Supporting the 3G iPhone and the Latest iPods

It’s always an exciting time around the Logitech Audio Labs when Apple announces new iPod and iPhone products. Unfortunately, they do such a great job of keeping their new products a secret that manufacturers of accessories like us often don’t learn about the changes to these new products until the public announcement. Then we go wait in line with everyone else to make sure we have the latest iPod and iPhone products to test with our speakers and ensure seamless compatibility (if you ever see one of us in line, be sure to say hello).

On July 11, we picked up our first iPhone 3G and immediately got to work making sure our speakers were compatible. Our existing “Works with iPhone” products – Pure-Fi Dream and Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 – had already passed 1st-generation iPhone certification with flying colors. And, at the time, we had two more iPhone-compatible products already in development for launch in October – Pure-Fi Anytime and Pure-Fi Express Plus. So, now all we had to do was make sure that the new iPhone 3G wasn’t so different that we’d have to make any major changes to the products.

Fortunately, all of our products passed certification for the iPhone 3G without any issues. The only thing left to test was the fit of our universal tray adapters. Good news – our existing “Tray B” fits the iPhone 3G well.

Then, on September 9, Apple announced the new iPod nano and iPod touch. Back to the Apple Store we went, buying as many as we could to check out the new products and make sure our speakers were compatible. Luckily, the new iPod touch works great with our existing “Tray B.” However, the new iPod nano is a new shape that doesn’t fit well with any existing universal tray. Currently, our mechanical engineering team is working hard to get new trays designed and manufactured to be included with all of our speakers as soon as possible.

In the meantime you’ll have to use the universal dock adapter that comes with the newest iPod nano. The tray may not be the same color as your speaker but it will work perfectly! Once new trays are available, we’ll send a bunch of them to our Customer Service center so customers can order them, if necessary.

It looks like we’re all set for another year of “Works with iPhone” and “Made for iPod” speaker products … that is, until Apple announces their next iPod. See you in line at the Apple Store!

Author

Director of Product Marketing, Video

31 comments

  • It would be nice to see Logitech support mobile phones such as Nokia’s N Series phones (E.g. N95 or N96 or N85 etc). These models are more than just phones, they are MP3 players as well, and all are a lot better than the iPhone.

    Perhaps having a universal connector so that the squeeze box can support all may more formats and not just iPhone.

  • Hi Mike,

    Thank you for the helpful feedback. We always enjoy hearing how people might want to use our products.

    While we don’t have any Nokia-specific products today, we do have several products that will work well with the models you referenced (as well as other multimedia mobile phones). One of our latest models, the Pure-Fi Mobile, is a stereo Bluetooth speaker that will work with the A2DP Bluetooth profile on the Nokia N95 to play music wirelessly. The Pure-Fi Mobile, as well as all of our iPod/iPhone speakers, also features a standard 3.5 mm auxiliary input so you can play any device with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack through the speakers. In terms of your Squeezebox suggestion, the Squeezebox Boom has a line-in connector that allows you to connect any iPod or MP3 player, including the Nokia N series. A cable for this is included in the box — it’s a standard auxiliary cable like you would see on headphones. And the best part about the Squeezebox Boom is that you can use the Boom speakers to play your music.

    We’ll keep your comments in mind as we continue to innovate in our digital audio product lines. Thanks again!

  • I just got a pure-fi dream to use with my iPhone 3G and am trying to figure out what tray adaptor to use… you say “Tray B” works, but I don’t see one marked “Tray B” – all the ones I have are numbered? Any ideas? Thanks.

  • Hi benish,

    Thanks for pointing out the flaw with my post. 🙂 As you may know, Apple has a wide variety of universal tray adapters (labeled with numbers) to match all the iPods and iPhones released over the years. To support the range of sizes of Apple iPods and iPhones, we initially included their entire range of tray adapters in our packages. However, we found that people were confused when faced with so many trays, so about six months ago, we switched from the Apple universal trays to a core set of four Logitech universal trays. Each of the Logitech trays fits more than one iPod or iPhone product, which allows us to reduce the total number of trays shipped with each product while continuing to provide a great fit for your iPod or iPhone. As you might have guessed by now, to differentiate our trays from the Apple trays, we use letters instead of numbers.

