iPhone 4 Incompatible with Magellan Car Kit

[Kim Sux]

I was afraid this was going to happen when I saw pictures of the new phone.

Aside from the new iPhone 4 not fitting properly in the Magellan Car Kit, it also was problematic when it came to pairing.

I was able to pair my BT headset and BT Stereo headphones with no problem to the new iPhone. But pairing the Car Kit took at least 20 minutes of powering it on and off before I could sync it. I did a test call afterwards and it sounded fine. However, I'm anxious to see if it will automatically sync the next time I get into my car.

As far as the physical attributes of the new iPhone, it does not seed securely into the unit. It will clip under the top good, but it leans back too far in the cradle without the support of the black piece to stay in place. Because the new iPhone is 25% thinner the black back support piece doesn't protrude far enough to push the iPhone forward against the top clip.

I tried using a piece of think double-sided tape on the black piece but it slips off. I think the texture of the plastic is not conducive for adhesive products. Therefore I have yet to find a way to fill the back area so it provides enough pressure/support to push the phone forward in the cradle.

It appears the phone is a little more balanced in the cradle when it's turned upwards. I have yet to drive with it this way so don't know how well it will stay in place.

In the meantime I'd like to see how Magellan plans to address this. There is no note of any compatibility issues on their website.

Also, it would be nice if Magellan actually updated their app as well to take advantage of the new Multitasking feature of the iPhone.

 

[Kim Sux]

It really sucks trying to use the iPhone 4 in the cradle. Because of the improper fit the iPhone constantly loses it's connection with the base. I've tried positioning the phone so it's being held into place with the front clip to provide maximum pressure into the connector. But it continues to power up and down from the base. Unfortunately it's my GPS and I need it for work. So for these problems to plague the iPhone 4's ability to use the Magellan Car Kit sucks.

I'm going to try and come up with a way to build up the back of the cradle so it better forces the iPhone forward and securely against the from clip.

Also, does anyone have a problem with their iPhone over-heating when used in the cradle? Temperature management has become another issue lately. Largely because the iPhone is in the cradle on my dashboard it gets really hot and the cradle generates heat too. Even if it's only a warm day. When the iPhone, be it my previous 3GS or the new 4, gets too hot it shuts down. I have to hold it in front of the A/C vent to cool it off for a few minutes before I can power it back on. It's so bad (with both phones) I have to run my A/C at Maximum through the Defrost so the cold air comes out of the top vents. This helps a little, but not enough. I know it sounds crazy, by the cradle really should have some sort of sun screen or shield protecting the phone. I don't think iPhones have the same heat tolerances as standalone GPS units.

 

[bobbyz110]

I've been using the car kit with the new iphone 4 fine until today. I have a case on my iphone 4 so it helps it sit in the cradle properly. I used it this past weekend for navigation on a long trip and had no problems.

However... on the way home after dropping a friend off... it now pauses whatever music I have playing with the ipod app every 30 seconds. Bluetooth is connected... it's still charging... and gps still works... but every 30 seconds like clock work it pauses the music.

It used to do it every once and a while with my 3gs and I would just re-seat the device and most of the time it would go away...

you guys every have that problem?

 

[Kim Sux]

I'll have to try the audio playback and see if I'm getting the same problem.

I definitley think getting a case like the Bumper will help keep it in place. Unfortunately both Apple Stores in my area are out.

For now I'm going to try putting Velcro on the back of the cradle to better accommodate the iPhone 4.

 

[Kim Sux]

Here's Magellan's response to the incompatibility issue...


Hi,

Thank you for contacting Magellan Technical Support. We do apologize for the inconvenience that you are experiencing as of the moment. As I understand, your iPhone 4 would not fit properly on the Premium Car Kit.

In line with your concern, please be advised that as of the moment, we are currently running tests with the iPhone 4 and with our Premium Car Kit. For now, what we can do is to make a report about this so that the proper department maybe notified about this. Rest assured that your concern is properly noted and not disregarded.

I hope that I was able to address your concern for today and should you require further assistance with this or with any other unit, please feel free to reply to this message.

Thank you for choosing Magellan and have a nice day.


Sincerely yours,

Don – AM 20352
Magellan Technical Support
Email: support.us@cs.magellangps.com
URL : http://www.magellangps.com/

 

[BrownStarfish]

I have a Griffin Reveal on my iPhone 4 and it has been working very well. I've noticed that it does need to be in there very tightly to make proper contact, so put the back support all the way out and clamp down on the top.

