Say what you will about the iPad just being an iPod touch with a bigger screen. Elonex has inadvertently found a way to prove that giving an iPhone or iPod touch a bigger screen doesn’t automatically turn it into an iPad.

The Elonex iDock XL is basically a large display with a space for docking an iPhone. When the iPhone is in place, you’ll be able to display photos or videos on the big screen while controlling everything using the iPhone’s touch gestures. Swiping your fingers at the big display won’t do anything.

Because Apple limits the video output of the iPhone, the iDock XL will only display photos and videos out of the box. But if you’re using a jailbroken iPhone anything that displays on your phone should show up on the big screen.

But here’s what you don’t get: A faster processor, a higher resolution display, the ability to run iPad-specific applications, the ability to touch the large screen to perform actions, or the respect of your peers.

The Elonex iDock XL is available for pre-order in the UK for £149 or about $230 US.

via Last 100

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2 replies on “Elonex iDock XL doesn’t quite turn your iPhone into an iPad”

  1. Depends what you think you’re planning on using an iPad for? Lugging around as an eBook reader (will never work the iPad is too big, too heavy, with an usuitable screen and small battery life for this), lugging around for the occasional emergency internet browsing (very much doubt it for the same reasons as mentioned before), as a phone (not really something you’re going to take with you along with a blue tooth headset). So what is the iPad for then – a home browsing experience – that’s all it can be. But of course whilst you can browse, it’s not the most comfortable to hold, you can’t sit with it on your lap and if you want to use at an appropriate angle, you’ll need to buy a stand or docking station. Of course you can’t book train tickets online cos the browser doesn’t support flash and there’s no way to print them without having a regular PC hooked up to a printer. So you’ve just paid $800 or more for less functionality and practicility than a $200 netbook. Don’t get me wrong – I like the iPad, it’s just that it has no sensible function.

    Now the Elonex device to me is interesting despite the drawbacks highlighted by the other post. I will buy a new iPhone v4 and I will take this with me as a phone and as a music player, and as camera, and as an emergency internet browser and it does all these things really well and is functional for all those purposes. What I could do with, is a bigger screen to attach it to when I’m not moving about – and here it is. Assuming Elonex make a version to work with the v4 iPhone then screen resolution will be pretty much sorted, processor will be faster by default and it’ll be a fraction of the price of an iPad and a shole load more useful for the specific function it (and iPad) was designed i.e. an improvement on occasional in-home web and email browsing.

  2. Personally I think its a waste of money. Go for the whole deal (the ipad)

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