10. Apple iPhone 4 bumper

Every iPhone 4 owner knows that an iPhone 4 bumper or case is needed to boost the signal of your iPhone 4 and none perform better than the official Apple iPhone 4 bumper.  The perfect accompaniment for an iPhone screen protector, a bumper protects the corners and sides of your handset without taking away the style or sleekness.

The bumper contains all the cut-outs needed to keep your iPhone fully functioning like one for the charging port and volume control, making a bumper a great alternative for those who still want to show off the design of the iPhone but protect the sides and corners.

Apple iPhone 4 bumper

9. Drivetime Car Pack for iPhone 4

This iPhone 4 car holder allows you both dock and charge your iPhone whilst driving; meaning that no matter how long your journey, you’ll never run out of power and you’ll always be viewing your phone safely and legally.

Unlike other mobile phone car holders, the Drivetime car pack can be stuck to almost any flat surface meaning it can be used on both the dashboard and windscreen of your car.  The car holder also has three joints which can be moved to put your handset in a number of positions and angles, allowing you to find the most suitable one for you and your driving experience.

As this iPhone car holder is made with the iPhone 4 in mind it contains all the relevant cut-outs including one for the charging port and the lock button.

Drivetime iPhone 4 car holder

8. Power Support Crystal Front and Back Film Set

Number 8 in our top 10 countdown goes to the Power Support Crystal Front and Back Film Set, a revolutionary screen protector which offers high quality protection.  Here at Mobile Fun we do think that a mobile phone screen protector is a must for all new handsets in order to protect your display from scratches and dust and Power Support have some top quality ones available.

This iPhone 4 screen protector is made from a crystal film with state of the art cling adhesion, which means that application of the screen protector is simple, easy and residue free.

The screen protector is custom-fit to your iPhone 4 meaning that the front facing camera, home button and speaker are all still accessible and fully functioning.

Power Support iPhone 4 screen protector

7. Boxwave Keyboard case for iPhone 4

Some iPhone owners miss using a qwerty keyboard, so owning an iPhone 4 keyboard like the Boxwave keyboard allows you to have the best of both worlds.

Unlike other iPhone keyboards, the bluetooth Boxwave keyboard doubles up as a case, so you can slide it out when you need it and slide it back to be part of the case when you’re finished.  the case and keyboard are both stylish and modern, but also help to provide protection to the iPhone, as well as being functional.

Another great feature of the Boxwave is that it uses it’s own power supply which is recharged through a Mini USB cable, so it doesn’t drain your iPhone 4′s power.

The Boxwave bluetooth keyboard connects wirelessly through to your iPhone 4 meaning there’s no installation needed, just simply pair it with your iPhone and you’re ready to go.

Boxwave iPhone 4 keyboard

6. Otterbox Defender iPhone 4 case

Otterbox are at the forefront of tough protective cases thanks to their multi-layer technology and guaranteed protection.  Therefore it’s no surprise that they released a range of iPhone 4 cases which use their layered technology.

The Otterbox Defender Case contains three layers: a thin thermal-formed sheet which covers your screen; a strong polycarbonate shell which protects the handset as a whole from bumps and drops and finally a silicone skin which absorbs shocks.

This makes the Otterbox Defender iPhone 4 case both practical and protective, as all the phone’s ports and features are still accessible whilst in the case.

Right now if you buy any Otterbox Case, you receive a free Otterbox stand simply by using the rebate code ‘OTTERSTAND’ at the checkout.

Otterbox Defender iPhone 4 case

5. CaseBuddy Dock

The CaseBuddy is the answer to most iPhone owners problems: the lack of iPhone docks which allow you to charge your phone with the cover still on.

Being small and compatible, the CaseBuddy can be used with any Apple device including the iPhone 4 and even better it allows you to charge your phone whilst your iPhone 4 cover is still on and due to its size, makes it the perfect dock to take on your travels.  However the CaseBuddy will still work if your iPhone doesn’t have a cover on it.

The Casebuddy can be used as an iPhone 4 dock also due to its cradle style, making it perfect for listening to music, texting and surfing the web.  Another great feature of the CaseBuddy is its ability to hide your wires, so that the area your CaseBuddy is on remains clutter free.

CaseBuddy case Compatible Dock

4.IK Multimedia iRig Microphone

Number 4 on the list, the iRig Microphone is one of the perfect iPhone 4 accessories for aspiring musicians, journalists or those who frequently give speeches.

It allows you to record studio quality audio recordings to your iPhone or iPad simply and easily and view and build upon them with its three major apps or any other music/recording based app.  This makes the iRig great for recording podcasts and for use on the go, as the audio quality is second to none.

Singers and musicians can record and edit songs, whenever, wherever; journalists can record interviews on the go in excellent quality and those who give speeches can amplify their speech or practice and listen back beforehand.

One of the leading brands for specialist iPhone accessories, IK are known for their excellent quality.2

IK Multimedia iRig Microphone

3. The Ultimate iPhone 4 Accessory Pack

Starting off the Top 3 is the Ultimate iPhone 4 accessory pack which contains six accessories which any iPhone 4 owner should have: a desk stand, car holder, Flexishield skin, mini desk stand, car charger and a screen protector.