    The Logitech Pure-Fi Dream you have was made before the iPhone 3G was available, so there is no tray in the package that was designed for that model iPhone. As soon as we finish designing our universal tray for the iPhone 3G, you will be able to purchase it in the spare-parts section of our Customer Support Web page. In the meantime, you can use the universal tray that came with your iPhone 3G (even though the color may not be perfect).

    I hope this helps! Let me know how it goes.

  • Tim,

    Thanks for the clarification. That makes sense now. Alas, my iPhone 3G did not come with a universal tray.

    For now I’ve got one in there that came with the pure-fi dream that allows the iPhone to dock, but it doesn’t seem much better than having no tray. Looking forward to the forthcoming universal tray for iPhone 3G.

  • I have just bought the Pure-Fi Dream and don’t have these new lettered dock adapters…seeing as the iPhone 3G has been out for so long now and the Dream has only just appeared in Manor (a Swiss department store) this is a little surprising!

    I have looked for spare parts on the site for the Dream and it says none are available.

    When can we expect to order this, and depending on purchase date will they perhaps be supplied for free? I bought this specifically for the iPhone 3G based on its Works with iPhone label and to have to go through this kind of hassle is a little disappointing.

    Of course I will write to Customer Service if that’s more appropriate but this page came up on a Google search and any pointers would be appreciated.

  • Hi John,

    I apologize for the inconvenience you’ve experienced with the Pure-Fi Dream and your iPhone 3G. Unfortunately, it takes a while for the updates we make to the products to show up on store shelves around the world, and the product you purchased was built prior to the availability of the iPhone 3G. We will have new adapter trays available through our Customer Service centers (and online Customer Support spare parts site) within the next 30 days. For customers like you, who have purchased the Pure-Fi Dream recently, we will be able to provide the adapter free of charge. For other customers, we will charge a nominal USD$5 fee.

  • I just bought the Pure-Fi Anytime to work with my iPhone 3G. Works great except for 1 function. I cannot get the shuffle function to work for listneing to playlists. I tried the manula recommendation of using the radio preset values to laung the playlist, but still does not shuffle. Just plays the initial song over and over. I can manually go to the next song, but it will do it automatically.

    Any suggections?

    • Hi Danny,

      It actually sounds like the \”Repeat\” function may be enabled on your iPhone. There are two modes for \”Repeat\”– the first is \”Repeat 1,\” which will repeat one song over and over again. The second mode is \”Repeat All,\” which will repeat your entire playlist after playing through to the end. The iPhone doesn\’t leave the \”Repeat\” indicator on your screen, so it\’s possible that \”Repeat 1\” is active and you can\’t immediately tell. To check the \”Repeat\” status, you can follow the instructions that came with your iPhone… or do what I do on my iPhone:
      1. Start playing your playlist and make sure you are viewing the \”Now Playing\” screen.
      2. Tap the middle of the \”Now Playing\” screen once. You should see the track progress bar appear at the top of the screen, along with the repeat, genius and shuffle buttons/indicators (the repeat button is the one on the left that looks like two arrows forming an oval).
      3. Tap the repeat button to cycle through the different modes: Repeat All -> Repeat 1 (indicated by a small 1 on the button) -> Repeat off.
      4. Tap the middle of the \”Now Playing\” screen again to make the track progress bar disappear.

      Once you are sure that the repeat mode is turned off, try shuffling the playlist again and see if it works. If not, let me know!
      -Tim

      PS You can also check the status of the shuffle mode using the same method I described above.

  • I am told that while the Pure-Fi Dream docks and works well with the iPhone 3g- it does NOT charge the device correctly (Apple changed this charging pin on the 3g phone).

    Can you confirm or deny this?

    Thank you.

