The Best iPhone Car Holders

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:

• Brodit Passive iPhone 3G Holder
• Brodit Active iPhone 3G Holder
• Brodit Passive iPhone 3G Holder with Dock Connector

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 dont want to screw into your dashboard (and I know I certainly wouldnt) 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.

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

• Air Vent
• Windscreen Mount (Fixed)
• Suction Mount (Rotating)
• Cigarette Socket
• Bicycle Mount

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 me know using the comments form below.

Nokia Speakerphone HF-310 Review

Nokia have always produced fantastic fitted car kits but their plug & play car kits have been good, but not really anything to shout about. The Nokia HF-310 and Nokia HF-510 have just been announced as replacements for the HF-200 and HF-300, but are they any better? What have they got that makes them different to the ones they’re replacing? I wasn’t too sure either, as at first glance a bluetooth car kit is just a bluetooth car kit, right?

I grabbed a Nokia HF-310 and tried it out to see how the new Nokia car kit shapes up.

In the Box

With most ‘plug and play’ Bluetooth car kits, you normally get the loud speaker, visor clip and a charger of some description, you get the same with the Nokia HF-310, but you also get a couple of extra items – a windscreen suction holder and a suction pad that you can use anywhere in the car. The HF-310 uses the same Nokia DC-4 that most of the current Nokia handsets use, so you won’t need to buy a seperate charger for your phone.

Nokia HF-310 Box Contents

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A guide to choosing the best Toughphone

Recently we’ve started to see more and more rugged phones make their way onto the shelves. The first to launch was the JCB Toughphone in early 2008. The promotional videos from JCB showed the phone being thrown into cement mixers, driven over by diggers and then washed down with a pressure washer. Surprisingly it still worked for calls – something that your everyday phone can’t do.

While rugged handsets aren’t anything new, manufacturers all seem to be making more of an effort to produce something that is near indestructible. Since the JCB Toughphone was launched, Nokia, Samsung, Land Rover and Sonim have all released tough durable handsets, they all look different and the price of the handsets varies considerably.

Rugged Handsets from Nokia, Samsung & Sonim

Getting the right phone for your needs is vital – particularly if you need a phone that can take more abuse than normal. The last thing you’ll want to do is have to replace it a few months down the line because it wasn’t quite strong enough. Currently there are 6 rugged phones available, but what’s the difference between them, what are IP ratings and more importantly, which should you go for?

This guide should hopefully make deciding which one to go for a little bit easier.

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Hey – where did all the posts go?!

Dont worry, all 200+ posts are still here, but this weekend Im having a bit of a spring clean to freshen things up.

Over the last 12 months the way that Ive been writing posts has been changing quite a bit and some of the older posts are a bit hard to read so Im taking a few days out to tidy them up and get them back on here.

Ive now started to move this blog to its new home www.unofficialmobileblog.co.uk where it’s running on its own server, away from wordpress.com. I’m hoping to migrate the content over by Friday 28th August. You might notice that the style of the site has changed slightly because the theme i was using snt available on a self hosted blog, but this one is pretty close to the old one!

If theres something you want me to cover regarding mobile phones or accessories leave a comment and Ill get it scheduled in.

The Best Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headsets

I’ve been working with mobile phones for years now, and I’ve noticed that people really seem to struggle when it comes to choosing a Bluetooth Headset. To someone who isn’t that clued up on mobile technology they all look the same, they all allow you to use your phone safely in the car and can answer & end calls, so why are there so many different ones to choose from and why the big differences in price?

Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headsets

Up until recently my answer would have been that the main differences were size, weight and battery life and that’s still true for most headsets, but advances in headset technology have meant that there is now something else to consider when choosing a Bluetooth Headset – Noise Cancellation.

If you’ve ever looked into bluetooth headsets in the past, you might be thinking that noise cancellation is nothing new and that it’s been around for years, and your right, it has. Over the years noise cancellation has seen many different forms, from simple design changes such as foam covers over the microphone to clever software that makes your voice clearer, but newer Bluetooth headsets go one step further and have 2 microphones built into them, one that picks up your voice and another that picks up background noise. Software in the headset then analyses the sound from both microphones and any sounds picked up by both microphones are removed so that your voice comes through clearly.

