IPods Prices | Mp3 Player Price » Kensington Power Port Car Mount for iPhone and iPod

Wonderful idea, lousy execution
Like most people, I've been looking for a decent car mount for my phone. I really don't want to spend on something that's going to take up space in/on a vent (I actually USE my A/C ... in Central Texas, that's a MUST), and most "on dash" things don't quite put the phone where I can easily view or access it. Windshield mounts have the same problem: I simply can't reach the darn thing, and I find them kind of distracting. I also drive a 2002 Saturn, so dashboard space is at a premium (read: I don't have much of it, and everything is *small*).

I saw the Kensington Power Port mount, and thought it was what I was looking for. It plugs into your Power Port, and has a neck that stretches up, and can be adjusted for placement just about anywhere. The cradle can be adjusted to fit almost any iPhone or iPod you can think of (except my Nano) - including one of the new iPhone 4s, with a case on it. It also has an "extension" of your power port, so you can plug in your own charger, and the feet on the bottom of the cradle can be adjusted so you don't have to worry about the charger not fitting. The cradle can also be rotated so you can have the phone in landscape orientation.

Sounds great, right?

It's a beautiful concept - but poorly executed. Maybe it's because my car's small, and because it's an older car, and the location of the power port, but the biggest problem I had with it: the part that plugs into the power port is too big. It doesn't fit all the way in the port, and one sharp turn put the whole thing in my lap.

I didn't even get a chance to test out the extension of the power port to see if it would charge my phone.

It's going back tomorrow, and I'm back to the drawing board.

Not really sturdy
I really hoped this would work well for my IPhone. The bracket is top heavy when the phone sits in the cradle and really shaky over bumps and just normal driving conditions causing the phone to fall from the cradle occasionally.

In addition, because of it instability, you need to use use a hand to steady and hold the phone in the cradle when using any functions.

Holds iPhone where you want it; easy in-and-out.
This is my second holder of this exact model which says two things: 1) something happened such that I need to replace my first unit and 2) I liked it enough to buy a second. Let's talk first about its warts. After two years of very heavy use an internal plastic pivot rod broke thereby preventing the jaw from locking into a clenched position to hold my phone. Also, the clamp assembly slides into a notch to be mounted on the stem which isn't usually an issue but if you twist it to landscape it can slide off. Lastly, since it mounts in a cigarette lighter socket it's not the steadiest of car mounts. So why do I like it so much if it had these problems? First, the slightly sloshy socket mount simply didn't bother me nor did the possibility of it sliding off its mount. Too ridged a mount and I'd have worried about breaking it; twisting just shy of horizontal meant it never slipped off. Lastly, it's entitled to break after two years of heavy daily use when I only paid for the unit.

This car mount for my iPhone is used in a 2007 Camry where I plug it into the 12-volt socket in my armrest. Access to my stereo plug and in-dash 12-volt socket are handy. The adjustable arm and head allow me to position it just to my liking. I can have it at a comfortable distance and at an angle which doesn't reflect light from my sun roof. When I want to type something long then I can quickly pivot the head to reveal the landscape keyboard of my phone. Best of all, however, is the excellent head unit. This padded jaw is fast to clamp down on my phone, holds it very securely, and is quick to open with a button push on back so I can take it with me as I jump out of the car. I spend a lot of time traveling on road trips and am constantly getting out of my car to visit a museum, take pictures, or just walk around. I'm not about to leave my iPhone in plain view so taking it with me is important and this Kensington phone mount makes that easy.

Buying a replacement was an easy decision for this excellent product.

Works in my Mazda Speed 6
The cigarette lighter is located at the base of my dash which is a perfect location for this mount. Some careful twisting of the arm was required to get it just right and out of the way of the stick shift. Do not attempt to adjust the arm by holding on to the holder or it will break!

I bought two this time, to replace the first one which was stolen. We liked the first one so much, that when I was going to order a replacement my husband wanted one too. It is very well thought out, having a power-pass-through and fully adjustable holder. It works with my husband's Blackberry and my HTC Touch Pro in its case. I have my phone plugged into the FM transmitter and power all together.

Occasionally I have to push the mount back into the cigarette lighter because it has worked its way out, but overall it holds up well with the road motion and shaking.

Not Made For Daily Use
It works as advertised for the first few weeks - but it does not seem to of been designed for daily use. The release mechanism on the device holder became unreliable after a few weeks and would take some effort to release my iphone. The connector on the arm which you slide the removable holder on and off, snapped off pretty easily one day. Looks like I could super-glue it, but I gave up on it instead. I do not recommend buying this or similar holders unless you will very infrequently remove/insert the device from/into your care.

Live and learn.