iHome iA100 Bluetooth iPhone Alarm Clock Review

We were very excited when the iA100 from iHome arrived. We had high expectations and after a thorough check out, were not disappointed. The iA100’s sound was great, was easy to use, and worked well as a speakerphone.

The iA100 has that familiar look and feel of the iHome alarm clock. The iA100 follows this tradition with large easy to read numbers on the front, adjustable brightness settings and a modern sleek body design.

Bluetooth:
One of the major and perhaps best improvement is Bluetooth compatibility. Bluetooth allows you to listen to your music without docking the iPhone/iPad and turns the iA100 into a Speakerphone.

The procedure to pair (connect) your phone and the alarm clock (iA100) was easy. Make sure your phone is has Bluetooth enabled, then push the pairing button on the back of the iA100. The iPhone and iA100 should find each other and connect. Once you have the two devices paired you are done! No additional configuration is needed.

Speakerphone:
Once we had the devices connected, it was time to try out the speakerphone capability. The process was straight forward: We ensured the devices were connected via Bluetooth, Dialed the number on the iPhone and Let the iA100 take over. The iA100 Mic is located on the top of the unit and will override the iPhone Mic when the iA100 speakerphone is used.

The iA100 display text will change to Dialing, then to Connected when the other party answers the phone. On the iPhone you have the option to take the call through the iPhone, the iPhone Speaker, or the iA100, making it easy to switch from a standard iPhone call to a speakerphone call.

For incoming calls, ensure Bluetooth is enabled. When a call comes in, the phone number is displayed on the iA100. It can be answered from either the talk button on the iA100 to take the call as speakerphone call or, by answering the iPhone itself, to take the call as a traditional iPhone call.

Alarm Clock Functionality and Speaker Quality:
Like the other iHome Alarm clocks, the iA100 is very easy to use. The buttons are laid out well and the alarms are easy to set. The power adapter has the word “iHome” on it making it very clear which adapter goes with the alarm clock. This feature is a small touch but very helpful when you have a powerstrip or drawer full of adapters.

The speaker quality is excellent. It may be the best sounding iHome alarm clock to date. The sound is clear at loud volumes and we are sure that you will be very pleased with the quality.

App Capable:
The iA100 set up really shines when it is paired with the iHome+Sleep app. This app gives you the ability to control everything, from the length of the snooze, to Twitter and Facebook updates when you wake up. There is so much in this app that the app is worthy of its own review. All you need to know is that the iA100 and iHome+Sleep app is a great combination.

Remote Control:
A Remote Control is supplied with the iA100. It is just the right size with a sensible raised button layout making very easy to tell when a button has been pushed.

Summary:
All things considered, the iA100 is a feature rich, top of the line alarm clock. The list price is higher than most of the iPhone Alarm clocks but, with a little searching around, you should be able to find a satisfactory deal.

If you are looking for a quality speakerphone option, the iA100 is your best bet and perhaps the only serious option. If you don’t need the Bluetooth / speakerphone capabilities, one of the other iHome Alarm Clocks could be a better fit. But if you need a speakerphone, the iA100 is the recommended way to go. Good Luck!!!