Review: iBolt's ChargeDock brings easy iPhone charging to the desk or the dashboard

One of a long list of accessory makers with "i" in their name, iBolt has mostly focused on in-car products for much of its history. The specific ChargeDock line was already available for Android devices, but the new product is the first ChargeDock for iPhone.

Touted as "the world's first magnetic charging dock for your iPhone," iBolt's ChargeDock has a unique gimmick. The ChargeDock itself has four magnets, to hold the phone in place. The user's iPhone connects to the dock's lightning connector, while the back of the phone connects to the dock, with a pair of metal plates assisting in the magnetization.

This can work either with or without a case. The metal plate is ideally supposed to go between the iPhone and the case, or without a case, between the iPhone and the dock.

The product comes with iBolt's ROK 3 suction mount, an existing product that the company also sells separately, as well as a mini-ball. The setup makes it possible to place it in several different configurations.

How it works

AppleInsider played around with the ChargeDock for two days, setting it up both on a desktop and in the car. It does the job, but is far from the best product of its kind.

The ChargeDock looks good. The parts are quality, nothing falls apart, and the charger actually charges — but all this is a low bar to hurdle. For the in-car use especially, the ChargeDock is an improvement over just leaving the iPhone on the seat.

The setup also leaves the camera open, allowing the user to use the phone as a dashcam. I drove around for about 40 minutes, and my iPhone stayed in place the entire time, even with sudden stops.

On the other hand

As for the bad? The ChargeDock doesn't run on the Qi standard, so there's no wireless charging. Dealing with a tiny metal plate that has be repeatedly removed — and will be incredibly easy to lose — is no one's idea of convenient, and leaving it in the case interferes with Qi once out of the car.

Worse than that, the device simply doesn't work with heavier and thicker cases. I tried it with a few different durable cases — including two different models of Spigen Tough Armor cases — and neither reached down far enough to charge properly, so I needed to use it case-free. Also, if you're using a pre-iPhone 7 model, the set-up doesn't allow access to the headphone jack at all, which is bad news for those who use their auxiliary cord in the car.

Functional as the product is on the outside, the need for magnets and the lack of Qi functionality, plus a lack of access to the headphone jack, make the ChargeDock less than the sum of its parts.

2.5 out of 5

The device works fine for what it does, especially in the car, but for your charging needs, you may be better-advised to check out a Qi-enabled charger for a newer phone, or one that allows access to the headphone jack on older iPhones, of which there are several on the market.

Where to buy

The ChargeDock isn't on the market yet; it's actually being introduced through an Indiegogo campaign that's meant to support its upcoming launch. That campaign, though, seems unlikely to succeed, as it has only raised $109 to date, out of a "flexible" goal of $10,000, with its April 14 deadline just under a week away.

Any user can get the ChargeDock by contributing either $30 or $40 to the Indiegogo campaign; $60 will get you the dock plus a T-Shirt with the company logo.