Not all Bluetooth Headsets currently have this feature, and trying to find the ones that do out of the hundreds that are available will take you quite some time, so to help you along I’ve listed below what I think are some of the best noise cancelling headsets available. All of these headsets have the dual microphone technology, and a couple of them have some extra clever technology make your voice even clearer.

Most of these headsets are available from mobile fun and I’ve provided a link to the relevant page on their site if you want to find out more about any particular headset. If you’re thinking of ordering one, us the voucher code MFAWAUG9 before the end of August to get 5 off any order over 25.

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iPhone 3G & 3GS Battery Problem Solved

As a proud owner of an iPhone, it hurts me to say something negative about it, but the battery life is definitely not the best. I was caught out by this little problem recently and I had no way to charge my dying iPhone. I realised that I needed a way of charging my phone throughout the day, but without the hassle of constantly connecting a USB cable.

I looked through all of the iPhone 3GS desk stands available, and the iPhone 3GS / 3G Desktop Dual Charging Dock + Battery Charger caught my attention. Not only is it a standard desktop charger and sync stand, it also includes a portable battery pack that you can use to charge your iPhone when you’re out and about. The Dual Charging Dock has two charging ports so that you can charge both your phone and the battery pack at the same time, and when you leave the house, you simply pop the battery pack into your bag or pocket and off you go.

If and when your iPhone needs a charge, you simple slide your phone into the battery pack and it starts charging immediately.

Charge your iPhone and battery pack together

While I agree that the battery pack is not the smallest, there are other options available like the Mophie Juice Pack. However, the advantage of this one is that you only need to attach it when you need to charge your iPhone, where as the Mophie products double up as a case for your iPhone, which means that it’s attached to your phone permanently and that your iPhone is more bulky. This isn’t really a problem if you want a case for your phone, but I prefer not to use one.

Battery Pack attaches easily

Seidio Cases for iPhone, BlackBerry Storm & Palm Pre

Seidio specialise in making protective cases for smart phones such as the Apple iPhone 3G & 3GS, Palm Pre, Palm Treo Pro and BlackBerry Storm and I managed to get my hands on some last week to try them out.

Seidio Innocase Surface
Innocases are the most popular type of case that Seidio make. They are made from a tough, flexible material that is just 1mm thick and has a soft touch finish for better grip. The Innocase Surface consists of a front and back cover that snap together to keep your device protected. Innocase Surface doesn’t cover the screen of your phone though, so you’ll need to get yourself a screen protector to prevent it getting scratched.

Seidio Innocase Surface

The Innocase Surface has cut outs for all parts of the phone that you’ll need to access such as the charger port, headphone socket and volume controls.

Seidio Innocase II Surface
Innocase II are almost identical to the original Innocase, the only real difference being the way that they fit on to your phone. Instead of being a front and back cover that lock together, Innocase II is made of two sleeves that slide onto the top and bottom of your phone and lock together. While this might not seem like a big change, it almost eliminates the possibility of the cover coming off your phone when you drop it. Innocase II Surface doesn’t cover the screen of your phone though, so again, you’ll need a screen protector to prevent it getting scratched.

Seidio Innocase II

The Innocase II Surface has cut outs for all parts of the phone that you’ll need to access such as the charger port, headphone socket and volume controls.

Seidio Innocase 360
The Innocase 360 is quite different to the other 2 in the Innocase range as it builds in protection for your screen and you keypad too. They’re made from the same tough, flexible material, but have a silicone cover to protect your keypad and a built in screen protector to stop your screen getting scratched. The Innocase 360 clips on to your phone in the same way as the Innocase Surface.

Seidio Innocase 360

The Innocase 360 also has cut outs for all parts of the phone that you’ll need to access such as the charger port, headphone socket, camera and volume controls.

Seidio FlexArmor
FlexArmor cases are heavy duty rubber skins that have a tight fit to your phone and protect it against bumps, scrapes and drops. There are two different designs, one with a patterened back and one that is plainer, but has finger grooves for better grip. as with most Seidio Cases, FlexArmor cases don’t cover the screen, so you’ll need to get a screen protector if you want to prevent it getting scratched.

