# Sirius XM SkyDock for the IPhone



## Chris Blount

The rumors were true. At an invitation-only media event in New York City this morning, Sirius XM (SIRI) debuted the first-ever radio dock for the iPhone and iPod touch.

Dubbed SkyDock, the $119.99 peripheral uses iPhone OS 3's support for third-party hardware to transform Apple (AAPL) handsets into full-fledged satellite radios. Designed to run off a car's cigarette power adapter, the SkyDock charges your iPhone while you listen to it. It works in concert with the the Sirius/XM iPhone app and supports the ability to tag songs for download from iTunes. Better yet, it gives users access to all XM and"The Best of SIRIUS" channels, even those the company infamously excludes from its online feed, like Howard Stern, MLB Play-by-Play and NFL Play-by-Play.

*Full story and press release*


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## Grentz

Looks neat, wish it was sirius though.

I have a sirius account already for the car, dont have one on XM though 

The other downside is it is still cheaper to get a standalone radio that you can take into your house and use on your home stereo, etc. This I guess you could too if you rigged up a 12v jack, but kinda a hack.


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## uod

Not a hack really --- 12v to AC converters are cheap and easy to find. 

I thinkg the fact that the iPhone offers a clean user interface that is easy to update will draw some people towards this.

I don't have a XM or Sirius subscription now, but this device is making me lean towards getting one. I love my iPhone ... and anything I can get to extend its features is a "win" in my book.


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## Valve1138

Too bad the iPhone app they offer doesn't have all of the content a full on radio offers.


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## MikeW

I wonder how well it handles the "interruption" of an incoming call. I use Pocket Tunes for my entertainment and have to restart the app everytime I get a call. It is rather annoying to have to go through that everytime somebody calls.


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## Ken S

MikeW said:


> I wonder how well it handles the "interruption" of an incoming call. I use Pocket Tunes for my entertainment and have to restart the app everytime I get a call. It is rather annoying to have to go through that everytime somebody calls.


I don't think the iPhone/iPod OS is capable of any type of multitasking.


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## DustoMan

Valve1138 said:


> Too bad the iPhone app they offer doesn't have all of the content a full on radio offers.


This won't use the current XM Online app. The device has it's own app and XM Radio chipset in it giving the user access to the entire XM subscription service.


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## DustoMan

Ken S said:


> I don't think the iPhone/iPod OS is capable of any type of multitasking.


Exactly, and how many people keep the radio on and at normal volume when taking a call while driving?


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## Canis Lupus

Ken S said:


> I don't think the iPhone/iPod OS is capable of any type of multitasking.


The iPod portion of the OS does in fact fade down when a call comes in, and fade back up where it left off after the call ends.

iPod also plays in the background while running other apps.


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## MikeW

DustoMan said:


> Exactly, and how many people keep the radio on and at normal volume when taking a call while driving?


I'm talking about how the system would perform after the call. Would you have to restart the app and find your station again? A nice trick would be to have XM pause the stream while you're on the phone, then return where you left off when you hang up.

While I'm sure some will find this compelling, I think you're better off having two devices that handle these two tasks.


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## MikeW

Canis Lupus said:


> The iPod portion of the OS does in fact fade down when a call comes in, and fade back up where it left off after the call ends.
> 
> iPod also plays in the background while running other apps.


Forgot about that...


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## DustoMan

MikeW said:


> I'm talking about how the system would perform after the call. Would you have to restart the app and find your station again? A nice trick would be to have XM pause the stream while you're on the phone, then return where you left off when you hang up.
> 
> While I'm sure some will find this compelling, I think you're better off having two devices that handle these two tasks.


The TOMTOM GPS app pauses when a call comes in and then resumes where it left off automatically when the call is ended. There's no reason why this XM app couldn't resume on the channel it was on when the call came in. Buffering while you're taking the call would be a different story. That would probably go against Apple's policy.

EDIT: Oh and Orbitcast has a couple more close up pics of the device:
http://www.orbitcast.com/archives/pics-new-xm-skydock-satellite-radio-controller-for-iphone.html


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## elaclair

MikeW said:


> I'm talking about how the system would perform after the call. Would you have to restart the app and find your station again? A nice trick would be to have XM pause the stream while you're on the phone, then return where you left off when you hang up.
> 
> While I'm sure some will find this compelling, I think you're better off having two devices that handle these two tasks.


