Posts Tagged ‘iphone holder’
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
With pricing now confirmed for the TomTom iPhone Car Kit at £99.99 without the Sat Nav Application, it makes the whole package a little expensive at just under £160 – especially when you consider that you can buy a fully functional stand alone TomTom GPS unit for less than £120.
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
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 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
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.
All Prices correct as of 30/09/09 and are subject to change.
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Tags: connect ipod to car, connect ipod to car stereo, connecting ipod to car, GPS, in car ipod connectors, iphone 3g sat nav, iphone 3gs sat nav, iphone car holder, iPhone Car Kit, iphone holder, iphone sat nav, iphone tomtom, ipod touch car connector, mobile maps, navigon iphone, sat nav ipod touch, sygic mobile maps, tomtom, tomtom car cradle, tomtom car kit, tomtom car kit release date, tomtom carkit, tomtom ipod touch,
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Thursday, September 10th, 2009
Although the TomTom Sat Nav application was released a few weeks ago for the iPhone, the car kit to accompany it is still nowhere to be seen. Rumours of pricing and availability have been floating around for a while now, but this week TomTom have finally confirmed that the TomTom iPhone Car Kit will be available to buy in October.
- iPhone Car Kit from TomTom
More information is slowly starting to emerge on it’s features too. The most surprising news is that the Car Kit can be used with any Sat Nav Apps. The Car Kit can be used for handsfree calling, music playback, turn-by-turn instructions and charging, although the GPS signal enhancements will only be available when you’re using the TomTom App.
If you don’t want to shell out the rumoured £115 for the car kit, there are a number of other options to consider. The best value is the iPhone Sat Nav starter pack which gives you a holder and charger for the iPhone, and the Jabra SP700 is a great bluetooth car kit that clips to your sun visor and can handle your calls and music playback and route them through your car stereo speakers in the same way as the TomTom Car Kit. The price? Less than £55 for both – that’s less than half of the rumoured cost of the TomTom kit for all the same features - and best of all you won’t have to wait upto 8 weeks for them as they’re available to order now!
For more information on the different ways to use Sat Nav on your iPhone in the car take a look at my post on Using Sat Nav on the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS.
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Tags: GPS, iphone 3g sat nav, iphone 3gs sat nav, iphone car holder, iPhone Car Kit, iphone holder, iphone sat nav, iphone tomtom, mobile maps, navigon iphone, sat nav ipod touch, sygic mobile maps, tomtom, tomtom car kit release date, tomtom ipod touch,
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Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
OK, I’ve seen some pretty odd ways of using mobile phone’s over the years, but this one really made me chuckle. As you’ve probably heard, you can now get TomTom Sat Nav on your iPhone, and the whole world seem to be going crazy about it.
Quite a few bloggers are reviewing the new software and posting video’s of it being used – which is great, after all £60 is a lot to spend on a software download if it’s no good, but I really think some people need to plan ahead when it comes to creating a video review.
This morning I stumbled on this iPhone TomTom video review on YouTube which shows off how easy the software is to use. They then take it for a spin in the car and demonstrate brilliantly how not to mount your iPhone in the car.
There are some things that sellotape shouldn't be used for!
Sellotaping your iPhone to the dash might be a quick fix, but just think of the mess that’s going to be left on his phone and dashboard when he’s done. Silly really, when for less than £15 he could have got himself an iPhone Sat Nav Pack that includes a rotating windscreen holder and car charger.
On the subject of iPhone holders, I’ve noticed that people seem to think that you have to use sat nav on the iPhone in landscape mode. As most phone holders for the iPhone 3G and 3GS are portrait, I’m guessing this is why people are resorting to sellotaping their phones to the dashboard, but what you may not realise is that Sat Nav works perfectly well in portrait mode too – in fact I prefer it. It means you don’t have to keep rotating the phone if a call or text message comes through and I find that you get a clearer view of what’s coming up on the road ahead. Admittedly, there’s not much in it, but do you really need to see all the side roads that you’re not going to be driving down?
CoPilot 8 on the iPhone: Landscape Vs Portrait
Easiest option of course is to just get yourself a rotating holder so that you can use your phone which ever way you want. The following iPhone car holders can all rotate for use in landscape or portrait mode:
Have you seen any other crazy ways of holding an iPhone in the car? Share them with us using the comments form below!