Seidio FlexArmor

The FlexArmor is moulded specifically for each phone and has cut outs for all parts of the phone that you’ll need to access such as the charger port, headphone socket, camera and volume controls.

Seidio Premium Skin
Premium Skins are high grade silicone cases that fit your phone and unlike some silicone cases are resistant to dust, stretching and tearing. Premium Skins are moulded specifically for each phone and have cut outs for all parts of the phone that you’ll need to access such as the charger port, headphone socket, camera and volume controls.

Seidio Premium Skin Case

Again, these cases don’t cover the screen, so you’ll need to get a screen protector if you want to prevent it getting scratched.

Seidio Cases are currently only available for Apple iPhone 3G & 3GS, Palm Pre, Palm Treo Pro and BlackBerry Storm with Mobile Fun promising to expand their range soon. Personally I prefer the Innocase II, the locking top and bottom sleeve provide a much better fir than the original Innocase and from past experience with cheap crystal cases, any cover that has a front and back that clip together doesn’t normally last that long. FlexArmor are good too, although the one with the patterned back is a bit over the top – the plain one with finger grooves is a much more subtle case that won’t draw too much extra attention to your phone.

To see the full range of cases and to see what’s available for your phone, take a look at the full range of Seidio Cases on the Mobile Fun website

New BlackBerry HS500 Bluetooth Headset on it's way?

Although it hasn’t been confirmed yet, it looks as though there is a new Bluetooth headset on the way from BlackBerry. The current headset, theBlackBerry HS-655 was actually made by Plantronics and was a great headset in its day, but as time and technology have moved on, it is definitely in need of an update.

The BlackBerry HS-500 is made by Jabra this time and has the same brushed metal finish as some of the latest BlackBerry handsets. As the HS500 is based on the Jabra BT530, it shares the same noise cancelling dual microphone technology to make sure your calls are as clear as possible.

BlackBerry HS-500 Bluetooth Headset

The HS-500 is essentially the same as the Jabra BT530, so in terms of features it will have:

• Noise blackout technology with two noise cancellation microphones
• Multipoint technology lets you connect 2 devices at the same time
• Pair up to 8 devices – 2 at a time
• Crystal clear sound by advanced DSP (digital signal processing) technology
• Intelligent volume controls and audio shock protection
• Dual wearing style ear gel or flexible ear hook
• Dedicated on/off slide switch
• Micro USB Charging
• 6 Hours talk time
• 120 Hours stand by time

The BlackBerry HS500 is expected to be released in the next few weeks and is available to pre order now.

As always, features, specification and release dates are subject to change.

Hands on with the Jabra Halo Bluetooth Headphones

Stereo Bluetooth Headsets come in all shapes and sizes, from the incredibly tiny Sony Ericsson IS-800 to the rather large Nokia BH-604 – and most of them still involve cables, which to some extent takes away the point of having a Stereo Bluetooth headset in the first place.

Jabra have always made great Bluetooth headsets, but until recently their only Stereo Bluetooth Headset was the Jabra BT3030 – a great handsfree/headphone solution that hangs around your neck and allows you to connect any standard 3.5mm headphones to it. The ‘Dogtag’ style control unit gives you full control over your music playback and volume, but it’s unique styling might not appeal to everyone.

Earlier this month, Jabra released the Halo – a pair of stylish compact bluetooth headphones that are completely free of wires and have dual microphones to reduce background noise during calls. The Jabra Halo supports streaming music in stereo, playback controls (A2DP & AVRCP) and volume control. All sounds great on paper, so I decided to get a pair out and try them.

Jabra Halo

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How not to use TomTom on your iPhone 3G

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?

iPhone Sat Nav: 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. Personally I prefer to use a Brodit attached to a ProClip so that I don’t have to keep removing it from my windscreen and wiping away the tell tale ring on the glass that says you’ve got sat nav in the car.

• Griffin Window Seat for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS
• Brodit Passive holder with Tilt / Swivel
• Brodit Passive Holder With Dock Connector & Tilt / Swivel
• iPhone 3G & iPhone 3GS Sat Nav Starter Pack
• iPhone 3G & 3GS Deluxe Carry Holster

Have you seen any other crazy ways of holding an iPhone in the car? Share them with us using the comments form below!