We just got the same comment on the Kickstarter page. Here's my response: Thanks for your comment. Yeah we thought of that too, and thought that it might be necessary to solve the problem of how it detects you and not your partner. But, through testing we found that the partner problem is easily solved by almost any nightstand placement. Also, regarding having an extra module, that adds a lot of complexity to the design and adds cost. Plus, I wouldn't want to have to check to make sure the remote module is charged and make sure it "pairs" with the iPhone each night before bed. Also, we really wanted a nightstand charging dock anyway. That way, your phone has a dedicated place to go home to every night and get charged. We are hoping that people will like it enough just for being a charging dock, and the IR sensor with the smart wake-up is an extra feature that we can expand upon in a number of ways. Well anyway, those were our reasons for doing it this way. But we do appreciate your feedback, because we are always trying to think of ways to make it better.