Flaw Revealed During iPhone Dock Disassembly

[Edward Kirk]

<img src="http://www.iphonealley.com/images/storyimages/july07/iphonedock_sm.jpg" align="right"> <a href="http://fastmac.com/" target="_blank">FastMac</a> recently did a tear-down of the iPhone's dock, and it looks as though they may have found a flaw. Some of you may have noticed that the iPhone's sound input and output is muffled when the iPhone is docked, despite the small holes cut in the bottom to allow the transfer of sound too and from the speaker and microphone when it is docked.The pictures taken by FastMac seem to show the problem to be either the result of poor design or a manufacturing flaw.<!--break-->

Those little holes, where they functioning properly, would probably work just fine in theory, but it is apparent that in reality they do not. When FastMac opened a dock up, they discovered why. The problem? Those neatly made little holes don't lead to anywhere. It turns out that they're physichally blocked off on the inside. Why would they do this? Who knows.

(pictures courtesy of FastMac)

<center><a href="http://www.iphonealley.com/images/storyimages/july07/fas_iphonedock1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.iphonealley.com/images/storyimages/july07/fas_iphonedock1_thumb.jpg"></a> <a href="http://www.iphonealley.com/images/storyimages/july07/fas_iphonedock2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.iphonealley.com/images/storyimages/july07/fas_iphonedock2_thumb.jpg"></a></center>

[Unregistered]

My iPhone dock sounds just fine with my iPhone docked and the holes lead to a small linear opening all across the front of the dock. It even works well for speaker phone calls

[Edward Kirk]

My iPhone dock sounds just fine with my iPhone docked and the holes lead to a small linear opening all across the front of the dock. It even works well for speaker phone calls

Hmm, interesting. This makes me wonder if the dock that FastMac used was from a bad batch.