This is a great pack of mobile phone accessories for any iPhone 4 owner, especially those who have just bought an iPhone 4 and want to use it to its full potential straight away, as it contains everything you need to get started.

The Ultimate iPhone 4 accessory pack

2. MiLi Pico Power Projector for iPhone

Taking second place is the MiLi Pico Power Projector which lets you stream media from your iPhone and project it onto the nearest wall; allowing you to make a cinema anywhere in your home.  All you need now is the popcorn and surround sound speakers and the cinema effect comes to you.

This projector is also great for those who frequently make presentations, as it charges your phone whilst it’s docked and comes with a remote which can be used to control the volumes and menus amonst other things.

One of the most useful mobile phone spares being sold simply folds out and can even be used with laptops and your iPod touch; adding to it’s multi-functionality and user-friendliness.

MiLi Pico Power Projector

1. Incipio offGRID Battery Back Up Case

Top of our list, the Incipio offGRID battery Back Up Case solves the main problem smartphone owners have: a lack of battery power.  The offGRID doubles your iPhone 4 battery power without adding bulk to the handset, an unusual feature for battery cases.

The offGRID has a thickness of just 6mm, meaning most people would just mistake it for a standard iPhone 4 cover without realising that its actually housing a powerful battery.

Syncing and charging isn’t an issue with the Incipio offGRID as it includes a MicroUSB cable which allows you to perform these actions without having to remove your iPhone from its case.

Owning a battery back up takes away the stress of forgetting your iPhone charger as you have double the power, meaning your battery should last twice as long.

Incipio offGRID Battery Back Up case for iPhone 4

If you’ve been asked for  an iPhone Docking Station, you’ll need to ask a few questions in order to make sure you get the right type and to avoid any disappointment. The two main things to look out for are:

• Which model of iPhone is it for?
  iPhone 4 is a different shape to the iPhone 3G/iPhone 3GS. Some docking stations include a changeable baseplate so that you can use all iPhones and iPods with them, but most don’t so make sure you’re buying for the right model.
• What is the Dock going to be used for?
  If someone is after an iPhone dock just to sync their music with their Mac or PC, buying them an alarm clock dock will go down like a lead balloon.

To give you an idea on the different iPhone Docking Stations available, here’s a quick summary of some of the most popular iPhone Docks.

iPhone Charging Docks

Simple and effective, these kind of docks provide an easy way to keep your iPhone or iPad charged, without the need to fiddle around with cables. Simply place your device on the dock and it will start charging – provided its connected to a power source. This can be either your Mac, PC or Mains Charger. If they’re connected to your computer they will also sync your music photo’s and videos.

iPhone Charging Docks

While the basic function is the same for all of them, they come in several shapes and sizes, from a simple dock, to one that will allow you to dock your iPhone with the genuine Apple Bumper fitted, to one that will charge an iPad at the same time.

iPhone Alarm Clock Docks

If the built in alarm isn’t loud enough, an alarm clock dock is a great alternative. You can choose to wake up to your music, FM radio or an alarm. All your music is played back through a built in speaker and most will have all your standard alarm clock features, such as dual alarm and snooze.

iPhone Alarm Clock Docks

Some of the more advanced alarm clock docks will support music streaming by Bluetooth or come with a remote control. As your iPhone is docked all night, you’ll wake up in the morning to a fully charged battery.

iPhone Car Docks

Using your phone in the car is now an everyday activity, thanks to the wide range of third party apps available. Sat Nav and speed camera apps are now a pretty standard feature on most peoples iPhone, but in order to use them safely you’ll need a way to dock your iPhone in the car.

iPhone 4 Chargers

Car docks come in a range of styles. For casual users a windscreen mount holder will do the job just fine. If you want to keep your phone charged then go for a Brodit Active Holder, or if you are a heavy TomTom Sat Nav App user, the TomTom car kit is a must have item as it will act as a GPS enhancer, holder and speakerphone.

iPhone Speaker Docks

Sometimes, it’s all about the music. Speaker docks are a great way to free the music from your phone. As with the other docks on this page, their features vary considerably. Simple speaker docks are a big improvement over the built in loud speaker on the iPhone. If you want to be able to fill a room or power a house party, you may need something more substantial – in which case you may also want to take a look at Bluetooth Speakers.

iPhone 4 Speakers

Speaker docks have a couple of major benefits over Bluetooth speakers  - they keep your phone charged and often include a remote control. Streaming your music over Bluetooth will run your battery down a little bit quicker, but it does mean that you have your phone with you at all times, making it easier to change track/album.

Another option for listening to music through powered speakers is to use an Apple Airport Express. This is a WiFi device that you can connect to any speakers or stereo with an aux-in port. You can then use the newly released AirPlay feature of iOS 4.2 to stream your music to your stereo.

The TomTom Car Kit is still one of our best selling iPhone Car Holders even though it doesn’t fit the iPhone 4 very well. We’re constantly being asked when an updated version would be out for iPhone 4, and until now we’ve been kept in the dark.

Free TomTom Car Kit Adapter for iPhone 4

Thankfully though, TomTom have announced that as of last Friday, anyone who purchased the TomTom Car Kit that has now upgraded their phone to an iPhone 4, can now get a free adapter that will allow you to use your shiny new iPhone with your existing kit.