    • Hi Marcus,
      It is true that something changed on the iPhone 3G that caused some manufacturers\’ products to not charge correctly; however, Logitech has tested all of our \”Works with iPhone\” products and they all charge normally–including the Pure-Fi Dream.

  • Thanks for your quick response. Was hoping ot buy 3 of these for Christmas gifts soon- can you tell me if you must put your 3G iPhone into “Airplane Mode” in order to dock with the Dream and NOT have GSM interference from the speakers? It doesn’t say anything about shielding for GSM and this is a problem on many docks and the newer 3G.

    • Hi Marcus,
      The \”Works with iPhone\” certification means that you do not have to put the iPhone or 3G iPhone into \”Airplane Mode\” in order to use these products with the iPhone — this includes the Pure-Fi Dream. In addition, the \”Works with iPhone\” certification also means that it meets all of Apple\’s requirements for reducing GSM and other interference from the speaker system. In short, the Pure-Fi Dream should work great with your 3G iPhone!

  • my iphone is not playing through the speakers. is there a setting i need to put it in to make it play out the speakers of the logitech docking system? i just got thi and have no clue what i am doing. and the instructions to tell me touse that little black piece labeled B for the adapter but how the heck do i do it and where do i put it? it doesnt seem to fit? instructions are not easy for a fairly competent consumer like myself?

  • I have the same issue as in the posting of John from November 17th: I bought a Pure-Fi Dream in Switzerland mid of December for use with my iPhone 3G and there was no matching tray in the package. Also I recently noticed in some other stores that on newer Pure-Fi Dream boxes there is a label “Works with iPhone” which is not present on my box. Now I am a little worried if the store delivered me an old version of Pure-Fi Dream? Have there been any changes in the Pure-Fi Dream from older to newer models, e.g. with its firmware? Furthermore when I dock the iPhone in, it displays a message in the sense “this device was not designed for use with iPhone, do you want to switch to airplane mode?”. Is this the same behaviour also with the Pure-Fi Dream in newer boxes labeled “Works with iPhone”?
    Tim, in your answer of November 24th you mentioned that the new trays for iPhone 3G should be available within the next 30 days. I did not find them until now, can you give me advice how I could get such an adapter in Switzerland? Thank you!

    • Hi Jens,

      The first batch of Pure-Fi Dreams that were built for Europe were developed prior to the availability of an iPhone in Europe. As a result, they were not “Works with iPhone” certified products. If the package you purchased did not have the “Works with iPhone” logo, then it was most likely from this initial batch of products that do not officially support the iPhone 3G. The version you have should play music from the iPhone 3G without any problem, and you do not have to put it in “airplane mode” in order to use it (you would only want to put it into “airplane mode” if the CDMA interference from your iPhone 3G was bothering you while listening to music).

      Regarding the iPhone 3G trays, they should be arriving at our Customer Support centers any day now. As soon as I have more details, I will update this blog post.

      Best regards,
      Tim

  • The Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere is rated by many folks as the “best bang for your buck” portable sound system for the iPhone, so I am really interested in checking it out. It is sold out everywhere I call!

    Will the Pure-Fi Anywhere work with iPhone radio apps such as WunderRadio? I probably listen more to Internet radio more than my own music. Thank you!

    • Hi Mark,

      I agree that the Pure-Fi Anywhere is a great value! The Pure-Fi Anywhere (as well as any iPod/iPhone speaker dock, for that matter) should work great with the many Internet radio applications that are now available for the iPhone. In fact, I listen to Pandora Internet radio on my iPhone all the time while docked in my Pure-Fi Anywhere at home. I haven’t personally tried the Wunder Radio application; but if it works like the other Internet radio applications, it should work great.

      I hope you find a Pure-Fi Anywhere–and if not, make sure you check our online store!

      Best regards,
      Tim

  • Hi,

    I have just bought a Pure-fi Elite model for using with my new Ipod Nano 4G. Sound it terrific ! Great piece of tech !

    Got one problem only, I have tried to connect the device to TV to see movies and images on screen form the ipod but the system does not work and despite audio is perfect there is no image on my TV. the same has happend using an Ipod touch. How can I fix the issue ?

    TNX

  • I want to buy a Pure-Fi Dream and an iPod Touch 16 GB 2nd Gen. I heard that the Dream works with 1st Gen but not 2nd Gen. Can you offer any insight? (Your website says it is compatible with the Touch, but doesn’t mention anything about different generations. Amazon’s website specifies compatibility with 1st gen but doesn’t say anything about 2nd gen).

    • Hi David,

      The Pure-Fi Dream is compatible with all current versions of the iPod Touch (both 1st and 2nd generations). Thanks for the feedback about our web site. I’ll make sure to pass along to the team that we need to do a better job of communicating compatibility between the multiple versions of iPods and iPhones.

      -Tim

  • I’m thinking about getting the Pure-Fi Dream, but didn’t see a final answer and availability for compatibility with the Iphone 3G,

    Are the adapter trays for the Pure-Fi Dream and Iphone 3G now available.

    If so, is there a link to them and are they available in the United Kingdom?

    Thanks

  • I just bought the pure fi dream speaker system and i didn’t get a specific iphone 3g tray and everytime i dock the phone a message pops up on the phone saying that the product was not made for iphone and so switch to airplane mode, any ideas how to get rid of it?

    • Hi Safwaan,

      We made a limited number of Pure-Fi Dream units in Europe that were iPod only (did not have “Works with iPhone” certification on the package). These units were made before the iPhone was available in Europe. If you still have your packaging, you can check to see if it included the iPhone logo or not.

      If the unit is a “works with iPhone” version, then the error message is most likely due to the iPhone not making a solid connection via the Apple dock. You can remove and try again — pressing more firmly to ensure a solid connection. If the unit is not a “works with iPhone” product, then you will continue to see the “Airplane mode” message when you dock the iPhone. You can simply click “No” and continue to use the iPhone normally in the dock — it should not affect the ability of the Dream to play music or any other normal function.

      If you don’t have the packaging and aren’t sure, you can contact Customer Support and they should be able to look up the serial number to determine from which batch of units it came.

      Hope this helps,
      Tim

  • Any ways of getting rid of the message ‘do you want to switch to airplane mode?’ when docking the iphone 3g to the pure fi dream

  • I only got the message ‘do you want to switch to airplane mode’ once when I first connected my Iphone 3G to the Pure-fi Dream. I said No and since then I haven’t seen the message again. The Dream controls the Ipod player properly and even scrolls through the cover art when using the remote to change tracks. The sound output is very good. You will however get some phone feedback if it rings or your dial whilst docked, but this is negligable.

    With regards to the Iphone 3G and correct use with the Dream, it works absolutely fine and charges the Iphone properly, whilst you use it to play ssongs etc. You will find however that none of the 12 black adapter trays that are supplied with the Pure-fi Dream will fit the Iphone 3G. You can if you want, which is what I did until I got the right tray, simply dock onto the connector without a tray, but the phone feels a little vulnerable if it got knocked or moved too much.

    You will need obtain one of the new black adapter trays which Logitech have to supply separate to your Dream. They come in a pack of 5, the others I think are for newer Ipod devices. Tray B now works brilliantly with the Iphone 3G – Thanks Tim

  • Hi Tim,

    Another new Dream owner here in the UK. Brilliant little piece of kit, but similar problem had here. No iphone 3g tray, and only numbered trays. Spoken to UK support and they don’t seem to have any to send me. Is this 3g tray option only open to US customers?

    By the way, my version is iphone compatible (no airplane mode etc).

    Any help would be appreciated.

    Cheers

  • So, where can we purchase this iphone 3G adaptor. I am still using it without an adaptor tray and its real flimsy. Tried using adaptor no.12 (for the iphone) but its also doenst seem to fit very well. Just want confirmation that the iphone and iphone 3g has different docking adaptor tray?

  • Hi there

    I’ve just purchased one of these today here in the UK and it doesnt have the 3G adapter with it. Are these available yet and if so could you post a link to them?

    Thanks

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