ExtremePDA iPhone Custom Vent Mount Review
Posted by Melissa on June 7th, 2008 at 08:06am Comments
I imagine many Californians will be looking at handsfree phone solutions in the upcoming weeks. On July 1, using a handheld wireless telephone while operating a motor vehicle is prohibited in California. Regardless of what handsfree solution is chosen (wired headset, bluetooth headset, professional installation), one thing is a constant - everyone will need a cell phone holder. Although not a Californian myself, I generally prefer to keep my hands on the wheel while driving. And, because I frequently access my iPhone - to make/receive phone calls, listen to music, listen to podcasts, etc. - I was searching for a solution that offered stability, access to all ports, and was easy to install. ExtremePDA’s iPhone Custom Vent Mount fits this bill nicely.
Stability
As seen in the picture above, the ExtremePDA phone mount fits the iPhone like a glove. While in the holster, the phone has no play. So, when your finger approaches the phone to access a function, you know the phone won’t quiver at the thought of being poked! I was happy with how snug the mount attached to the vent. It didn’t shift left-to-right and didn’t excessively bobble or fall off while driving on rough terrain.
If you prefer a mounting solution that allows you to have a case on the phone while on the mount, ExtremePDA also offers a basic Auto Mount Vent Car Mount. This mount has adjustable left and right pads to fit a variety of devices. The quick release button allows easy removal of the phone when needed. Because much of my testing was done with a case on, I’ll also refer to this mount throughout the rest of the article.
Installation
Given that my vent mount didn’t come with any instructions, I was a little worried about how difficult the installation might be. I really didn’t know where to start so I just picked the vent that I thought would work best and pushed the vent mount onto it. It basically attaches like a very sturdy bobby pin. (For you men out there, it’s like a clip that holds a receiver rod on a hitch.) Unfortunately, my first guess for placement wasn’t quite right so I needed to move the mount. This wasn’t very easy. I ended up just pulling on the mount until I heard a snap. I was glad to see I didn’t snap the vent! I actually pulled the clip off the mount - which landed inside the vent. After fishing out the clip, reinserting it onto the mount and re-setting the mount, everything worked well. Both mounts have adjustable clips that allow them to fit a variety of vent sizes.
Port Accessibility
With the iPhone mount, the phone slides into the holster from the top so there’s no issue with plugging into the headset port or accessing the power button. The volume and mute buttons (found on the left of the iPhone) and the dock connector were also easily accessible.
On the basic vent mount, access to the power, headphone port and dock connector also did not pose any problems. On this mount, the bottom brace is adjustable. I simply spread the two feet that formed the bottom brace and I had plenty of room to plug the cord into the dock connector. However, the left pad did pose a small challenge when trying to access the volume buttons. I didn’t see this as too much of a problem because the majority of the time when I needed to adjust the volume, it was because I wanted my music louder 
I generally used the iPhone’s volume slider on the touch screen to make my adjustments.
All-in-all, I found ExtremePDA’s iPhone Auto Mount Vent Mount and Auto Mount Vent Mount serve the basic needs of a vent mount solution so I feel they both deserve a silver rating. After a few searches, I found they weren’t the least expensive solution in comparison to other vent mounts and I found others offered features such as swivel and the ability to detach the mount and use it with a belt clip. Both are available for $24.95 and can be found on ExtremePDA’s website.
iPhone Auto Mount Vent Mount - http://www.extremepda.com/MOUNTIPHONE-VENT.html
Auto Mount Vent Mount - http://www.extremepda.com/AUTOMOUNT-VENT-SM.html
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- ProClip Car Holder: iPhone Accessory Review
- Kensington dash, power port car mounts for iPhone
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