So I picked up my new PIP - but haven't found a good place for the cell phone yet. I want/need it somewhat in view, e.g. for maps or podcast selection. I know I'm not supposed to do it while driving, but promise to only touch it when stopped Did you find any good place to put it, assuming it's the usual smart phone form factor? Any cell phone brackets you'd recommend so that a charge cable would not obstruct other controls?
I just plop mine in the first cup holder, but as I'm sure you know, the screen isnt viewable. Maybe something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Macally-mCup-Adjustable-Portable-Devices/dp/B002JTWRN8
If you have an iPhone, make one of these. I did and it works great. Just drop it in the console cupholder. Cost me practically nothing. Or, if you're not too handy....
If you want a professional look plus a solid mount, I'd recommend that you look at ProClip. They use a two-part system. The first part is a non-destructive (no screws) mount that is customized for the car you have and attaches to your dashboard. They usually offer a couple of choices to place it on your dashboard. The second piece, the phone holder, attaches to the ProClip dashboard mount and is customized for the phone you have. The phone holder usually swivels, which is a nice feature for visibility when you use your phone as a GPS navigator. If you change your phone, you can replace just the phone holder part, and/or if you change your car, you can change just the dashboard mount. The only thing bad about ProClip is that their system is rather pricey. Expect to pay about $50 for everything. Device Holders and Dashboard Vehicle Mounts - ProClip Car Mounts for Mobile Phones, GPS, and Handheld Devices [Note: I am not in any way associated with ProClip.]
While this is a good do it yourself idea, this is the main Power and etc plug the Iphone uses. It is meant for STATIONARY usage only. When you are driving, the phone is going to vibrate and rock around. This being a male plug, the female socket it gets inserted into is going to undergo undue stress and the possible/probable failure of the phone socket is likely in the form of cracked socket body ensuring improper mating, leaving you with a dysfunctional phone that may not charge correctly, or pass audio to whatever device you might want drop your phone into to listen to tunes! If you were to add some form of back support to stop the phone from rocking around, then this would be a great do it yourself idea!
The concept is OK and simple, but will need a device back support. For an iPhone, will last until the phone female connector internally break loose.
Why are you looking up maps on a tiny phone screen when you could be looking them up on the bigger NAV screen? And in theory, if you have the phone connected via the USB input for the Audio system, you should have near complete control of the phone/mp3 player via the Audio system's controls. I've always just plopped my iPhone into one of the cupholders, or if streaming audio via Bluetooth, I just leave the phone in my pocket (assuming I already have a playlist selected).