 

[monkey28rb]

The Apple Bumper does not work at all with the car kit. Sucks i bought it and it does not work. I tried trimming some of the bottom but still cant get it to work. Whats a good case that will work with it?

 

[Kim Sux]

The Apple Bumper does not work at all with the car kit. Sucks i bought it and it does not work. I tried trimming some of the bottom but still cant get it to work. Whats a good case that will work with it?

Can you explain more about why it doesn't work. I just called my local Apple Store and they now have them in stock. I'm about to go over there and pick one up. But if it won't fit in the Magellan Car Kit then it's a waste of money.

My main concern would be enough clearance for the bottom adapter to fit through the case into the phone. Is the Bumper case too thick?

 

[monkey28rb]

the bottom of the bumper is made so it only will fit the apple charger. I tried widening out the bottom but no matter how much i adjust it, its still not fitting. Dont waste your money if you plan on using the carkit. ( Also yes it is to thick on the bottom.)

 

[maggie-macrumor]

Hi Everyone,

We have tested the Premium Cat Kit with the new iPhone 4 and it is compatible. The change in the iPhone hardware affects the way the iPhone is seated in the Magellan Premium Car Kit and consequently the iPhone needs to sit tighter in the Premium Car Kit (See Picture 1 below). If the audio is not working or stops after a short period of time, the user should press the phone in for a tighter fit (See Picture 2 below). This will also resolve the issue where a message may pop up stating it is not a compatible device.

Since iPhone 4 is thinner than previous iPhones, users will also want to increase the throw of the adjustment block. The Magellan Premium Car Kit ships with a throw of up to 3mm of the adjustment block and the design incorporated the ability to double the throw to 6mm. To do this, the user simply needs to pull out the adjustment block and rotate it 180° (See Pictures 3, 4 and 5 below).

- Maggie

Picture 1: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51694253@N08/4750659896/
Picture 2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51694253@N08/4750017701/
Picture 3: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51694253@N08/4750017951/
Picture 4: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51694253@N08/4750018233/
Picture 5: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51694253@N08/4750661038/

 

[wnxgenral]

wow i wish tomtom was like this.... thank you. screw you TOM TOM

 

[monkey28rb]

my iPhone will not connect to the magellan car kit? It will not even recognize its there?

 

[Kim Sux]

The Magellan Premium Car Kit ships with a throw of up to 3mm of the adjustment block and the design incorporated the ability to double the throw to 6mm. To do this, the user simply needs to pull out the adjustment block and rotate it 180°

Maggie, thanks for the info on the "adjustment block." If I would of known about that I wouldn't of had to stick velcro tape on the back of the cradle to add better support for the thinner design.

Nonetheless, it was easy to pop off and turn around. I have it extended fully and it seems to support the phone just fine.

Also, to the other poster's claim about the Bumper interfering with the phone's ability to seat properly in the cradle is incorrect. I bought one today, extended the top arm to the fullest position and the phone seats perfectly into the cradle.

I think now with the adjustment block taking care of the wiggle issue we should be good to go.

Although it still doesn't explain why it took so long to pair with the new phone. Like I said, I paired two other devices in minutes. But took about 20 minutes to get it to pair to the new phone. I'm not sure what happened, but I think it would be worth taking a closer look at. I'm pretty competent at these things and clearly there was an issuing going on there.

 

[BrownStarfish]

Although it still doesn't explain why it took so long to pair with the new phone. Like I said, I paired two other devices in minutes. But took about 20 minutes to get it to pair to the new phone. I'm not sure what happened, but I think it would be worth taking a closer look at. I'm pretty competent at these things and clearly there was an issuing going on there.

Might be something specific with your phone. Mine paired in seconds.

 

[dkhenkin]

My iPhone 4 works just dandy and fits great into the Magellan car kit...

 

[Kim Sux]

Might be something specific with your phone. Mine paired in seconds.

Ya that's why I was able to pair two other devices in minutes. It wasn't the phone.

 

[BrownStarfish]

Ya that's why I was able to pair two other devices in minutes. It wasn't the phone.

Well, you are making it sound like it is a general problem with the kit's compatibility with the phone. Obviously it is not if mine did not experience the same problems pairing. Your specific unit and/or phone has an issue.

 

[Kim Sux]

Well, you are making it sound like it is a general problem with the kit's compatibility with the phone. Obviously it is not if mine did not experience the same problems pairing. Your specific unit and/or phone has an issue.

Well I beg to differ.

 

[monkey28rb]

my iPhone 4 does not even see the carkit on bluetooth? My 3Gs paired fine. Does anyone have a solution to this?

