Device mount – Page 3

Speck Presidio magnetic mount case and Scosche MagicMount Pro Charge review

Wireless charging is one of the reasons I upgraded to the iPhone X, but I could not sacrifice my magnetic car mount just to charge my phone. Speck must have known of my dilemma because their new Presidio mount case for the iPhone X is made for magnetic mounts like the Scosche MagicMount Pro Charge, which I was also able to try out.

What is it?

The Speck Presidio is a protective case for the iPhone X that allows for use with magnetic mounts and wireless charging. The Scosche MagicMount Pro Charge is a magnetic car mount that allows for wireless charging.

What’s in the box?

Inside of the Scosche box, you’ll find:

The MagicMount Charge mount
Optional low-profile adhesive dash mount
Large single plate with template guide for mounting to device
Two small metal plates with template guide for mounting to case
12v car power adapter
Micro-USB charging cable
Two wire clips
Cleaning wipe
Instruction manual

Design and features

Like most Speck cases, the Presidio is built to be protective by using two layers of protection to cushion the impact of a drop. There is also a nice lip on the front to keep the screen protected. This lip worked well, since I proceeded to pull my phone out of my pocket and practically toss it face down, where it skidded five feet in front of me. My glass screen protector was safe! The case has a few scratches but it fared very well overall. Another time, I dropped it straight on the corner and it bounced slightly and the phone was just fine. For protection, it is great.

Each button is covered but easy to use, while the bottom of the case has a cutout wide enough for all of my charging cables. The vibrate switch was easy to access, and the overall design and quality is what you’d expect from a Speck case.

While the case is smooth, I never felt as though I was going to drop it. The times that I did drop it was due to user error, not due to the case. It did not add much bulk at all to the phone.

The biggest difference between a regular case and this one is the ability to use a magnetic mount and wirelessly charge. I already had a Scosche MagicMount vent mount that I used daily, and it worked fine with the case. Since the case has two smaller metal plates versus one big one, you cannot reliably mount the phone in landscape mode on the square vent mount. It worked fine in landscape and portrait mode with the MagicMount Charge since that one is rectangular and both metal plates in the case can attach firmly to it.

The Scosche MagicMount Charge mounts to either a window or dash and can be positioned to whatever angle you desire. I chose to mount mine to the dash and it was very easy to do. First I cleaned the dash with a wipe of my sleeve and placed the sticky side of the mount down. It stayed firmly in place the entire time, and I changed the positioning three times over the few weeks I have used it.

One thing I noticed was that over time, the joint that holds the head of the MagicMount Charge would come loose enough that it would start to turn downwards. It was easy to re-adjust it, but it was something noticeable.

I chose not to use the wire clips since my vent mount kept the cord perfectly off to the side. The power adapter worked well and is of a good enough quality to allow for quick charging of the iPhone. Over the span of 45 minutes, while using the GPS, I went from 47-73% charge using the mount and Speck case. I also like that the charge mount will not continue to charge after the phone is full, and instead go into standby.

There is a light on the top that signals when the phone is being charged or if the device is on standby, but I could not see it since my phone was always in the way.

What I like:

Case: Easy to just throw on the mount and drive off.
Case: Very good protection.
Case: Can wirelessly charge and use a magnetic mount.
Mount: Stays firmly in place.
Mount: Adjustable to the perfect angle.
Mount: Easy to use once installed.

What needs to be improved:

Case: Some bright color options would be nice!
Case: Cannot attach to some mounts in landscape mode.
Mount: Head joint comes loose every week or so.

Final thoughts:

I absolutely loved the combination of the Speck Presidio case and the Scosche MagicMount Charge dash/window mount. Since using these, my phone has yet to die at the end of the day, since I am charging it each time I drive the car, which is multiple times a day. The protection of the case is great, and the ease of use of the mount is awesome. Overall, I would highly recommend the Speck Presidio case if you want to use a magnetic mount yet also want to wirelessly charge your phone, and the Scosche MagicMount Charge is an excellent companion to the case.

Price: Case – $44.95, Mount – $59.99
Where to buy: Speck Presidio, Scosche MagicMount Pro Charge, and Amazon.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Speck and Scosche.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Cases and Covers, Device mount

Speck Presidio magnetic mount case and Scosche MagicMount Pro Charge review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 15, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Baseus Wireless Charging Gravity Car Mount review

Mounting your phone where you can see it while driving has become the norm. Whether you’re using it for a GPS system or entertainment, everyone wants their phone easy to get to, or at least within their visual field. I was recently sent a one-hand air vent clip from Baseus in black to test.

Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.

What is it?

The Baseus wireless charger incorporates a clip-on air vent holder with a one-hand operation gravity holder, and then adds the secret sauce of wireless charging to the mix. The charger itself has a cable that runs to a power source, and the arms are activated by the downward pressure from the weight of the phone in the holder.

Hardware specs

Wireless charger
Gravity car mount
Safe and quick charging
One-hand operation

What’s in the box?

Clip-on charger
USB-A to microUSB cable
Instruction sheet

Design and features

The Baseus Wireless charger at first glance is a bit confusing. The two side arms and the bottom cradle are geared together inside somehow and don’t lock into place. While unboxing it, I moved them around, trying to find the “lock point,” but never got it to work. I plugged it into a spare microUSB cable at my desk and then placed my iPhone 8 Plus into the cradle, just to see if maybe having power would make it lock. When the phone got close to the clip, I felt and heard the familiar “ding” indicating charging. I was a bit surprised that it contacted so easily since I had read and heard on podcasts about how finicky many chargers are.

I was still a little confused on how it would lock into place until I put it in the proper orientation. The slight weight of the phone pulled the side arms around the device just enough to hold it firmly. When you grasp the top of the phone and lift it up, the base’s spring-loaded action draws it up slightly, and the arms are pushed outward, releasing the phone. I drove over some pretty bad road construction while testing, and never got large enough bumps to where the phone bounced out of the holder.

The spring on the air vent clip is quite tight. I could barely get it to open enough to get the prongs onto the vent slat. There is a slight “tooth” sticking up on the lower prong that prevents the clip from vibrating off over time, and foam glued to the inside of the jaws cushions them from scratching your dash. When it’s removed, there is no evidence it was ever there.

Setup

I recommend deciding where you’re going to place the holder first, then deciding on wiring routes. Also, connecting the wire before clipping the holder in place will make your install less stressful. It’s quite difficult to get the angle right on the wire once the clip is installed.

Performance

I cannot overstate how well this unit performed. It started charging every time my phone got within range, and never gave me a moment’s trouble when adjusting it. Once set into place, it is rock-solid, and just became part of my instrument panel, which is exactly what I want from a unit like this.

What I Like

One hand operation
Charging starts immediately and never stutters
Very adjustable, yet sturdy, with no vibration

What needs to be improved

Nothing

Final thoughts

As mentioned, I have several iPhone holders for in-car use. None were active when I was sent this unit. I’ve not taken it out since getting it, except to get a few photos of the back that I forgot to get before installing it. I use it almost every day and would buy another one if this one got broken or stolen. Much of that is because it’s so easy to put the phone into and take out. Even though I have to plug in a cable since I don’t have Bluetooth, it’s still far less hassle than any other car mount I have ever used, bar none.

Price: $27.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Baseus.

The post Baseus Wireless Charging Gravity Car Mount review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Car Gear, Device mount, Qi, Wireless charging

Baseus Wireless Charging Gravity Car Mount review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 26, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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iOttie Easy One Touch 4 Phone car mount review

As long as there have been mobile phones, I’ve struggled with figuring out a place to mount them in a car. I’ve had iOttie car holders before, but I had a chance to try out some of the newest in the Easy One Touch lineup.

I recently purchased the Apple iPhone X, which finally features wireless Qi charging. Now I have a chance to try out the iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless Fast Charging Dash & Windshield mount.

In the box, you get the cradle assembly and a USB adapter with plug (micro USB).

Somehow, iOttie managed to cram in a Qi charging coil around the holder trigger button.

iOttie uses this sticky, gummy suction cup that’ll attach to darn near anything. If you have a curved or uneven surface, they’ve included an adhesive disk to help with adhesion. The dark red circle is a peel-off backing.

The back of the holder is a ball and socket joint. A wingnut-style ring adds tension, keeping things in place. Note the ventilation holes on the back of the cradle for the charging electronics.

There are so many adjustments on the iOttie wireless fast charging cradle. You can extend the holder…

…or adjust the angle…

…and even change the resting height of the phone itself. I found that with the iPhone X, this bottom “claw” could remain at the smallest position.

The included micro USB plug goes in the back of the cradle as shown.

In this mounting example, I have the mount attached to the center of my windshield. Always obey local laws when mounting your iOttie cradle. You can see the green charging LED in the upper-left corner of the cradle holder, next to the volume down button on the phone.

It’s a little hard to describe how the holder works, so take a look at the video.