All you need to do is find the serial number that’s printed on the back of your car kit (under the barcode), complete a short form on the TomTom website and then sit and wait patiently for it to be delivered!

When iPhone 4 came out, we were all looking forward to using Sat Nav on it – mainly because of the faster processor and the ability to leave your Sat Nav running in the background while you take calls or read a text message. You can imagine our disappointment when we realised that the TomTom holder doesn’t work with iPhone 4.

When I say it doesn’t work, that’s not strictly true, it will work, but it doesn’t fit the holder very well and it’s likely to fall out. If you’re willing to pay that much for an in car solution, you’re going to want one that holds your phone securely.

It’s probably only a matter of time until an updated version comes out that supports iPhone 4 and the upcoming 4th generation iPod touch, but until then there are a number of alternatives that you should consider.

I’ve already covered Sat Nav Apps & iPhone Car Docks for iPhone 3G/3GS, but thought I’d take another look at what’s available and review the options to the TomTom kit. I’ve tried a number of different set ups to try and find ones that match the features of the TomTom kit as closely as possible. The results turned out to be very similar to those for the 3GS, but some of the pricing and features have changed.

Just as a reminder, the main features of the TomTom Car Cradle are:

• Charges your iPhone
• Ability to play your music through your car stereo using 3.5mm line in
• Built in speaker for handsfree calling
• GPS Enhancer
• Volume controls
• Price for Software & Cradle £149.99

In most cases, every feature could be matched, with the exception of the added GPS support, but having said that, the antenna has been improved on iPhone 4 and I’m not convinced that it’s all that necessary.

I’m also basing this on the next version of the iOS software – version 4.1 as it has full support for AVRCP, the bluetooth profile that allows you to control your music using a third party device, such as headsets, speakers and car kits.

Option 1 – Jabra Cruiser

• CoPilot Live UK & Ireland £19.99
• Jabra Cruiser £69.95
• iPhone 4 Car Pack £18.47
• Total Cost £108.41

It’s not all in one like the TomTom, but this set up will save you over £40! CoPilot Live is a great alternative to TomTom. The software has been updated for iPhone 4 and now supports the Retina Display and Multitasking. Extras like Traffic and Text-To-Speech are available via in app purchase.

The iPhone 4 Car Pack includes a secure, rotating windscreen holder for your iPhone 4 and a car charger. If you’ve already tried using GPS on the iPhone in your car, you’ll know necessary a  car charger is. Having the screen on permanently and locking on to a GPS signal drains the battery quite quickly.

The Jabra Cruiser is one of the best portable car kits available. It has a built in FM transmitter that can stream music, calls and directions from your iPhone 4 through to your car stereo using Bluetooth. It has music controls that allow you to play/pause/track skip without having to touch your phone.

Use the Car Pack and Jabra Cruiser to get the most out of CoPilot Live

Option 2 – Venturi Mini

• Navigon MobileNavigator British Isles £19.99 (iTunes Link)
• Venturi Mini £56.47
• iPhone 4 Car Pack £18.47
• Total Cost £94.93

Navigon was the first Sat Nav app for the iPhone, and has recently had a number of new features added and a price cut. The iPhone Car Pack includes a robust, adjustable holder that can hold your iPhone in almost any position as well as a car charger to keep your phone fully charged.

The Venturi Mini is a Bluetooth car kit that is designed to fit in your cigarette lighter permanently. You can charge your iPhone 4 by plugging your USB cable in to the USB port on the side of the Venturi. The Venturi works in a similar way to the Jabra Cruiser.  It connects to your phone using Bluetooth and will then stream your music, calls and sat nav directions through to your car stereo using its built in FM transmitter. If your car stereo has a line in/aux in connection, you can connect the Venturi to it using a 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable (the same as the TomTom Cradle). This will give  a more reliable connection to your stereo, but means you’ll have wires trailing across your dashboard.

Unlike the Cruiser, the Venturi doesn’t have track skip buttons, so you’ll only be able to play/pause your music.

Navigon on iPhone 4 with the Venturi Mini

Option 3 – Parrot MKi9000 Fitted Car Kit

• CoPilot Live UK & Ireland £19.99 (iTunes Link)
• Brodit Holder with Dock Connector £49.99
• Parrot MKi9000 Bluetooth Car Kit £99.95
• Total Cost £169.93

This set up isn’t so much about saving money compared to the TomTom kit, more a case of showing you how much more you could get for the same sort of price. Without doubt, you’ll always get better audio quality using a fully fitted car kit than you would with a portable one. The Parrot MKi range of car kits have been designed with iPods and iPhones in mind and they work almost seamlessly.

The MKi9000 kit is fitted behind your dashboard and is completely out of sight.  There is a multi connector cable that has a USB port, 3.5mm headphone jack and an Apple Dock connector. This cable connects your iPhone to the car kit and will route call audio, music and directions through your car stereo at the same time as charging it. The Brodit holder that I’ve suggested here has a dock connector on the bottom too, so you can connect this cable to it, then whenever you slide your phone into the holder it will connect to the car kit without you needing to mess around with cables or plug anything in.

Co-Pilot works extremely well with the Parrot Mki9000

If you’d rather not use cables, then you can use the kit over a bluetooth connection and get the same functionality from it. A small remote can be attached to your dashboard or steering wheel and can be used to answer/end calls as well as play/pause/track skip and activate voice dialling.

On the subject of voice dialling, it’s actually a feature of the MKi9000 rather than the phone and will work with all models of iPhone. The only downside is that there isn’t a way to activate voice commands on iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS. The prices shown here don’t include installation and vehicles without an ISO stereo may need additional cables.

Summary

All three of these solutions work great with iPhone 4 and any of the available Sat Nav applications available for the iPhone. To give you a clear idea on the differences between the TomTom Kit and the other options mentioned here, I’ve put a chart together to show the main differences.

Personally I’d opt for either the Jabra Cruiser or the Parrot MKi9000.

Features	TomTom Cradle	Jabra Cruiser	Venturi Mini	Parrot MKi
Charges iPhone
Plays Music through Stereo
Hands Free Calling
GPS Enhancer
Volume Controls
Music Control – Track Skip
Holds phone in Landscape
Music Controls
External Microphone	Optional

All Prices correct as of 20/08/2010 and are subject to change.

When I first started dealing with Brodit back in 2000, you had a choice of 2, either an Active Brodit Holder or aPassive Brodit Holders, and each one came in a choice of two mounting options – a fixed, static bracket or one on a tilting, rotating base.

10 years on and the basics are still the same, but there are now a number of other options to choose from so that you can use your phone exactly how you want to in the car.

This guide will run through each of the various types of holder available and explain some of the key differences between them.

Active Vs Passive

The main difference with all of them will be whether it’s Active or Passive. An active holder is one that incorporates a car charger. A passive one doesn’t and will just hold your phone.

As we’ve only just gone live with the range of Brodit iPhone 4 Holders, I’m using them as the examples in this post, but Brodit Car Holders are available for just about every phone on the market. The exact styles of holder will vary by phone. If you can’t see the one you want then get in touch and we’ll do our best to find you the holder you want.

Brodit Passive Holders

This is the most popular style of Brodit holder as it keeps your phone secure, but still leaves all the ports accessible. This means that you can continue to use your existing car chargers and audio cables. To use the holder you usually slide your phone into two grooves in the sides or the cradle and you can then rotate and tilt the holder to get your phone exactly as you want it. In most cases the holder his all plastic, but for iPhone and iPod touch they usually have a velvety finish that prevents scratches to the glass or metal parts of the phone.

Brodit Passive Holder With Tilt Swivel

The Locking Holder is a new style that has just been released for iPhone 4 and I’d expect it to be available for other handsets shortly. It’s the same basic holder as the one above, but has an extra support that clips onto the top of the phone. You won’t need the extra support when using the phone in portrait mode, but if you use sat nav in the car you’ll find that it does a great job of keeping the phone in place when you are using the phone in landscape mode. It also has a cable tidy at the base that you can use to keep your car charger close at hand.

Brodit Locking Passive Holder With Tilt Swivel

Brodit Active Holders

Active holders are slightly bulkier than passive holders, but only because they house a charging connector to your phone. Again, the style of the holder will very depending on your phone and where the charging port is, but generally speaking you’ll find that a cable comes out of the base of the cradle and into a car charger adapter. This could be a moulded cigarette lighter plug or a USB cable with a USB adapter.

Either way, it’s a great option if you spend a lot of time making calls while on the road as your phone will start to charge as soon as it’s docked and the engine is started. This type of holder is available for pretty much every phone on the market.

Brodit Active Holder with Tilt Swivel

As well as the standard holder, Brodit have also released a Locking Active holder. Again, it’s iPhone 4 only at the moment, but with more smartphones being used as Sat Nav’s I’d expect this to become a standard style holder.

Brodit Locking Active Holder

Brodit Holders with Pass Through

If you don’t have an iPhone I’ll apologise now as the next few holders are all iPhone specific. The Pass Through Holder is slightly unusual, but is the perfect addition if you’ve got a hardwired car kit such as the Parrot MKi 9000. It’s available as a standard holder or with the locking arm, but instead of having a car charger built in, it has a second dock port in the base.

Brodit Holder with Pass-Through Connector

This sounds odd, but it means that you can plug your car charger, car kit, FM transmitter or audio cables into the holder and leave them connected permanently. When you get in the car, you’ll only need to slide your phone into the holder and your accessory will connect to the phone. No more messing around trying to find the end of your car charger between the front seats. Just plug it in and forget about it. The Pass Through Holder is only available for iPhone 3G/3GS and iPhone 4.

Find out More: Brodit Holder for iPhone 4 with Pass Through

Find out More: Brodit Holder for iPhone 3G / 3GS with Pass Through

Brodit Holders for Phones in Cases

If you use a case or skin on your phone, you’ll know that it can be a bit of a pain having to constantly remove it from the case to put it in a holder. Brodit know this so they’ve developed a couple of holders that can take your phone while it’s in a case. The downside is that it’s only for Apple devices. There are currently two options available.

The first is a standard Passive holder that’s been moulded to accommodate iPhone 4 with a genuine Apple Bumper fitted. You just slide your phone in as you would normally. The dock is still exposed so you can still use a car charger with it.

Brodit Passive Holder - iPhone 4 With Bumper

Find out More: Brodit Holder for iPhone 4 with Bumper

The other, more flexible solution is the adjustable passive holder. This does take a few minutes to set it up, but once done it will hold your iPhone 3G/3GS or iPhone 4 no matter what case you’ve got on it. The way it works is that the two sides both slide in, out, up and down, and once in place you just tighten a screw.

Brodit Adjustable Passive Holder

Find out More: Brodit Adjustable Holder for iPhone 4

Find out More: Brodit Adjustable Holder for iPhone 3G / 3GS

Mounting in your Car

Brodit Holders hold your phone securely, but you’ll still need to securely attach them to your car. Brodit recommend that you screw them to your dashboard, but as most of use will have spent thousands on our cars, the last thing we’re going to want to do to them is put 4 screw holes in the dashboard.

Fortunately Brodit have come up with a solution for this with the Brodit ProClip. Proclips are made from the same tough plastic that the holders are made from and are made to clip securely onto your dashboard without causing any damage. ProClips normally slot between two fascia panels on your dashboard and can be fitted in seconds with out the need to dismantle your dash or any special tools.

Brodit ProClip

ProClips provide a flat, sturdy surface for you to screw your holder on to, and when it’s time to change the car, simply unclip the ProClip and you’ll never know it was there.  Brodit ProClips start from around £15 and will work with any screw fix phone holder, not just those made by Brodit.

Everything shown here can be found in the Brodit Car Holders section of the main site. We’ve tried to cover the most popular vehicles, but as there are so many available we can’t list them all. If you can’t see the one you need, send us an email and we’ll get source one for you.

Navigon iPhone 3GS / 3G Car Holder - With Car Charger

Navigon were one of the first software companies to launch a Sat Nav application for the iPhone and it often features in the top ten apps in iTunes. The Navigon Car holder is designed to compliment their software and provide you with a simple and effective in car holder.

Features

There’s not really a lot you can say about a phone holder, after all, it is just a holder. Unlike the TomTom iPhone Car Kit, the Navigon car holder doesn’t have a GPS receiver or loud speaker built in, but there are a couple of features that make this one stand out.

Firstly there’s a discrete cable holder built in to the underneath of the arm. While this might not sound that great, it does mean that once your cable is clipped into it you won’t have to fish around between the seats to find the end of your charging cable when you want to charge your iPhone.

Built in cable holder saves time

The cradle for the iPhone has a ball joint fitting so that allows you to rotate it through 360° - nothing new, but what I did like with the Navigon holder is that it’s the only car holder that I’ve seen that lets you tighten up the ball joint when it starts to come loose (although the allen key needed isn’t included).

Design

As holders go, it’s slim and it’s not bad to look at, although from the images on the box I did expect it to be a little slimmer than it is, although it’s by no means bulky.

Simple, slim design

The cradle allows you to slide your iPhone in and out quickly and easily and it can be done with one hand, you just pull your phone forward slightly and lift it out. There’s no spring clip to keep your phone in place, but given the shape of the cradle I really can’t see that it would ever fall out.

In the Box

Navigon are rather generous. Instead of just including a generic third party car charger, they’ve partnered with Belkin to include the Belkin Micro Auto Charger + Charge Sync Cable.

Belkin Micro Auto Car Charger Included

This is one of the most compact car chargers available for the iPhone and can be left in your cigarette socket even when not being used – just remove the USB cable and it will look like a standard USB Port in your dashboard.

Why choose the Navigon iPhone Holder?

Navigon Car holder for iPhone

The Navigon iPhone holder is a solid, sturdy holder that will work brilliantly with your iPhone and any Sat Nav App. The suction pad is strong and the built in cable holder is a nice touch – although it would have been even better if you could connect the cable to the base of the cradle so that it connected each time you put your phone in.

My Rating: 9/10

iPhone Gifts for Under £20

Gelaskins – From £11.95

GelaSkins are very thin protective covers that are made specifically for the iPhone. They are made from a strong vinyl and are available in a range of designs and colours. They can be removed from the phone easily and without leaving any messy residue behind. Gelaskins are a great way to brighten up someone’s iPhone without adding any extra bulk.

Gelaskins are a great way to brighten up the iPhone

iPhone Sat Nav Starter Pack – £14.95

If someone you know uses their phone for Sat Nav and is struggling to balance their iPhone on their lap or the dashboard then this is the perfect gift for them! The Sat Nav starter pack includes a rotating windscreen holder and a car charger for the iPhone.

iPhone Sat Nav Starter Pack

Intempo Bluetooth Speakers for iPhone – £19.95

Fed up of your loved one ruining songs by playing them through the built in loudspeaker on the iPhone? Let them fill the room with their music with the Intempo Bluetooth Speakers. This is a compact, powerful speaker unit that can connect to the iPhone using Bluetooth and play music loudly and clearly without the need to mess around with wires. Just launch the iPod app on your phone, press play and your music will play through the speakers.