You can probably count on it handling the fade-out, fade-in okay, the question will be whether it's able to pause (buffer) the stream while you're on the call.....


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## TBlazer07

Wondering how many people will subscribe to XM BECAUSE OF this device. Don't think too many. You can buy a full loaded XM or SIRIUS radio with built in "DVR" for close to the same price. Convergence is nice but ......... ehhhhh. Just another gimmick.


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## rudeney

TBlazer07 said:


> Wondering how many people will subscribe to XM BECAUSE OF this device. Don't think too many. You can buy a full loaded XM or SIRIUS radio with built in "DVR" for close to the same price. Convergence is nice but ......... ehhhhh. Just another gimmick.


Yeah, I have to agree here. My car has Sirius built-in, so I can control it safely from the steering wheel controls. I have a spare Sportster and a SUBX1 that I use when I want to take Sirius portable (beach, pool, around the house, etc.).


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## Grentz

uod said:


> Not a hack really --- 12v to AC converters are cheap and easy to find.


Yes, BUT, it is still on the long mount so it would have to sit awkwardly and not be easy to control as well as the lack of remote.

It would be cool if they had it convertible to a home dock somehow though (like a little stand or something). Until then, the dedicated players will just seem like a better option for the money IMO.


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## Yoda-DBSguy

Ken S said:


> I don't think the iPhone/iPod OS is capable of any type of multitasking.


You'd be incorrect. If you use a jailbroken iPhone, you can install "backgrounder", which allows multitasking in the backgound.

It would operate much in the same manner as the tomtom app does now on the iPhone.

While it's runing, I have it playing music which gets put on pause while it's giving turn by turn voice guidance; then unpauses and goes to music while it's done and stays within the app. If a call comes in it handles it in the same manner (music or guidance goes on pause while in the call then resumes once the call is completed).

Since I have a alpine car stereo which incpoorates bluetooth, all audio is played though the car speakers system so its a huge plus. A siuis or xm app could be handeled in the same manner to yield a truely usable system while driving....


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## theshoehorn

Looks to me like this is just the user interface. Everything is built into the "SkyDock" and uses an antenna, not streaming over the data connection. I probably won't buy this since I have the MiRGE, but if I didn't I would definitely order it up. It's such a nice alternative to everything else!


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## JMII

This is for people who can't get a good AT&T G3 cell phone signal while driving, it uses the XM satellite to pickup the channels. Basically its just an XM radio whose UI (user interface) is running on an iPhone OR iPod Touch (thus avoiding AT&T all together). Think of it like any other aftermarket radio (Alpine, Pioneer, Kenwood) but you use the iPhone or Touch to change channels. At $120 its clearly a niche product since you could buy a stand alone plug-n-play XM radio for much LESS.

The ability to "tag" songs for purchase from the iTunes Store is one nice feature, as I don't think the standard SiriusXM streaming app has that feature currently.


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## ryarber

I like it, but I also like universal remotes. I guess some of you don't like the idea of those either. To me, the more stuff I can get in one device the better. I hate electronic clutter.

Between an iPhone, an XM radio, and a Garmin, things get out of hand quickly.


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## MX727

Yoda-DBSguy said:


> You'd be incorrect. If you use a jailbroken iPhone, you can install "backgrounder", which allows multitasking in the backgound.


+1,000,000

I'm amazed that everyone hasn't jailbroken their phone. It's simple and, wow, what a difference it makes in being able to use all of the capabilities of the phone. I guess, many are just afraid that they are doing something that will void the warranty or cause problems. The thing is, a jailbreak is 100% reversible.


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## carlsbad_bolt_fan

MX727 said:


> +1,000,000
> 
> I'm amazed that everyone hasn't jailbroken their phone. It's simple and, wow, what a difference it makes in being able to use all of the capabilities of the phone. I guess, many are just afraid that they are doing something that will void the warranty or cause problems. The thing is, a jailbreak is 100% reversible.


I've got the iPhone 3gS. From what I've read, jailbreaking is iffy at best with the latest firmware.


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## Chris Blount

MX727 said:


> +1,000,000
> 
> I'm amazed that everyone hasn't jailbroken their phone. It's simple and, wow, what a difference it makes in being able to use all of the capabilities of the phone. I guess, many are just afraid that they are doing something that will void the warranty or cause problems. The thing is, a jailbreak is 100% reversible.


