Review: iPhone 3G FM Transmitter + Car Charger

18Sep08

This item appears to be a fairly new product from Hong Kong since I’ve only recently found it on eBay. You can find it there for about $20 and I’ve seen this product in the mall for $45! After a long shipping time I finally received it.

Here is what I have to say…

iPhone 3G FM Transmitter Specifications

SPECIFICATION:

Mini FM transmitter with LCD display
Compatible with all iPods, as well as iPhone, iPhone 3G
Receiver sensitivity: < -80dBm (Per 1%)
Signal noise ratio (SNR>68DB)
Frequency: 87.6~107.9MHz, 0.1 MHz / step
Power from iPod & iPhone
Distance: 33ft (in open space)
Operating temp & Humidity: 14~122 F.O ~98%
Work current: 25mA
Voltage: 3.3V

iPhone 3G, iPhone, Touch, Nano, Classic, Nano3

This particular kit claims to be compatible with the original iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPod Touch, Classic, and 3rd Generation Nano. It may be compatible with other iPods but I haven’t tested them. I have, however, tested it on the iPhone 3G and 3rd Generation Nano. Although, if it works on the 3rd generation nanos then I fully expect that it would also work for other iPods that are not listed here. (Where’s the 2nd generation nano?)

Car Charger, FM Transmitter, USB Connector

The dimensions of the transmitter is roughly 3.7 x 3.1 x 0.9 cm and is fairly large compared to some of the other transmitters from HK. Because it is so wide, it may not plug in with some iPhone cases (such as my Griffin Elan Form). It’s one of the prettier looking transmitters and you can tell that this particular one is designed with the iPhone in mind with black front and a chrome edge.

Playing some music.

An extra bonus regarding this kit is that the car charger is actually a USB port which theoretically means it will charge any device that can get its juice via USB like a PSP Slim, GPS, other mp3 player, etc. Unfortunately, the charger’s contacts aren’t very good as it frequently disconnects as you move it around.

I also tried to charge with the transmitter at home using Apple’s tiny USB adapter overnight. Strangely, my iPhone would indicate that it is charging, but it’s really not! I left the phone “charging” at almost full power and in the morning my it was on the brink of death.

When inserted, the transmitter feels good but slightly flimsy. The face of the transmitter is slightly higher than the iPhone’s screen and the bottom of the transmitter is much higher than the iPhone’s back. I can also tell how cheap the plastic feels by simply squeezing it lightly; it makes a clicking sound as if something is snapping into place.

In my first test in a stationary car, the sound quality is quite good. I have tried another transmitter from Hong Kong and it is very obvious that it has a lot of dead spots. You have to spend some time adjusting its location and angle to get the best sound. For this transmitter, the signal is very good and you hear little fuzz regardless of where it is in the car.

My second test was in the same car, but moving. I heard a light fuzz in the background and the signal quality wasn’t as good anymore as there were some angles and locations where the audio quality was poor. At that time, I received a call and to my disappointment, I found out that calls cannot be transmitted. To make or receive calls you will have to use the phone’s internal speaker to listen to the other side. I suppose this is a good thing if you are concerned about eavesdropping.

The LCD screen lights up when plugged in.

You use the buttons on the right side to change frequencies. Strangely, the above specifications sat that its frequency ranges from 87.6 – 107.9 MHz but I could only adjust it from 88.1 – 107.9 MHz.

Because the transmitter uses the iPhone battery, it does not require any. You charge the iPhone using the transmitter’s connector port at the bottom. I wonder then how fast does the battery drain without being charged?

For a $20 transmitter, this is actually a really good deal. It includes a generic USB car charger so you can charge more than just your iThing and the sound quality is generally clear. The equipment probably isn’t made from the best materials but it’s good enough and the car charger’s contacts disconnect as it is moved inside the socket. Overall, this is a solid product that you can get for a good deal.

Filed under: Apple, iPhone   |  12 Comments
Tags: accessory, Apple, charger, fm transmitter, iPhone, iPhone 3G