Intempo Bluetooth Speaker System for iPhone

iPhone Gifts for Under £30

Knomo Sleeve – £24.95

Spoil someone this Christmas with a luxury sleeve for their iPhone. Knomo Leather sleeves are a stylish way to protect the iPhone. They have a velveteen lining that helps to keep the iPhone clean and free from fingerprints and smudges.

Knomo Sleeve For iPhone 3GS / 3G - Dark Brown

Ed Hardy Backplates – From £29.95

If you know someone who lives for designer names, then why not get them an Ed Hardy Backplate for their iPhone this Christmas? Ed Hardy designs for the iPhone are available as either Backplates or Stickers and each design is based on one of Ed Hardy’s famous Tattoos.

Ed Hardy Stickers and Backplates for the iPhone

iPhone Gifts For Under £50

iPhone OtterBox Defender – £34.95

Looking for a case for an iPhone owner who loves being outdoors?  Look no further. The OtterBox Defender for the iPhone is a triple layered case that can withstand even the most serious of knocks. It has a clear membrane to protect the screen, a polycarbonate shell that wraps around the phone and a strong silicone skin that absorbs impact. Perfect for anyone who loves hiking, walking or any other outdoor activity.

OtterBox For iPhone 3GS / 3G Defender Series - Black

iPhone 3G & 3GS Premium Pack – £34.95

Can’t decide on which accessory to get them? Why not get them all? We’ve combined our most popular accessories for the iPhone and created the Premium Pack. The Premium Pack includes a high quality Car Holder, Screen Protectors, External Back Up Battery, Sync & Charge Cable, Dock and a FlexiShield Skin and saves over £40 compared to buying them individually!

Premium Pack For Apple iPhone 3GS / 3G

Jawbone 2 – £49.93

The Jawbone2 Bluetooth Headset is a great gift for anyone who spends a lot of time chatting on their phone or needs to use their phone in the car. Jawbone have just about the best noise cancelling technology in them, so no matter where this is used, you’ll still be able to hear the person who’s using it.

Jawbone 2

iPhone Gifts For Under £100

iHome iPhone Docking Station – £62.95

iPhone speakers and docks are everywhere you look, but this one stands out from the crowd. The iHome Dock holds the iPhone in portrait mode and rotates 90° so that you movies or TV shows can be shown in widescreen. The iHome Dock has a built in alarm clock with snooze, battery back up, full remote control and a display that rotates to match the orientation of the stand. A must have accessory for every iPhone user.

iHome iPhone 3GS / 3G Docking Station

Etymotic HF-2 Headphones – £84.95

Music is important to most iPhone users, so give them a gift that will really let them enjoy their music and immerse them in sound. The Etymotic HF-2 Headphones are premium earphones that have been specifically designed for the iPhone and has an in-line microphone and control pod that can answer calls, play/pauser music and skip/rewind tracks. The HF-2 comes with a choice of noise isolating ear buds that keep out almost all background noise, leaving the listener to enjoy their music without interruptions. The HF2 is available in Red, Black or Blue.

Etymotic HF2 High Fidelity Headphones - Black

Hopefully you’ve seen something here that will make the perfect gift this Christmas, if not, why not take a look at our full range of iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS Accessories.

All prices are correct as of 10/12/09. Pricing and availability are subject to change. For the latest pricing and delivery information, please see the individual product pages.

iPhone 3G Car Pack

The Car Pack is made up of 3 items – a suction mount, a cradle for your iPhone and a car charger and putting it together takes just a few seconds.

Mouting it on your windscreen is quick and easy too. The suction mount is solid and unlike some cheap suction holders, doesn’t need to be moistened to stick to the windscreen and once it’s attached the only way to remove it is to release the clamp. The clamp itself is a lot easier to use than you’d expect too.  Normally, suction mounts have a small plastic lever that doesn’t seem to move very much and as a result it doesn’t create much suction to hold the cradle in place – that’s not the case with the Car Pack though, the level moves a considerable amount, which provides plenty of suction to keep your holder in place.

Once it’s attached to the windscreen, you’ll need to adjust the angle of the holder to suit your driving position. This is done easily enough as the cradle can be adjusted in 3 ways. Depending on which way up you’ve attached it to the windscreen, you can adjust it up/down, left/right and the cradle can rotate through 360°. While it’s easy enough to adjust, it’s not really something that you can do once you’ve started driving, so I’d make sure that you’re happy with the position before you set off – the reason I say that is the up/down and left/right joints are locked in place and to adjust them you need to press a button and then rotate it – something that really needs two hands.

The Cradle that you slide your phone does a great job too.  You slide your phone in from the top, and once inserted, a spring loaded clip moves into place to prevent the phone from falling out – (more useful for when the phone is being used in landscape mode).

Overall it’s a great holder. I’ve tried many different car holders over the years, but can happily say the iPhone Car Pack is one of the most solid I’ve ever used.  The locking arm means that once set, it’s not going to keep moving around or start to drop every time you go over a bump in the road.

