Best Speaker Docks for iPhone

iPhone with AirPods
iPhone with AirPods (Image credit: iMore)

Although truly wireless speakers that use Bluetooth or Airplay have largely replaced the need for dock speakers for your iPhone, a good connected dock can still offer you a reliable way to listen to your music around your house.

You never have to worry about losing the speaker or running out of battery life, and you shouldn't lose any fidelity in sound and tone like you can with some wireless speakers. If you're looking for a great speaker with a built-in Lightning dock for your iPhone, here's some of our favorites.

Bose SoundDock Series III

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Bose is known for making superior quality speakers for years, and its SoundDock Series III brings that fantastic audio quality in Lightning-docked form.

It's a small, but loud 2.1 system that has two main drivers for all your mid and high-end tones, and an active subwoofer for all the bass, meaning you're going to hear this thing thump. Plus, you can control the entire speaker with the built-in remote, so you don't have to get up to switch tracks, pause music, or change the equalizer settings.

The Bose SoundDock Series III also has an standard AUX port on the rear, allowing you to connect other devices to the speaker as well.

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JBL OnBeat Mini

Small, but mighty, the JBL OnBeat Mini is perfect for carrying around your house.

The OnBeat Mini has a built-in rechargeable battery inside that allows you to use the dock wirelessly for up to eight hours of music playback. Of course, your iPhone won't charge unless the dock is plugged into the wall.

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iHome iPL8BN

This may look a little old school, but the iHome iPL8BN is a great dock for your bedroom.

Keeping on time is extra easy with the iHome iPL8BN as it automatically syncs to the same time your iPhone is every time you plug it in. Plus, you can set up to three alarms on the dock itself, meaning you shouldn't miss those early morning appointments.

As an added bonus, the iHome iPL8BN also comes with a standard FM tuner, which you can program with up to six presets. Perfect way to get the traffic updates before you head out on your daily commute.

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iLuv Aud 3

The iLuv Aud 3 is very similar to the Bose SoundDock Series III; however, not quite as powerful.

Its fairly large stature allows for more than enough sound to fill a room and is sleek enough in design to blend into most decors. While there is no remote, the controls are conveniently place on top of the speaker for easy access.

See at Amazon

Which dock do you use?

Let us know in the comments below!

Luke Filipowicz
Staff Writer

Luke Filipowicz has been a writer at iMore, covering Apple for nearly a decade now. He writes a lot about Apple Watch and iPad but covers the iPhone and Mac as well. He often describes himself as an "Apple user on a budget" and firmly believes that great technology can be affordable if you know where to look. Luke also heads up the iMore Show — a weekly podcast focusing on Apple news, rumors, and products but likes to have some fun along the way. 


Luke knows he spends more time on Twitter than he probably should, so feel free to follow him or give him a shout on social media @LukeFilipowicz.