from the outlet to the top of my dresser. The USB cable is a nice feature as you can use it at the computer, or in a wall socket with an adapter, which makes this highly portable. The downfall with this is that you will need the adapter. The USB-to-12-volt isn’t included, so you’ll either need to travel with the one that ships with your iPhone or pick another up from Apple or any of the other retailers that make those things.

The Good

• Extremely lightweight and portable

• Gorgeous design that will look great anywhere

• Landscape and portrait orientation

• Fast charging support

The Bad

• MetalDock doesn’t ship with USB-to-outlet adapter

• No support for even the slimmest of cases

• 3′ cable is a tad on short side

Wrap Up

If you are looking to replace your clunky old bedside alarm clock – or you already have – and are looking for a better way to display that newly downloaded Night Stand 2 HD [iTunes Link], the Bracketron MetalDock is the perfect accessory for you. Whether stuck at home or on the go, there is no better way to utilize that powerful iPhone in a sexy way all while you sleep. A gorgeous design that looks great anywhere, fully function with all alarm clock apps, and support for both landscape and portrait orientation make this the perfect accessory for your iPhone. Do remember this is only for the iPhone 4/4S. Hopefully an iPhone 5 model will be release, but I will test out my iPhone 5 with this when it arrives. We’ll see if that extra height makes it any more top heavy.

For only $35, the MetalDock is a must-buy for the traveler or anyone looking for a nice way to utilize their iPhone more as a clock-alarm-clock aside from the built-in option.

Thanks to Bracketron and Max Borges for the review unit!

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