Jailbreaking slows my phone down and sucks the battery dry very quick. No thanks.


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## Terry K

I'm sick of this Iphone crap. I refuse to pay AT&T's extortion for this device and all these idiots who refuse to acknowledge that there's a phone other than the Iphone REALLY rubs me the wrong way. I use a Blackberry. My carrier isn't AT&T and won't be anytime soon. 

Every time someone creates a new item for it, Apple gets free advertising. 


As far as I'm concerned, the Iphone can go shove it. I have no use for it.


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## jhays

Terry K said:


> I'm sick of this Iphone crap. I refuse to pay AT&T's extortion for this device and all these idiots who refuse to acknowledge that there's a phone other than the Iphone REALLY rubs me the wrong way. I use a Blackberry. My carrier isn't AT&T and won't be anytime soon.
> 
> Every time someone creates a new item for it, Apple gets free advertising.
> 
> As far as I'm concerned, the Iphone can go shove it. I have no use for it.


Terry K

Then why are you posting in an iPhone thread?


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## Terry K

jhays said:


> Terry K
> 
> Then why are you posting in an iPhone thread?


I read this thread thinking maybe they'd enhance support for a device other than Apple's piece of extortion. But no.

And I can't get one. Period. My carrier isn't AT&T. So this device is useless to the greatest majority of cell phone users. Again, no iphone = no love.


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## Grentz

Terry K said:


> I'm sick of this Iphone crap. I refuse to pay AT&T's extortion for this device and all these idiots who refuse to acknowledge that there's a phone other than the Iphone REALLY rubs me the wrong way. I use a Blackberry. My carrier isn't AT&T and won't be anytime soon.
> 
> Every time someone creates a new item for it, Apple gets free advertising.
> 
> As far as I'm concerned, the Iphone can go shove it. I have no use for it.


I agree with you on some levels, I really do....but now the iPhone is really no more extortion than any other smartphone with a data plan.

The Data for iPhone costs the same as a Blackberry on Verizon or ATT....and the phone itself is not that expensive anymore (I can get one for less than $100).

My biggest complaint is the extortion ALL the carriers have on Data plans. $30/mo or $60/mo with tethering is just insane.


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## MX727

carlsbad_bolt_fan said:


> I've got the iPhone 3gS. From what I've read, jailbreaking is iffy at best with the latest firmware.


Not true, I've had a 3Gs from day one. There have been very few problems and I've had none.

The benefits are huge to me:

Turn by Turn moving map GPS - Free with xGPS

Ability to stream Sirius with Pocket Tunes and have true multitasking with Backgrounder.

Five programs on the dock, five columns in the springboard.

My calendar displayed on the lock screen.

Google Voice

Skype works without WiFi

Internet tethering

Can change the appearance (Themes) of the phone and icons to make it uniquely mine. Not the most important thing, but it is nice to be able to do.

There have also been updates to the jailbreaks, which fixed the battery issues that some were having.


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## neOHIOdishNETWORKdealer-1

Can't you just use the iPhone Safari web Browser to go to the xmradio web site and click on listen online now?


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## MX727

neOHIOdishNETWORKdealer said:


> Can't you just use the iPhone Safari web Browser to go to the xmradio web site and click on listen online now?


No, iPhone doesn't have a native app for streaming WMA audio.


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## gruversm

For the owners of the iPhone dock: will iPhones with silicone cases fit in the dock?


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## Yoda-DBSguy

gruversm said:


> For the owners of the iPhone dock: will iPhones with silicone cases fit in the dock?


Depends on the thicknes and the design of the specific case.

They make dockable cases....


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## jmdaniel

gruversm said:


> For the owners of the iPhone dock: will iPhones with silicone cases fit in the dock?


Yes, there are three different "clicks" you are squeezing the two arms around the iPhone. I have a D-Lo silicone case, and the first click locks it down.


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## mrpepper

iPhone coming to Verizon? Has anyone heard anything new on this. I would love to get an iPhone and this skydock!


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## jmdaniel

No word on that. A lot of folks thought they would announce that earlier this week, but it was all iPad, all the time. I know what you mean about Verizon, the "Mark The Spot" iPhone app is one I use very often.


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