My rating: 9/10

Now, don’t get me wrong, TomTom do make great Sat Nav systems, but I’m really not convinced that their iPhone offering is really worth the £160 that they’re asking for it. The car cradle is a clever bit of kit, but there are other devices out there that will do the same thing. The main features of the TomTom Car Cradle are:

• Charges your iPhone
• Ability to play your music through your car stereo
• Built in speaker for handsfree calling
• GPS Enhancer
• Volume controls

I’ve spent a bit of time this week searching out the best alternatives to the pricey TomTom set up and here’s what I found:

Option 1 – Jabra SP700

• CoPilot Live UK & Ireland £25.99 (iTunes Link)
• Jabra SP700 £38.53
• Sat Nav Starter Pack £14.95
• Total Cost £79.47

It’s not all in one like the TomTom, but this set up is less than half the price! CoPilot Live is a great alternative to TomTom. The software has been around for years on Windows Mobile devices and is the pre-installed mapping application on most T-Mobile and O2 smartphones. Feature wise it does everything that TomTom does, but for a lot less money. It’s currently rated as a 4 star app on the iTunes App store, compared to 3 stars for the TomTom app.  The Sat Nav starter pack for iPhone includes a compact, rotating windscreen holder for your iPhone and a car charger. If you’ve already tried using GPS on the iPhone in your car, you’ll know necessary a  car charger is. Having the screen on permanently and locking on to a GPS signal drains the battery quite quickly. The Jabra SP700 is much more than just a standard Bluetooth speaker phone. It has a built in FM transmitter that can stream music, calls and directions from your iPhone through to your car stereo using Bluetooth.

Use the Sat Nav Starter Pack and Jabra SP700 to get the most out of CoPilot Live

Option 2 – Venturi Mini

• Navigon MobileNavigator British Isles £37.99 -£54.99 (iTunes Link)
• Venturi Mini £54.95
• iPhone Car Pack £17.95
• Total Cost £110.89 – £127.89

Navigon was the first Sat Nav app for the iPhone, and its relatively low price made it incredibly popular. On iTunes it’s currently rated as a 3 and a half star app, so better than TomTom, but not quite as high as CoPilot Live. The iPhone Car Pack includes a robust, adjustable holder that can hold your iPhone in almost any position as well as a car charger to keep your phone fully charged. The Venturi Mini is a Bluetooth car kit that is designed to fit in your cigarette lighter permanently. To charge your iPhone, you just need to connect your existing iPhone USB cable to the USB port on the side of the Venturi. The Venturi works in a similar way to the Jabra SP700.  It connects to your phone using Bluetooth and will then stream your music, calls and sat nav directions through to your car stereo using its built in FM transmitter. If your car stereo has a line in/aux in connection, you can connect the Venturi to it using a 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable (the same as the TomTom Cradle).

Venturi Mini & iPhone Car Pack

Option 3 – Parrot MKi9000 Fully Fitted Kit

• CoPilot Live UK & Ireland £25.99 (iTunes Link)
• Brodit Holder with Dock Connector £39.99
• Parrot MKi9000 Bluetooth Car Kit £89.95
• Total Cost £155.93

This set up isn’t so much about saving money compared to the TomTom kit, more a case of showing you how much more you could get for the same sort of price. Without doubt, you’ll always get better audio quality using a fully fitted car kit than you would with a portable one. The Parrot MKi range of car kits have been designed with iPods and iPhones in mind and they work almost seamlessly. The MKi9000 kit is fitted behind your dashboard and is completely out of sight.  There is a multi connector cable that has a USB port, 3.5mm headphone jack and an Apple Dock connector. This cable connects your iPhone to the car kit and will route call audio, music and directions through your car stereo at the same time as charging it. The Brodit holder that I’ve suggested here has a dock connector on the bottom too, so you can connect this cable to it, then whenever you slide your phone into the holder it will connect to the car kit without having to mess around with cables. If you’d rather not use cables, then you can use the kit over a bluetooth connection and get the same functionality from it. A small remote can be attached to your dashboard or steering wheel and can be used to answer/end calls as well as play/ pause music and activate voice dialling (Voice dialling is feature of the MKi9000 and will work with all models of iPhone). The prices shown here don’t include installation and vehicles without an ISO stereo may need additional cables.

Co-Pilot works well with the Parrot Mki9000

All three of these solutions work great with the iPhone and any of the available Sat Nav applications available for the iPhone, including the TomTom App.  You’ll find more information on each of the Sat Nav Apps on the App Store within iTunes or on your iPhone. To give you a clear idea on the differences between the TomTom Kit and the other options mentioned here, I’ve put a chart together to show the main differences.

Features	TomTom Cradle	Jabra SP700	Venturi Mini	Parrot MKi
Charges iPhone
Plays Music through Stereo
Hands Free Calling
GPS Enhancer
Volume Controls
Holds phone in Landscape
Music Controls
External Microphone	Optional

All Prices correct as of 30/09/09 and are subject to change.

There are a couple of things to remember though, the main one being that access to your phone will be slightly limited, so depending on the case you’re using, it may be safer to remove the case from the phone – especially if it covers the keypad. The other thing to bear in mind is that the car holders use side grips to support your phone, so some buttons might become unusable while it’s in one of these holders.

If you want a holder that will give you full access to your phone without covering any buttons or access ports, you’ll be better off with a Brodit Holder but you can’t use them at the same time as a case

I’ve been through our range of Car holders and listed below the best ones for holding phones in cases.

