Advice for using my 640XL in the car

[xsodaxmachinex]

I was looking for some advice for using my 640XL in my car mainly for navigation and music. My question is, does anyone use any kind of mount in their car for their 640XL (either dash, vent, or otherwise) to see maps and such not just going by the bluetooth? Does anyone have any suggestions on a type of mount you use that you have good luck with such a larger sized phone?

 

[Woodman1914]

The critical things I look for in a car mount is if it positions the phone display where I like it, usually somewhere in the center area of the dashboard slightly below eye level, that a mount doesn't require permanent damage to the dashboard (adhesives or screws), that it holds the phone level and doesn't move around despite bumps in the road, allows relatively easy attach/detach of the phone itself, and doesn't create new rattle sounds. You'd be surprised how many car mounts don't fit all these requirements, if you have the same as mine, my advice is to stay away from any that are below $10, I've tried too many cheap ones to save a few dollars and regretted it. Size-wise, there are many car mounts that can handle the 640XL, thanks in no small part to the popularity of the iPhone 6+, which has almost identical physical dimensions as the 640XL. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that if the car mount says it works for an iPhone 6+, it'll work for the 640XL.

All that being said, I was happy with the build quality of the Mountek nGroove, which slots nicely into the CD slot of a car's CD player, the reverse clamp mechanism was excellent. However, my next car didn't come with a CD player, so I had to look for something else. Also, if the car's cd slot is positioned lower on the dashboard, it could be too low to view GPS navigation depending on your preferences. I have also tried the vent-type mount, the Kenu Airframe +. The clamp was a little tight for the 640XL + plastic case, but the deal breaker was that the mounting design to the vent itself simply didn't fit the Ford-style ac vents in my car, so I couldn't really use and evaluate it and had to return it. The mount I'm using now that I'm very happy with is the iOttie Easy One Touch XL, it grips the 640XL well, and works perfectly with my car's dashboard, since it has a flat platform area at the top of the dashboard where the suction cup grips tightly - I thought after a few weeks it would fall off, but after 3 months+ it has stayed on tightly. I will try to take a picture if you like, but those are a few I can recommend, depending on your preferences and car. Hope this helps.

WW

 

[xsodaxmachinex]

Thank you very much for the input. That was the kind of answer I was looking for someone to post. I was wondering if I needed to get a universal one or if a iPhone 6+ one would do the trick. I was also wondering about an air vent v. CD slot one was better over the other but like you said it depends on preference one where one wants the phone docked. Thanks for the input.

On a side note though, the way they hold onto the phones, is one able to plug a cable into the micro USB to charge while having it in the holder as well? Do the grips block the port? and Also I see the magnetic ones but I worry about the magnets messing up the phone (the whole magnets bad for electronics thing.)

 

[jaimeastin]

I use a cd magnetic slot in my fj cruiser and a magnetic dash mount adhered with adhesive in my Miata. Bot work exceptionally well. The magnets are strong enough to hold my 640 and was strong enough foe my Lumia 1520. I can view landscape or portrait. The mounts allow for tilts and other fine tune adjustments.

Magnetic mounts are the best mounts I have ever used. They are not bulky, there is no need for clamps or other mechanisms that almost always break.

I use Xbox music, hands free talking, my MS Band, driving mode, here maps, and this mount for super safe, easy driving my windows phone.

I can also easily charge my phones in any position. The docks are nice for watching Netflix or YouTube on a break. The cd slot mount doubles as a camera mount too... So you can screw it on a tripod which will allow you to magnetically mount the phone for stable hands free video /photo capture.

I can take pictures and he the brand information if needed.

 

[Woodman1914]

On a side note though, the way they hold onto the phones, is one able to plug a cable into the micro USB to charge while having it in the holder as well? Do the grips block the port? and Also I see the magnetic ones but I worry about the magnets messing up the phone (the whole magnets bad for electronics thing.)

iOttie Easy One Touch XL 's "feet", the ones that hold the phone when tilted in portrait orientation, do not block either the headphone or charge ports, I regularly plug both in at the same time. I don't remember for the Mountek nGroove, I do remember removing the feet maybe because it did get in the way. The Kenu Airframe + does not have feet, so it cannot fully support portrait orientation. I cannot comment on the magnet mounts, there are definite advantages to magnets such as ease of attach/detach and less moving parts/less rattling, but I am unsure about their affects on the phone, especially memory components (eg: Is it possible to wipe SSD with strong magnetic force? - Super User ) so for now I have stayed away from them. If you're unsure about which one to get, Amazon has a very good return policy.

WW

 

[Derausgewanderte]

I also use a CD player mount. This one looks nice and lets me mount the phone quickly (either portrait or landscape).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUwpUvbUpU3224450

The problem I had with the nGroove was that it blocked my radio display in my Honda or our T&C.

 

[DuncanF62]

I use a Brodit mount in my Audi RS4. They have several fixed mounts (ProClip) per car model/year/position combination to choose from. For example on my Audi I can choose left vent (LHD), right vent (RHD) or centre vent.

You pair that up with a per-mobile device mount (Holder). The holder can be changed with one screw so I can mount for my 640XL or 930 depending on what phone I am using at that time.

The holders also come in three flavours from passive to lighter socket powered to full install. So there should be combination of ProClip and Holder to suit all phones/cars/tastes

 

[xsodaxmachinex]

Thanks for all the tips and advice. I will keep these all in mind!