SkyDock – The Best Satellite Radio Made Yet
If you have had satellite radio for a long time, you have likely seen your fair share of the various hardware options that were made available by Sirius and XM. Now that satellite radio is all under one umbrella, the best satellite radio to date has finally been developed. The XM SkyDock.
Out of the box it may not seem like much, but combine SkyDock with an iPhone or iPod Touch and you really have something special. Simply stated, SkyDock blows away any other satellite radio ever made.
What makes SkyDock special? Let’s start with installation. It could not be more simple. SkyDock features PowerConnect. A technology that mounts and runs this device right from your cars cigarette lighter socket. PowerConnect does away with the traditional FM modulator and running power cords. You can simply plug in the SkyDock, attach the antenna, and you are jamming to the tunes that only Sirius XM can deliver.
Skydock delivers satellite radio through a user interface in the form of an app that can be downloaded from iTunes. Once you have the SkyDock app downloaded, get ready for a user interface that is unmatched by any other satellite radio out there. You can scroll through channels with the flick of a finger, and the tuning is virtually instantaneous. Simple and logical menus guide you through the robust offering of music, sports and talk content, and you can tag songs you like for future download on iTunes.
SkyDock carries advanced features such as sports tickers, notifications when your favorite teams are playing, artist select, and even has a section where you can access your favorite channel listings. The best part is that the actual satellite radio is in the SkyDock, not in your iPhone. This means that getting a “new” radio is as simple as an update to the application. You no longer have to fear that your radio will be outdated, because the functionality is in your existing iPhone or iPod Touch. When Sirius XM update the app or add features, you are a few clicks away from having the latest and greatest offerings.
If SkyDock is your first satellite radio, I envy you. You have a wonderful product that combines ease installation, ease of use, and the best audio content on the market all in one place……PLUS, you can make a phone call, check your email, and have full access to your contact list! SkyDock is not only the ultimate satellite radio, but perhaps one of the coolest iPhone accessories to hit the market yet. Stay tuned for a full review.
For Sirius investors this is about as close to getting in bed with Apple as it gets. Apple is a controling company that does not easily give its endorsements. Nothing but good can come out of this. A perfect stocking stuffer for any iPhone or Itouch owner. All that is needed now is an intense marketing campaign to let the general population know about this great product and satrad. This has to happen soon if Sirius-XM is to benefit from this year’s Christmas buying frenzy.
Now I have heard everything.
How much is Sirius or TSS paying you for the endorsement?
The best SatRad ever made?
Don’t make me laugh.
I went into my local Best Buy yesterday and was a bit discouraged by what I found. First I went to the iPhone section and saw nothing about the Skydock. I then proceeded to the MP3 Player section and again found nothing. Next, I went to the Apple Section, which is a farly large area staffed with an Apple employee…again nothing. He had never heard of the Skydock…totally clueless. Finally, I went to the car audio section (where I knew the Dkydock would be). I saw nothing on display, no ads or any kind of marketing. I asked the teenie booper who was working the section if he had any Skydocks in Stock. He said he never heard of it. I looked all around and saw them hidden in a locked glass case totally out of site in an unlit, low-to-the ground locked case.
If this is it, then I don’t expect to see much in the way of incremental sales from this product.
this is what im talking about–Where are the displays that are portable, colorful and hold the skydock plus other receivers so that they can be placed into high traffic areas–Remember those type displays several years back? Best buy needs these–Wake up Sirius!
I will say that, last week- I found a nice display right in the front of our local Radio Shack. Apparently, they were set for an Oct 19 launch date- so they only had empty boxes and literature- but the display was right up front as you walked in the door.
I haven’t checked our local Best Buy though.
Everything in this article is irrelevant if people don’t know about the product – and how great the service is. This is their golden opportunity! Is Sirius/XM going to continue with their usual apathy? Why don’t they see that they are on the threshold of having mass appeal? I don’t understand this companies lack of ambition. These opportunities don’t come around often; timing is everything! For Gods sake Mel, would you please snap out of your coma??!!
boo boo poopy pants will chime in on this im sure….