When the “arms” are open, simply drop your phone in and the button/trigger on the backplate activates the spring-loaded grip. If your phone is Qi-compatible, charging begins. To release, simply squeeze the two release tabs.

I found the iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless Fast Charging Dash & Windshield Mount to be sturdy, adjustable, and incredibly handy if you want to charge your Qi-compatible phone without the hassle of plugs.

The folks at iOttie also sent me two other phone holders. One was the Easy One Touch 4 CD Slot Mount.

This is another style of phone mount that uses the CD slot in your car audio system. I haven’t used a CD in a very long time, so it made sense to use a part of the car that was not being used.

There’s not a whole lot to the package. There was a tiny black spacer which I didn’t use.

Like most of iOttie’s phone holders, the CD Slot Mount also uses a ball and socket mount, but a very peculiar “paddle” that goes into your CD slot.

Here, I’m inserting the “paddle” into my unused CD slot.

Once in place, you flip the locking tab in the up position. This spreads the “paddle” inside the CD slot, giving the whole thing grip.

Here’s the holder in place…

..And the holder plus iPhone X. I thought the iOttie Easy One Touch 4 CD Slot Mount was a pretty clever system, but it obstructed the view of my radio display. Of course, your results may vary, but this wasn’t quite for me.

Finally, I tried out the iOttie Easy Touch 4 Air Vent Mount.

This mount is even more straightforward: It consists of just the spring-loaded mount and a duckbill-shaped vent grip on a ball mount.

The “duckbill” opens up just a little with a firm squeeze of the button. It’s pretty tight.

In my car, I found out that the mount causes my vents to sag down a bit. I had to play around with slot selection to get something that worked.

The results look great, however. In my car, this position doesn’t block my view of the road or my car stereo display. The iOttie Easy One Touch 4 Air Vent Mount is a little more dependent on how sturdy your air vents are. In my car, they’re pretty wobbly.

Positives

The One Touch mechanism really works
Suction cup, CD slot, air vent… there’s probably a mounting solution that works for you
Qi charger lines up every time (Wireless Fast Charging model only)

Negatives

CD slot model may block displays or controls on your dash (CD Slot Model)
If your air vents are loose, you may get a wobbly fit (Air Vent Model)

Final thoughts

Not all of the iOttie car mounts worked perfectly, but I’d say the Easy One Touch Wireless Fast Charging Dash & Windshield Mount is my runaway favorite, but only because my CD slot location isn’t optimal, and my vents are a bit on the wobbly end.

Price: $54.95 (Easy one Touch Wireless Fast Charging Dash & Windshield Mount), $24.95 (Easy One Touch 4 CD Slot Mount or Easy One Touch 4 Air Vent Mount)
Where to buy: www.iottie.com and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by www.iottie.com.

Connect a large tablet to your laptop as a second screen with the Mountie+

A couple of years ago, Julie told us about the Mountie clip from Ten One Design that connects a phone or tablet to your laptop screen for use as a second monitor. Ten One Design now offers the Mountie+, which is bigger and sturdier and designed for use with larger-format tablets. The Mountie+ clip works with all tablets 5.0mm to 9.0mm thick, and it will work with all laptops and with tablets as big as the 12.9″ iPad Pro. Mountie+ has two grip units with a 2.6X increase in front grip surface area and gripping strength compared to the original Mountie with its single grip unit. There’s a charging cord pass through that keeps the cord hidden behind the laptop’s screen. The Mountie+ is $34.95, or you can get a set with a Mountie+ and an original Mountie for $49.95 at Ten One Design and Amazon.

Tsumbay Car Mount, HUD Simulating Design Car Phone Holder review

Sometimes you find a product that fulfills a simple need and does so very well. The Tsumbay Car Mount is one of those products. It has one mission: to mount your smartphone as a heads-up display, so that use your favorite navigation app in a way that promotes safer driving.

It’s a simple gadget, but what really makes it stand out is the attention to detail and execution in the design. Let’s go for a ride and find out more!

Design and Construction

The Tsumbay Car Mount consists of two parts. There’s a base that slides onto the cowl of your dashboard, and a gator-style clip that secures your phone. When everything is in place, your phone sits like a heads-up style display, just above the steering wheel in your line of vision. You can adjust the angle of the phone to best suit your driving position, but that’s about all the thinking required to get ready for motoring. It takes about 30 seconds to install.

