I placed an order from the Arkon website for their IPM515 model car mount for my iPhone 4 about a week ago (July 19th) and to my surprise, received my order yesterday (after I was told they were on backorder and would arrive later this week or next week). I don't usually do many of these, but I was impressed with this product so here's my review.
http://www.arkon.com/iPhone_4_Car_Mount.php
I had the Griffin car mount for my 3GS and I wanted something slim like that. However, the Griffin mount was limited to how much it could move and due to my sloped windshield, this was a disadvantage since my phone was facing up as far as the mount could go yet it was always in a slightly angled down position which was highly annoying. Another consideration I had was that the next mount I was to buy would not be one of those mounts that held on to your phone by resting it on a bottom shelf and two adjustable arms on the sides held it in place. I have had bad experiences with these types of mounts as the arms deteriorated in performance over time which led to my phone falling out of them (i.e. Scosche car mount solutions). Plus, they rattled around even on smooth roads.
After trying this new Arkon mount out, I must say I am greatly impressed. It has exceeded my expectations. Firstly, the suction cup is incredibly strong. You can rest assured that it's not going anywhere. It is very easy to apply to your windshield; you simply place it against the windshield and push the lever in. This is a plus versus the Griffin mount which needed to be screwed in to activate the suction. The component which holds the phone slides into place through slots in the back of it which when assembled is also very sturdy. The phone can swivel in all directions and is perfect for any type of windshield. It can be positioned to be viewed comfortably for the passenger, driver, and probably even someone sitting on the sunroof because of its awesome swivel angles. If you are concerned about this, you may want to consider the IPM514 model. The package also included an adhesive plate which can replace the suction cup for easy mounting onto your dashboard if you feel like messing up your dashboard. I have not tried this since I don't have a need for it.
The component which holds the phone itself is composed of several parts. The bottom is spring loaded and adjustable which will hold your phone regardless of whether or not it is in a case. You are suppose to put the four "feet" things in which actually hold the phone itself in place. Of course, you don't have to use all four feet and they can be slid (with some effort) to suit your needs. The feet have a sort of grippy material on them to assure that the phone does not slide around.
When driving, the component stays in place and does not move around. I found no problems with excessive shaking, rattling, etc.
There are a few negatives, however. The lever which you use to mount the suction cup is like a mouse trap so don't make the mistake that I did when disengaging the suction cup and make sure your fingers are clear of its path. Another con was the ergonomics of the "feet." If you use a charging cable, they seem to get in the way. Although you can adjust them to accommodate the charging cable, you have effectively blocked off your microphone and speaker. This may be an issue if you think you can keep you phone in the mount while receiving a phone call or if you use the speaker for anything as the feet will muffle the sound. But these issues are minimal.
Overall, this product is the best iPhone mount I have ever purchased. I would have to give this product 9/10 rating. I definitely can't wait to use this on my upcoming road trip this week.
I will try and get some pictures of my mount posted on here soon. For now, here's a picture I found on the Interwebz:
http://www.arkon.com/iPhone_4_Car_Mount.php
I had the Griffin car mount for my 3GS and I wanted something slim like that. However, the Griffin mount was limited to how much it could move and due to my sloped windshield, this was a disadvantage since my phone was facing up as far as the mount could go yet it was always in a slightly angled down position which was highly annoying. Another consideration I had was that the next mount I was to buy would not be one of those mounts that held on to your phone by resting it on a bottom shelf and two adjustable arms on the sides held it in place. I have had bad experiences with these types of mounts as the arms deteriorated in performance over time which led to my phone falling out of them (i.e. Scosche car mount solutions). Plus, they rattled around even on smooth roads.
After trying this new Arkon mount out, I must say I am greatly impressed. It has exceeded my expectations. Firstly, the suction cup is incredibly strong. You can rest assured that it's not going anywhere. It is very easy to apply to your windshield; you simply place it against the windshield and push the lever in. This is a plus versus the Griffin mount which needed to be screwed in to activate the suction. The component which holds the phone slides into place through slots in the back of it which when assembled is also very sturdy. The phone can swivel in all directions and is perfect for any type of windshield. It can be positioned to be viewed comfortably for the passenger, driver, and probably even someone sitting on the sunroof because of its awesome swivel angles. If you are concerned about this, you may want to consider the IPM514 model. The package also included an adhesive plate which can replace the suction cup for easy mounting onto your dashboard if you feel like messing up your dashboard. I have not tried this since I don't have a need for it.
The component which holds the phone itself is composed of several parts. The bottom is spring loaded and adjustable which will hold your phone regardless of whether or not it is in a case. You are suppose to put the four "feet" things in which actually hold the phone itself in place. Of course, you don't have to use all four feet and they can be slid (with some effort) to suit your needs. The feet have a sort of grippy material on them to assure that the phone does not slide around.
When driving, the component stays in place and does not move around. I found no problems with excessive shaking, rattling, etc.
There are a few negatives, however. The lever which you use to mount the suction cup is like a mouse trap so don't make the mistake that I did when disengaging the suction cup and make sure your fingers are clear of its path. Another con was the ergonomics of the "feet." If you use a charging cable, they seem to get in the way. Although you can adjust them to accommodate the charging cable, you have effectively blocked off your microphone and speaker. This may be an issue if you think you can keep you phone in the mount while receiving a phone call or if you use the speaker for anything as the feet will muffle the sound. But these issues are minimal.
Overall, this product is the best iPhone mount I have ever purchased. I would have to give this product 9/10 rating. I definitely can't wait to use this on my upcoming road trip this week.
I will try and get some pictures of my mount posted on here soon. For now, here's a picture I found on the Interwebz:
