I designed a Dieter Rams-inspired iPhone dock

farslan

OP here. Let me know if you have any questions, and I'll be happy to answer them.

roberthahn

As a hand tool woodworker, I’m inspired to make something similar out of a block of wood.

When I saw the title on this page, I was hoping to see a version that was inspired by Apple’s iSight camera (with the perforated aluminum)

None of this is intended to take away from your work - it’s just so dang inspiring!

pikseladam

I follow your journey with admiration, Fatih, and I want to say that you are truly an inspiration. Congratulations on building something exactly the way you envisioned it—a remarkable achievement that is often overlooked but incredibly difficult to accomplish. Eline sağlık :)

duxup

Very cool.

>I'm still astonished by what you can do with CAD software and a 3D printer at home.

I really want to get into 3D printing, for neat hacks like this, but also because I've been fiddling with arduino and similar and find it difficult to really find good parts to mount them on, attach servos too and so on. Would be nice to just be able to print something that I know will fit even just for prototyping.

Anyone have a good suggestion for a 3D printer that is good quality, will last a while, and beginner friendly?

hk1337

I like the design but it seems rather complicated with all the little crevices and such.

1. I would like to see just a solid block on the front, redesign it so when I stick the phone to the MagSafe, because it will hold, the phone completes the design rather than fitting it into the hollowed out piece. The phone should be able to just be placed on the front and let the MagSafe hold it in place. I should be able to just grab my phone and go, not have to poke it from the back.

2. The MagSafe charger used is fine for proof of concept but I would like to see the MagSafe part better integrated into the stand like it is with the TwelveSouth HiRise 3 (not the deluxe)

djhworld

This is awesome and a great demonstration of where 3D printing and a bit of design nous can get you

Last year I tried to design my own magsafe stand but it was proving to be too complicated to meet my criteria of looking good and be stable (the 15 Pro Max is big and heavy) and I didn't want to go down the route of making many prototypes/iterations so I ended up just printing a design someone else made [1] and it's been solid.

[1] https://www.printables.com/model/184106-magsafe-stand

delichon

> This particular design stuck with me. Initially I was spectical about it, but the more I looked at it, the more I loved.

Spectical sounds like an improvement over skeptical since it implies that you keep looking and don't just dismiss. If this was a typo we should consider it a coinage and run with it.

AdmiralAsshat

The article mostly made me just want to buy a BC21 (https://us.braun-clocks.com/products/bc21-braun-digital-wire...).

But I can see the advantages in making the phone still be the alarm clock, or else you'd run into problems w/ having an alarm on both the phone and on the clock. Plus it would be nice for the display to change if e.g. someone is calling me in the middle of the night. I can see why the design is the way it is, since presumably none of that would be possible if the dock is just a wireless charging cradle.

It reminds me of the cool ways the wireless charging dock for the HP Touchpad let you turn the tablet into an ambient clock or a digital photo frame, all the way back in 2011.

andrewmcwatters

I remember when Apple sold standing docks with their iPods. In another world, this would have easily been an Apple accessory. And for the same reason the author built it.

a2tech

Someone should add a spot for an Apple Watch to charge and slap it on etsy

Daub

Very nice to see this, especially in relation to Apple design.

I use the similarity between the work of Dieter Rams and Apple's Jonathan Ives to illustrate the difference between homage, appropriation and 'ripping off'. I am cagey about where I stand on Ives but the students come to their own opinions.

jhbruhn

I would love to get my hands on the CAD-Files to fit my Pixel 9 Pro to this case.

Also, has anyone found a nice solution for a "Standby Mode" Equivalent for Android? I tried a Daydream-Screensaver, but with that my phone get really hot and it also was very bright.

Reason077

That's very cool! I can imagine using it with an old iPhone as a permanent, cloud-connected alarm clock. Would save having to pop the phone in and out every time.

buibuibui

3 Weeks ago Scott Yu-Jan posted his version of the iPhone Stand By Dock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3nWw8qSYgk There is a nifty mechanism to take the iPhone out. Model: https://makerworld.com/en/models/615378#profileId-538769

can16358p

I can't explain exactly why but this looks beautiful!

amelius

This also looks like a great way to give obsolete hardware a new life (android phones included).

saigovardhan

Knowing how Dieter Rams inspired the Apple ecosystem, this beautiful iPhone dock is a testament to his ten principles of good design!

idk1

Wow, this is fantastic. The idea of the tray on the back is so simple, but also brilliant. I have loads of extra bits on my table that would go so well in a tray. I love that they're connected. I think you've taken the original and made it even better.

neilv

I love this design. And this particular design and application highlights one neat property about 3D printing at home: you could have an open source design that is easily tailored to the end user's phone case (of which there are endless variations) and their personal everyday-carry pocket items.

rcarmo

Nice. I saw Scott's original design and thought it was very classic but wasteful of filament, and this one feels like a good replacement for my current MagSafe stand (which is also 3D printed).

I would like to see a parametric version for older iPhones, though (I have a 15 Pro, but there are others in the house...)

costcopizza

Very nice!

I've had an idea for a dock that turns your smartphone into a landline of sorts. Plugs into an actual corded phone base and only rings the physical landline phone.

paxys

The most impressive part of this is the 3D print itself. Does anyone know what printer they are using? I wish mine came out half this good.

Summerbud

I guess this is how we practice design skill, by building things with hands!

Look forward to expanding my maker from dev to real gadget!

kspacewalk2

>This is what we call the iPhone DN-40 Dock

Well, don't do that. DN-40 is a trademark that doesn't belong to you.

sizzzzlerz

Nice work. What is the clock app that you show in the pics? The one with the pink and orange characters?

ChrisMarshallNY

That looks very cool!

Thanks for sharing it.

I have no idea if there might be trademark/copyright issues, if you tried marketing it, though.

UniverseHacker

I love this… at first I was wondering where the phone goes and then went oh!

drcongo

This is magnificent, congratulations!

finchisko

Can it have rubbery grip, or silicone instead of plastic? Sorry I asked, before asking Google.

kbar13

qq: did you print it with supports? this looks awesome. i printed the other version you mentioned in the article, but it didn't quite solve my nightstand problems, which you correctly identified and fixed with your tray. and it looks great!

ramboldio

really nice to see well designed, useful 3D printable products.

These kind of designs are essential for 3D printing to graduate from printing baby yodas only. Also, the high-quality photography and documentation helps a lot to go for the 3D print over temu.

klaussilveira

Couldn't you sand the end result to prevent those ugly 3D printed lines?

tech_ken

Wow this looks so good, do you insert the phone with the case still on it?

ddewit

What a triumph you must be so proud. It looks sooooo good.

dangoodmanUT

cool, but seeing this same thing over and over again is getting a bit exhausting

and having to do a naruto hand gesture to get the phone out is a lot harder than pressing down on the top

lobsterthief

Looks amazing! Wish there was a version for the 14 Pro Max.

vicnov

are there good online services for 3D printing? I have no idea where top print it once I download the files.

chaptimus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3nWw8qSYgk

Were you inspired by this guy who also made the same clock?

pacifika

I’d buy this but I have a non pro phone.

scosman

Beautiful work.

danielktdoranie

If these were for sale I would buy one

dejanig

Love the design, it looks really clean

souvlakee

That filming is of amazing quality.

maxglute

Pretty useful for an old phone, pretty annoying on a primary device. I had something similar setup, but as an macro deck.

piyuv

How do you take the phone out? Push the camera bump from its back?

Also, nice design, but the word “inspired” is doing some heavy lifting.

exitb

Since charging phone can get hot, PLA may not be the best choice, as it can start to misbehave past 50C.

adamtaylor_13

SYJ[1] is one of the coolest creators on YouTube, if you haven't checked him out, I highly recommend it. His videos are very "hacker" in nature, and the film work is basically art.

1: https://www.youtube.com/@ScottYuJan

istvanmeszaros

Love it :D

daft_pink

How does gumroad work? If I type in a “fair price” and buy it, what happens? Does the creator get the tip and gumroad prints it for me?

racl101

Neato.

aphrax

I like the tray with what looks like fold up edges - does anyone know what this is?

jwells89

Very cool. I've been tempted to buy a 3D printer for various little things like this but have yet to make the leap.

For those who haven't tried using standby mode as a bedside clock, I recommend it. Started using it maybe a year or so ago after buying a prebuilt magsafe stand, and the OLED panels that have been in most iPhones for several years now are very well suited to the use case — the panels can get quite dim (latest models go down to 1 nit!), there's few pixels lit up in the first place, and what light does get emitted is a sleep-friendly red. It's like the old red 7-segment display alarm clocks but even better since it's not as bright and turns off when no motion is detected.

martin_a

Any recommendations on good books on Dieter Rams, Braun and the philosophy behind all of that itself? I'd like to learn more about it.

salusinarduis

I've seen people 3D printing this exact thing on Instagram for months.

lpgauth

I love this, but I don't have a 3D printer. Is there a service that could print this for me?

iamyourcanary

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helpfulContrib

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dangitman

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lipitic

off-topic but OP, how do you like your Nomos? :)

the watch certainly matches with the Dieter Rams aesthetic of the phone dock!

neves

Very nice, unfortunatelly it looks like we can't charge while charging.

weego

Inspired is generous, it's an exact copy of the form.

1970-01-01

Seems like it should be a dumb LCD clock in front with the phone dock behind it. Now the iPhone can be grabbed off and used in an emergency. The BC21 shown is close, but the alarm and other features are redundant.

Stem0037

The integration of multiple functions (tray, charger, clock) into a single unit is a clever solution to bedside clutter. However, have you considered how this might impact the flexibility of use? For instance, what if a user wants to charge their phone elsewhere or use the tray separately?