I'm looking for a logical place to put my iPhone while it's connected to the charging/CarPlay USB outlet. My Tesla S came with a sort of dock: a bracket into which the phone slides, with a Lightning plug at the bottom so that it connects without the need to fiddle with a cable. I would love to find something similar that I can use in my Clarity. Any ideas? Where do people put their phones?
I just lay my phone on a non-slip pad (that I bought and trimmed) on the left-hand "wing" next to the gear shift buttons. I bought a coiled Lightning/USB cord that I plug in. It works fine and the phone stays in place.
Here’s what I’m using by my bedside so I don’t have to fiddle with the plug ( which I detest!). Has a rubber bottom but you could use peel and stick Velcro and put on any vertical surface. Haven’t tried it in the car. It’s stable side or side but rocks a little front to back with shaking. You might try calling Crutchlfield and asking them; they’re very savvy and might know about a car dock. Since I hate fussing with stuff, I just Bluetooth from pocket.
The flat dash area to the left of the steering column is a great spot for a phone holder if you want the phone to be accessible without looking down. I use a Scosche magnetic phone mount to hold my phone, with a USB cable threaded over the steering column.
I use this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0744G9CYD?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf on my left of steering wheel vent. I route the wire across the top of the steering wheel stalk to the main usb outlet.
Thanks for all these suggestions. Ken's dock looks nice, but I'm concerned that the motion of the car would put too much stress on the phone's rigid Lightning socket without guide rails to hold the phone securely. Having CarPlay means that (for me) there's no need for the phone to be visible while I'm driving. I think I'm going to try Mr. Silver's coiled cord approach and non-slip pad approach. Rhetorical question: Since approximately 100% of all drivers bring a phone into the car, why haven't carmakers come up with a standard approach to mounting and powering them?
There is no tension in the plug. The phone is held in place very securely from the back by the magnet. I do agree that if you don't need to access the phone itself there are better ways that keep the phone out of sight. I actually prefer using Google Maps directly from the phone rather than connected to the car via Android Auto, plus other apps that are not Android Auto compatible (while stopped, of course). Heh, I know you said rhetorical question, but I'll take a stab. Since phone manufacturers themselves can't even standardize on a single kind of plug, it's nigh impossible for carmakers to produce a "standard" car mount.
@Kendalf, by "Ken" I was referring to KentuckyKen's approach, not yours. I don't use a case on my iPhone X, so a magnet wouldn't work for me. As for a standard mount, all I want is a dedicated spot on the dash with a socket into which one could plug a variety of holders, some brand-specific. This would put an end to the silliness of mounting on air vents, cd slots, and using suction cups. As an example, every backseat now has LATCH anchors for baby seats. The seats all conform to this, while the babies are quite different.
For liability reasons I don"t think the car manufacturers want any part of securing a phone to make it more easy to use while driving.
I have a coiled coed that is just long enough to plug into the phone while it is in the nice tray, under the shifter, which was obviously designed to hold phones. This is why the phone plugs are down there.
Tangible, I think I found what you’re looking for. One handed mounting and unmounting without having to plug and unplug the cable every time and it securely holds your iPhone. It’s $20 on Amazon. Check this out: https://www.amazon.com/SINJIMORU-Charging-including-Lightning-Charging/dp/B00MLZZ7KA I think I found the Holy Grail of charger/holders! (At least for lightning connected iPhones) Whose ‘da man? Whose yo’ daddy? And I let the dogs out!!! (Well, at least until somebody finds one better.)
I don't know about the Holy Grail; that particular item should fit in the cup holder, I would think. But it looks very promising, with two worries: 1. The list of supported phones doesn't include the iPhone X. I'm hoping that's just because the description hasn't been updated, because physically the X is very similar to the earlier models. I've emailed Sinjimoru with that question. 2. Quite a few Amazon reviews complain about a poor quality cable causing problems with CarPlay. I would take a chance, though, if they say it supports the X. To be my "daddy" you would need to be > 100 years old, so be careful what you wish for. If it works, though, you can be my bro.
It was the only mount I could find that has a plug built in so I was pretty pumped up. I didn’t know you had the X. I may get it for my 7. However, this seems to mount on a surface with a swivel. The cup holder mounts I’ve found require manual plugging/unplugging. For your X, you could try add an adapter similar to this One I use to go from a solar charger mini usb to lightning on phone. Miniinthebox.com has several. They’ve cheap knock off but usually work. Sorry, I missed the great word play; went “zoom!” Right over my head. I’ll take being your brother in the Clarity Fraternity. I’m celebrating my 64th birth day this week. Would I be your older or younger brother?
Explanation of (admittedly obtuse) cupholder joke: You called it the Holy Grail, which - in legend - is a cup, so I said it should go in the cupholder. For a fuller description see: I'm really psyched about your find. Just waiting to hear from the manufacturer about the X before I lay down my $20.
Sorry for that last msg getting ahead of your reply. It posted before I was finished and I had to edit it. ( not good w thumb typing)
I finally heard back from Sinjimoru. They said the omission of the iPhone X from the list of supported phones was an error, and that the X should work fine in their dock. I'm not sure I'll buy that one, but I have to do something. Keeping the phone in the space under the shifter has, for me, validated the old saying, "Out of sight; out of mind". I've now left the phone in the car three times in the past week.
I found this cable from Amazon: Smart&Cool 3.3 Feet Gen4 Nylon Braided 2 in 1 Magnetic Max 2.1A Charging & Data Sync Cable Compatible with Phones and Tablets with Micro-USB and i-Product Interface (3.3ft-Black) I just use the tray and the magnetic end just connects itself. The cable is just coiled up to about a 1 foot length.
https://www.proclipusa.com/product/514667-adjustable-holder-for-small-to-medium-cases-with-cable-attachment This is what I’m considering. Pro clip docks are pricey, but the fact that it integrates the cable that comes with the phone directly should eliminate any cable quality issues with CarPlay.