 

[jclaydon]

Does anyone know if the Magellan car kit is available in the uk? It doesn't seem to be on their or apple's website.

 

[bobbyz110]

Hi Everyone,

We have tested the Premium Cat Kit with the new iPhone 4 and it is compatible. The change in the iPhone hardware affects the way the iPhone is seated in the Magellan Premium Car Kit and consequently the iPhone needs to sit tighter in the Premium Car Kit (See Picture 1 below). If the audio is not working or stops after a short period of time, the user should press the phone in for a tighter fit (See Picture 2 below). This will also resolve the issue where a message may pop up stating it is not a compatible device.

Since iPhone 4 is thinner than previous iPhones, users will also want to increase the throw of the adjustment block. The Magellan Premium Car Kit ships with a throw of up to 3mm of the adjustment block and the design incorporated the ability to double the throw to 6mm. To do this, the user simply needs to pull out the adjustment block and rotate it 180° (See Pictures 3, 4 and 5 below).

- Maggie

Picture 1: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51694253@N08/4750659896/
Picture 2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51694253@N08/4750017701/
Picture 3: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51694253@N08/4750017951/
Picture 4: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51694253@N08/4750018233/
Picture 5: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51694253@N08/4750661038/

I removed the adjustment block and turned it 180 degrees. I have the iphone 4 in the holder as tight as possible... and it is still turning off my music every 30 seconds. I've tried other iphone 4's and I have gotten the same result.

It's weird because it worked for the first few days fine. Magellan even sent me a new car kit in the mail. I got it today... and it still doesn't work.

Maggie, I noticed the dock on the car kit has a piece of rubber on it that sticks up further on the back to accommodate for the curved back of the 3gs... if i cut that to be the same height as the front... do you think that would fix my problem and help seat the device properly?

Update: I just removed the rubber piece all thogether and it still won't seat no matter how tight it's in!

 

[NickRno77]

Does anyone know if the Magellan car kit is available in the uk? It doesn't seem to be on their or apple's website.

I would like to know this as well?

Also I have a Brodit Proclip, i don't want to mount Magellan on the windows does anyone know if there is a way of mounting the Megellan to the Brodit Proclip ?

Thanks

 

[monkey28rb]

The phone look like it fits fine with the bumper on, but the dock connector does not plug into the bottom of the phone with the bumper on. Also on the bluetooth issue. I cannot get my phone to connect to it, i have no clue whats going on. It will not even show up under the bluetooth settings. Anyone else having this issue and knows a fix?

Also, to the other poster's claim about the Bumper interfering with the phone's ability to seat properly in the cradle is incorrect. I bought one today, extended the top arm to the fullest position and the phone seats perfectly into the cradle.

I think now with the adjustment block taking care of the wiggle issue we should be good to go.

Although it still doesn't explain why it took so long to pair with the new phone. Like I said, I paired two other devices in minutes. But took about 20 minutes to get it to pair to the new phone. I'm not sure what happened, but I think it would be worth taking a closer look at. I'm pretty competent at these things and clearly there was an issuing going on there.

 

[pilotcfi]

More iPhone 4 seating issue information

Same issues, same attempts to remedy. No luck.

New iPhone 4. Very thin rubber bumper. New Premium Car Kit.

It seems to seat properly in the Car kit. But, every 30 secs or so the iPod App in the phone or the iPod mode on my Navigation App kicks off. This happens about every 30 sec sometimes more often . I can see the battery charge icon on the phone change to “not charging”, and I hear the iPhone beep (as if undocking), and then battery charge comes back on. Of course "music" pauses.

1. Tried adjustment block the default way and turned 180 degrees, at all 4 extremes (all in, all out, 0 degrees, 180 degrees). No effect.

2. Tried jamming the adjustable holding arm (on the top) down until no more clicks are possible. No effect.

3. Tried leaning the phone way forward, pressing down with my fingers, leaning way backward. No effect.

I'm out of ideas.

I cannot take the bumper off -- too risky to the phone.
I like the Car Kit otherwise.
Anyone gotten it to work with a bumper and the above conditions?

Thanks

 

[Kim Sux]

I cannot take the bumper off -- too risky to the phone.
I like the Car Kit otherwise.
Anyone gotten it to work with a bumper and the above conditions?

Thanks

Try trimming some of the rubber around the Car Kit's connector with a razor blade. Maybe that will give you the necessary clearance for your phone to seat properly. Also, make sure the top arm as adequate pressure on the phone.