If that was all there was to it, this would be a pretty clever device. Easy to install, one moving part (the gator clip), and it solves a common problem with distracted driving. But there’s more to like here, as we’ll see below…

The first thing you’ll notice about the Tsumbay Car Mount is the quality of construction. Made from heavy duty plastic, the whole unit feels substantial. The gator-style phone clip uses a heavy-duty spring to keep your phone in place, even after extended use. There are also thick silicone pads at all the contact points to both improve grip and to protect your dashboard & phone from unwanted scratches. It’s a nice build for a simple piece of plastic.

The base uses a “J” style hook shape to slide onto your dashboard cowl, with plenty of depth to accommodate a variety of dashboard styles. The base is also wide and contoured slightly to match the curve found in most dashboards, and flares towards the rear of the unit to provide additional stability. Once installed, its not going anywhere unless you choose to remove it.

The phone clip is just as substantial as the base and will accommodate a variety of smartphone sizes up to and including the iPhone 7 plus (for photo reference, my phone is the iPhone 6s in a case). The grip is firm and stable and takes a significant bit of force to knock the phone loose from the clip. The silicone pads also include additional a textured grip, so the phone won’t slide forward and back in the clip once you have it where you want it.

One last note on design: it actually looks pretty good in your car. Some inexpensive car mounts, while they do the job, look like cheap plastic add-ons. The all-black look and contoured design make this an attractive accessory that looks like it belongs on your dashboard.

In Use

Boy, is the heads-up display useful when you’re using your navigation app.

The car mounts that I have used & tested in the past typically mount to the air vents, so they are positioned to the right of the steering wheel. This presents two problems: they often interfere with the other controls on your dash and take your focus off the road if you’re glancing at your phone.

The heads-up display mount solves both of these problems. Since your phone is positioned just above the steering wheel in your field of vision, you’re not taking your eyes off the road to check your map. The position on your dashboard cowl doesn’t interfere with any of the dials, displays, or controls of the vehicle. It just feels safer, enabling you to concentrate on the road.

I also really like the simplicity of the device. The gator clip is the only moving part in the assembly. There are no other clips or adjustment features that could fail or wear with extended use. It also has the flexibility to accommodate a number of small and large phone sizes, which means you probably won’t need to buy a new mount when you upgrade your phone. Coupled with the overall build construction, I expect that this gadget will last a long, long time.

Something to consider: the mount is designed to hold your smartphone in the horizontal position. Depending on your phone and your apps, you may find this to be an issue. Google maps on my iPhone run horizontally, for example, while my podcast app and music apps do not. This can be a pain… I use voice activation for calls when driving, and the Apple CarPlay to control my music and such from my steering wheel controls. Your needs may vary, however.

Another minor point, but worth considering, is charging your phone while it’s mounted. Since many cars have the USB charging port at the bottom of the center stack of the dash, you may need an extra-long cord to reach the car mount. It’s something to check before you buy.

Caveats and Precautions

Of course, no gadget is perfect.There are some things you need to consider before you purchase the Tsumbay Car Mount.

While there is a lot of flexibility in the base design, it’s important to note that there are some car models whose dashboards won’t accommodate the Tsumbay Car Mount. The product description on Amazon (link below) contains a list of these car models for reference.

I think it’s also important to consider your driving position before purchasing this device. Steering wheel position, seat angle, and your height relative to the style of car you are driving could impact the effectiveness of using a heads up display mount like this.

Finally, it goes without saying that you should never allow yourself to be distracted while driving. I use this device exclusively to run Google Maps for navigation, and use the hands-free tools in my car for all other functions. Be safe, folks!

Conclusion and Pricing

For a simple piece of gear, the Tsumbay Car Mount is a pretty useful item. It features easy one-handed operation and adds some additional safety when driving by taking advantage of the benefits of a heads up display when you’re using your navigation apps. It’s also really well built with few moving parts, and I expect that it will outlast several phone upgrades. The little details in the finishing make it a cut above most inexpensive car mounts, and it actually looks good in your car. I think it’s a safety upgrade worth considering if it works for your driving position and if it fits your car model. At about $17, I think it’s also a good value. Check out all the specs and purchasing information on Amazon.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Tsumbay. Please visit the product page on Amazon for more information.

Product Information

Price:	$16.99
Manufacturer:	Tsumbay
Retailer:	Amazon
Pros:	Simple, one handed operation High-quality construction Fits a variety of large and small smartphones Nice safety upgrade for using your navigation apps while driving
Cons:	May not fit all dashboard styles Designed for horizontal positioning of your phone, which may not work with all apps May not work with all driving positions

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Car Gear, Device mount

Tsumbay Car Mount, HUD Simulating Design Car Phone Holder review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 25, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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