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Tags: GPS, iphone 3g sat nav, iphone 3gs sat nav, iphone car holder, iPhone Car Kit, iphone holder, iphone sat nav, iphone tomtom, mobile maps, navigon iphone, sat nav ipod touch, sygic mobile maps, tomtom, tomtom car kit release date, tomtom ipod touch,
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Monday, July 27th, 2009
Keeping your phone safe and accessible in the car often means getting a car holder for it. Windscreen mounts for mobile phones are probably the most popular way of securing your phone in the car. They are affordable, easy to install and can be removed quickly so as not to draw any attention to your car. With Sat Nav for the iPhone now available too, mounting your iPhone on your windscreen lets you keep your eyes on the road while following the on screen directions.
Windscreen holders aren’t the only option though. You can also get a range of fixed mobile phone holders that can be securely attached to your car, without causing any damage to your dashboard. To give you an idea on what car holders work the best with the iPhone and iPhone 3G, I’ve been through our most popular car holders to see how they measure up.
iPhone Car Holder by Brodit
If you need something a little more heavy duty, or a semi permanent solution, then a Brodit Holder will be your best option. Brodit produce a range of holders, each made from a tough ABS plastic and then coated with a soft touch fabric to prevent your iPhone from getting scratched. There are 3 different types of Brodit Holder available:
All 3 do a great job of holding your iPhone securely in the car, the only difference between them is how they can charge your phone. Brodit Passive Holders only hold your phone, if you wanted to charge your phone, you’d need to buy a separate car charger. Brodit Active Holders have a car charger wired into them, so as soon as you slide your phone in, it starts charging. The Brodit Holder with Pass through is slightly different, it doesn’t have a car charger attached, but it does have a Dock Connection on the bottom. This allows you to connect a car charger, FM Transmitter, Parrot MKi Car Kit or any other accessory that uses the Dock Connector to the phone while it’s in the holder and means you won’t have to fiddle around plugging them in each time you get in the car.
Brodit iPhone Holders - Passive, Active & Pass Through
All three are on a ‘Tilt Swivel’ base that allows you to rotate the phone through 360 degrees, as well as angle it away from sunlight or reflections and should ideally be screwed to a flat surface in your car. If you don’t want to screw into your dashboard (and I know I certainly wouldn’t) then a ProClip from Brodit is your answer. Brodit ProClips are strong plastic mounts that clip onto your dashboard without causing any damage and provide a great base for attaching car holders onto. Proclips are vehicle specific and are normally available for different parts of your dashboard.
Brodit Passive Holder for iPhone 3GS Mounted on ProClip
Griffin WindowSeat
Griffin are well known for making iPod and iPhone accessories. The Griffin WindowSeat for iPhone 3G has a high-grip silicone suction pad that easily and quickly attaches to your windscreen or other smooth surface and stays put. It leaves your charging port and headphone socket accessible, and comes with an audio cable so you can connect your phone to your car stereo (As long as your stereo has a 3.5mm aux-in port). If you use Sat Nav on your iPhone, you can rotate the holder through 360 degrees without having to remove your phone.
Griffin WindowSeat for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS
Drive Safe
The DriveSafe Pack for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS include a car charger as well as a holder for your iPhone. The holder has an adjustable arm that can be bent into shape and rotated to suit your needs. The car charger will ensure that you don’t run out of power on your journey. If you already have a car charger, the iPhone 3G Car Holder can be purchased separately.
DriveSafe Car Pack for iPhone 3G
iPhone 3G Cradle with Changeable Mounts
This is the most customisable type of iPhone Car Holder. First you pick a cradle, then you choose a mount. As all of the mounting ports use the same clip system, you can choose a mount that will best suit your vehicle. The iPhone cradles all do the same thing, the main difference between them is that the PDA Cradle for iPhone 3G has a longer support on one side to keep your phone more stable when being used in landscape mode. Some of the available mounts available are listed below, or you can take a look at all of the different Mounting Ports.
From experience though, I’ve always found Air Vent holders a little loose, especially on heavier handsets like the iPhone, so I’d opt for a Rotating Windscreen Holder as it’s a lot more secure. The Rotating Holder has a solid arm that can be rotated in three directions to help you get the best viewing angle and allows you to turn your phone into landscape mode without having to remove it from the holder.
Mounting Port Cradles
Deluxe Holster
The Deluxe Holster for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS is really a two in one holder. It’s made up of two parts, the first is a polycarbonate case that protects the back of your phone and can be attached to a belt, the other is a suction mount that attaches to your windscreen and can hold your phone without you having to remove it from the case. The Deluxe Holster also comes with a car charger.
Deluxe iPhone 3G Holder
If you’ve seen a different holder that works well with your iPhone then let us know using the comments form below.
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