Reviewed: Brodit Active Adjustable iPhone Cradle

[Darren]

If you're the lucky owner of an iPhone 3G or 3GS and you wish to make use of one of the plethora of satnav apps then you'll quickly realise that you need three things; The iPhone navigation app of your choice, a phone holder and an in-car power supply.

The iPhone 3G and to a lesser extent, the 3GS, have less than stellar GPS chipset's. Unlike the performance we have come to expect from PNDs, the iPhone is very fussy about its signal and so the more you can do to improve it the better.

Consequently a cradle affixed high up on your dash will ensure it gets the best possible sky view and improve your view of the screen at the same time.

Here we review one of the many Brodit solutions, the #521106 that provides a cradle that can accommodate an iPhone in a case and provides power.

Click here to read the review...
_________________
Darren Griffin

[Wazza_G]

Better still have a bluetooth system installed in your car (like I did), a bluetooth earpiece/visor speaker and you never have to have one of these ugly things on your dashboard.

Oh forgot to say, just make sure that the system doesn't rely on rSAP, otherwise an Iphone won't work, it needs to be GSMII or GSMIII for Iphone compatibility.

[batties]

[Darren]

[MaFt]

Do they do a passive holder?

[Darren]

[Wazza_G]

Well actually, you're meant to be LOOKING at where you're going not at a SatNav screen, so like the TomTom you program it to go blank when the car's in motion. You still get the vocal instructions.

Don't you?

[Darren]

Ok, if you have any comments about the review or the mount feel free to post them.

But if you want to debate the safety implications of all windscreen/dash mounted satnav's, phones etc then please start a new thread.
_________________
Darren Griffin

[mikhael]

Hi there,

I read the review of the Brodit holder with interest, as I've recently bought one myself and am very happy with it.

After much procrastination (because it is expensive - £70 for the holder & ProClip - yikes!!), I took the plunge and I'm pleased to report that it's a very well-made piece of kit and works brilliantly.

I have it installed in my Mini & have it mounted on the central column, next to the car stereo (which is a Sony MEX-BT3600U). The 2 are paired over Bluetooth and I stream music & sat nav voice-over (I use CoPilot) as well as having a hands-free phone functionality. The latter isn't great quality, but as the stereo mic is quite far away from me it's not surprising.

I have an iPhone 3GS with a hard case (Incase Slider) which I can very easily drop into the holder, fire up the software and off I go. No fiddling around with cables and setting up holders like I used to do with the satnav - finally! BTW I could plug in the power connector to the USB socket on the stereo, but most of the time I leave it plumbed into the cigarette lighter permanently.

The positioning of it is perfect as it's out of the way, yet with a quick glance or out of the corner of my eye (without moving my head), I can see the iPhone screen very clearly and whether I'm on track or not.

All in all a very good piece of kit which is still pretty expensive, but as it does what it says on the tin without fault, I will say it's worth it.

Also a big thanks to David at DSL Dev. who was terrific in helping me pick the right model of holder.

My £0.02 worth to the debate,

Mikhael

[Darren]

And now you have the combo you only have to replace the ProClip if you change cars and can swap it between cars if you have more than one.

They're not cheap but they are the best solutions available and work. A worthwhile investment for a device worth £500+ IMHO.
_________________
Darren Griffin

[mikhael]

Yes that's right - it's called a MoveClip. Originally I was going to get one, but I really wanted something that was installed and stayed put in place as there's enough fiddling with having to get the car stereo installed and fire up the software before you even start your engine! Having it all in place is a great convenience (and I guess that's part of what you're paying for).

The adhesive on the ProClip is very strong and grips the central column very well (I have the angled one that sits on the left of the stereo, if the steering wheel is on the RHS). The holder itself screws onto the ProClip with 4 small self-tapping screws. Originally I thought someone had forgotten to drill the holes, but a quick call to DSL confirmed that they stopped doing that as the majority of their customers didn't want holes pre-drilled and wanted to fix their holders on themselves(?). Not having the right screwdriver (i.e. an electric one), it took a bit of fiddling to get the holder attached to the clip, but I got there in the end and now the two are securely held.

I guess I can justify the cost of the Brodit holder if I think back to the older mobile phone car kits which used to cost in excess of £150 - I would say this is at least as comparable quality-wise and it's good value in comparison. If you're serious about having the holder permanently installed, I believe the 527106 version does exactly the same (adjustable holder for iPhones with soft/hard cases), but it's designed for a "fixed installation" (so can be wired in neatly - I guess you'd have to find a friendly car installation professional to do it for you.

I certainly will be very happy to buy these products in future :^)

Mikhael

[gregh]

Hi Darren,

How adjustable is this? Could it be used to hold different phones, ie iPhone, Desire or Samsung Omnia Pro B7330?

Cheers,

Greg

[Darren]

[gregh]

We see you’re using an ad-blocker. We’re fine with that and won’t stop you visiting the site.
Have you considered making a donation towards website running costs?.
Or you could disable your ad-blocker for this site. We think you’ll find our adverts are not overbearing!