It would be nice if the FM modulator let the iPhone be used as a speaker/car phone as well, but I guess it might let the Bluetooth integration take care of that.
While I’d love to see them do more agressive marketing, I don’t want them to do so at the expense of them turning the corner and becoming profitable. Perhaps they are concentrating their markeing efforts closer to the holiday seasons. I’ve got to belive this is the case.
With that said, its disappointing to see such a secretive launch of the Skydock.
I don’t understand how it connects with PowerConnect. Can someone explain how I can listen to Sirius though my cigarette lighter and no FM modulator?
I’m somewhat guessing on this, but I think it uses the metal components throughout your car (via gigarette lighter) to transmit FM signals to your FM antenna. Obviously it is going to transmit to your FM Radio.
If it transmits to your FM radio, the audio quality will likely suffer. Aux jack from my trusty “lil ‘ol SkyFi generation 1 plugged into my Aux input in my car stereo is the best fidelity for me. I can always tell a difference betueen using my old FM modulator tuned to 88…/107… and Aux input. I had to turn up my volume a lot to hear anything decent with the FM modulator.
USB maybe????
Then again, what difference does it make you’re still getting piss poor programming compared to pre-merger/acquisition? Basically its like a pile of shit in a gold-plated gift box. The box has more value then the content.
I ain’t buying one. Too much trouble for me.
It’s Marketing Time!!! Know is the X-Mass season! It’s the end of Oct. and people are thinking what to get someone and some people start their shopping early to beat the crowds. So I would hope that tight budget or not you have to take the risk of marketing this new product. Spencer’s article is no doubt a positive but at some point you do have to spend money! The ease & simplicity of the product makes it user friendly which in the past was not the case!
Use the ROY ORBISON’s song “Anything You Want” as the theme for the new Sky Dock! “Anything you want you got it, anything you need you got it, anything you at all you got it, WITH SIRIUS XM YOU HAVE IT”! (You could use a computor generated ad that shows Orbison singing the song & digitaly dub in the last part of the lyrics as if he were singing the whole song).
Sorry, 3rd verse should be “anything at all you got it”!
Spencer,
Do you have to purchase a new subscription to use the SkyDock?
Yes. You must subscribe to XM service. If you want to get Howard, you must add “Best of Sirius” to your subscription.
Thanks,
I have XM with the Best of Sirius in my 2006 CTS, but the radio does not offer any special features. So, my question is would I need to buy another subscription to use the SkyDock?
Stuart….
Yes, you would have to activate a skydock. You could add it onto your family plan, or turn off the factory radio in favor of a skydock
Apple just revamped their apple store and no mention of Skydock; anyone venture a guess as to why not?
You have to be smoking something.
This radio will become the Edsel of Sirius-XM.
It is COMPLETELY USELESS to anyone with a Sirius subscription.
You need an XM subscription to actually use it.
Too bad you couldn’t actually state that in your “unbiased” review.
Tyler, Spencer or whatever your name is.
The FTC has new rules that require you to disclose payment for the type of review you are making.
The best SatRad receiver ever made?
How much is TSS or Sirius paying you to make such BS claims?
bah bah…..
1. I now have an XM subscription. No real issue there.
2. Feel free to conntact the FTC. They can come and look at anything they want. no issues there because TSS Radio did not pay for my opinion, not=r did Sirius XM or anyone else.
3. You on the other hand are slanering me with your baseless and factless claim. Why don’t you stop hiding behind your alias here, fake email addresses, ect. If you are going to attack my credibility do it with your own name.
You really need to learn the definition of slander.
I simply asked a question based on your utterly ridiculous posting regarding the SkyDock.
Not once have you even mentioned that the device is only useful to those with an XM subscription.
Actually, the XM SkyDock is useful to play your iTunes library, watch and hear downloaded videos and movies, listen to others on your iPhone through you vehicle sound system and charge said iPhone or iPod Touch.
I just got back from my local Best Buy here in Appalachia north, otherwise known as upstate New York. I walked into the store with no preconceived notions; I walked out feeling frustrated and depressed. I wanted to see if they had the Skydock, and whether it was drawing any attention from the assorted nerds, geeks, and smattering of white trash hillbillies who were lurking about. I walked into the store, and proceeded to the very back of the store, seemingly miles away from any life-form – that special area where nobody under the age of 30 ever wanders near. The sales person, a pleasant young guy named Levethian… or Tyronius… or Brocribbian… I can’t remember exactly, asked me if I needed help. I told him I didn’t, and then I picked up one of the 4 Skydocks from the shelf, held it in front of me, and asked him if they were selling very well. His response was “What is that thing?” He had no idea what it was, what it did, and then explained to me that he works in alot of different departments… and doesn’t get back to the barren wasteland region of the store very often. It was so lonely where the Skydock was stocked, with so few customers milling around, that I thought I was going to have to start a fire so the rescue planes might notice me. No decent displays, all of the Skydocks on a low, barely visible shelf, and of course just about as far away from the i-phones/touches as humanly possible.
This Skydock might be the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel – or at least sliced bread. Too bad so many people will never find out. Those marketing geniuses at Sirius/XM are up to their old tricks, I’m afraid. God help us all!
Forgive me if I’ve said this before. Didn’t the Inno already do all of this? Oh, and it has a home dock.
Rich….
The inno is a fine unit. However, the Skydock in concert with the skydock app provides a much better user interface, and you have combined your satellite radio, adreess book, emails, internet, etc.
The Inno could not accomplish this
Ah, “There lies the rub”
Is it better to have a device that kinda does a number of things OK or a device that does one thing really great?
For me, I’ll take the Inno (if I WAS gonna upgrade..I’m still using my trusty ‘lil ‘ol SkyFi generation 1 that is working fine after 7 years between vehicles,office docking station & a sat rad “boombox” I bought at a Circut City close out for $50). I’m not really interested in buying anything new because the quality of programming has decreased since the merger/acquisition and I don’t want to transfer my account to another device since I have about another year on my multi-year subscription and I really think Mel’s actions are gonna be the downfall of SiriusFM and I ain’t gonna support anything that Mel & his minions (like VP & Chief of Programming Mr. Greenstein).
It’s not my trusty ‘lil ‘ol Skyfi’s fault that it has to transmit shitty programming so what is the point of buying something new that will still offer substituted channels, yakking/banal DJ’s and piss poor programming?
Plus, looks like the Skydock is just another device to distract the shit out of you while you are driving. At least my trusty ‘lil ‘ol SkyFi has buttons and even the little remote that work just fine while I’m driving and is no more distraction than the dashboard radio. Probably less when you use the little remote cause its by my side.
My trusty ‘lil ‘ol SkyFi had about 4 happy years of providing the best in radio broadcasting since the golden era of “Underground FM radio in late 60’s-early 70’s. It was my darling.
Now it wears a sad face and apoligzes profusely for transmitting sub-par programming.
I’ve told it it’s not its fault that a bunch of no-brain suits got too greedy and ahead of themselves and were the cause of the decline in programming and other shit for brains programming suits gutted what once was such a great thing to tout to non Sat-Rad (and potential subscribers)types. It dosen’t seem to understand all of this but it is such trooper that it is ashamed anyway.
Poor little fella……………
Sirius XM SkyDock is listed on the Apple-Store website finally. It’s my first time finding it. It’s Sunday, October 25. Good news – a slick, innovative Sirius XM product in position to be a part of a 40,000,000 + pipeline of consumers using their iPhones and iPods every day…
Great display of Sirius XM Skydock in a Radioshack store in Bergen, County, N.J.. Big poster. Nice layout in the front of the store! Excellent exposure!