Case Specific Holders

Two of the biggest case manufacturers, Krusell & PDair have realised that people need a way to mount their phone in the car when they’re using a case and have produced holders that are specifically designed to work with their cases.  Krusell offer 2 different holders for your phone, one for your windscreen, one for your dashboard.

Krusell Car Windscreen Holder

This holder fixes to your windscreen using a small suction pad and will hold any phone in a Krusell case securely.  The mounting port of the holder can be rotated through 360° so you can use your phone in landscape mode for applications such as satellite navigation or music software. It has a quick release suction mount and a flexible arm that lets you position the arm exactly how you want it.

Krusell Car Windscreen Holder

Krusell CarHoldic Kit

Despite it’s rather daft name, this is actually a great little holder for your phone.  It’s only small, about an inch across, and is attached to your dashboard either using an adhesive pad or by screwing it to a flat surface. If you don’t want to drill holes in your dashboard, (I know I certainly wouldn’t) you can attach it to a Brodit ProClip and then clip that on to your dashboard.

Krusell CarHoldic Kit

Brodit ProClips are special brackets that are designed to attach to your dashboard without the need for drilling holes. They normally clip into your dashboard between fascia panels or sit at the side of your stereo. ProClips provide a flat solid surface for you to screw your car holder to and are available for almost all vehicles. See the Brodit ProClip page for more details. If you would rather mount them on your windscreen you can do so by using the Universal Suction mount.

Brodit iPhone Passive Holder

As I mentioned earlier in this post, Brodit are your best option for a phone specific holder and they don’t generally make holders that take phone cases into consideration. When it comes to the iPhone though they make an exception – presumably because they’ve realised that a lot of iPhone users use a silicon case, skin or backplate on their iPhone. Given the number of iPhones sold it’s no surprise then that they have produced a car holder that can be adjusted to hold your iPhone while it’s in a protective case. If you use a leather case on your iPhone, you probably won’t find this much use, but if you use a tight fitting case from people like Switcheasy, Incipio, Seidio or Ed Hardy you’ll have no problem in adjusting this holder to hold your iPhone.

Brodit Holder for iPhones & Skins

PDair Windscreen Mount

PDair Cases are one of our most popular case manufacturers. Their cases are extremely high quality and do a great job of looking after your phone.  The PDair Car Mount is designed to work perfectly with their cases and does so in a similar way to the Krusell Windscreen mount. It works by attaching a small clip to the back of the case that then slides into a bracket on a flexible arm. The bracket and clip have been designed to lock in place so that your phone doesn’t swing about while you’re driving.

PDair Car Mount for PDair Leather Case

Screw Fix

The most secure way to fix a car holder in your car is to screw it to a solid surface such as your dashboard or a ProClip and the best holders of this type come from Nokia.

Nokia CR-39

The CR-39 is the smaller holder of the two and is a universal holder with spring loaded adjustable grips. The grips are solid and quite deep, so even if the case on your phone has a belt clip that adds depth to your phone, the CR-39 will still be able to hold it securely, although they might cover or press any buttons that are on the side of your phone. The CR-39 will hold phones in cases up to 120mm tall, 55mm wide and upto 26mm thick and weigh no more than 200g.

Nokia CR-39 Universal Holder

Nokia CR-82

The Nokia CR-82 is similar in many ways to the CR-39, but is capable of holding slightly larger handsets. The most noticable difference is that the side grips on it are ‘hollow’ and won’t cover up as much of the sides of your phone, reducing the chance that they will press or cover any side keys. The bottom support has a built in holder for your car charger too which saves time and prevents you having to hunt for the end of your charger. The CR-82 will hold phones in cases up to 135mm tall, 55mm wide and upto 26mm thick and weigh no more than 200g.

Nokia CR-82 Universal Holder

As standard, both the CR-39 and CR-82 will screw to your dashboard/proclip, but if you wanted to mount it on the windscreen you can do so using the Nokia HH-12 Suction mount. The base is adjustable to pretty much any angle, but once installed and the screws are tightened, it’s not adjustable. You can find out more on the CR-39 and CR-82 on my Guide to Nokia Car Holders.

Windscreen & Air Vent Holders

There are a number of windscreen mount and air vent fixing car holders available, most of which have adjustable grips that allow them to take almost any handset with or without a case.

Windscreen Holder - Medium

Windscreen Holder - Large

Windscreen Holder - Extra Wide

Most windscreen holders work in the same way – A flexible arm that uses a suction pad to fix to your windscreen with an adjustable holder at the end. The only difference between each of the ones shown above is the size of the phone that they can hold. The medium holder will hold phones that are no wider than 65mm, the large holder will hold phones upto 80mm and the extra-wide one will hold phones that are over 90mm but less than 132 mm in width.

Air Vent holders use similarly styled holders to the windscreen holders, but instead clip securely onto the vents in your car. You’ll normally find that the cradles on air vent holders are slightly smaller and that the grips are smaller too and are less likely to cover up any buttons on the side of your phone.

Universal Air Vent Holder

As with the Nokia Holders, the side grips are quite deep, so even if your case has a belt clip that prevents your phone from sitting right back in the holder they will still hold your phone securely. Each of these holders have a quick release button to make removing your phone extremely quick and easy.