Customer Reviews

Magellan Premium Car Kit for iPhone and iPod touch

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Well I have been using this for a bit over a week now and here are my impressions:

Pros:
-Excellent build quality; very solid and holds my iPhone (in a Speck PixelSkin case) very sturdily.
-Good mounting of iPhone with swivelling dock connector and flexible/adjustable top clip.
-Fits iPhone perfectly with my Speck PixelSkin case. But be warned - it was adjusted to its highest point, so it wont fit a case larger than the PixelSkin.
-GPS fix more accurate than iPhone's internal GPS. This resulted in less jerky movements and less jumping around during GPS application usage.

Cons:
-GPS signal dropped out far more often than my standalone TomTom PND. This is unacceptable in a product meant to improve GPS reception that actually uses the same GPS chip as the TomTom PND I am comparing it with.
-With kit mounted on windscreen the iPhone overheated and stopped working (displayed a temperature warning message and forced itself into sleep mode) once. Mind you this was after three hours of driving, directly towards the Australian summer sun on a 35C/95F day. This is not a shortcoming of this Magellan kit, but rather an issue with mounting iPhones in car windscreens in general.
-When switching the car ignition from 'accessories' to 'run' and then to 'on', the Magellan kit naturally loses power momentarily. However when it powers back on, it often would not sync with the iPhone's Bluetooth as the power cycle was too fast. I would need to manually power cycle the Magellan kit (ie. remove power plug, then reconnect) allowing enough time for the iPhone to lose Bluetooth sync before re-establishing the power.

MAJOR MAJOR CON:
-When you plug a 3.5mm audio cable into the AUX connector on the Magellan kit (for attaching to a car stereo, or external powered speakers, etc.), the music and application sounds CONTINUE COMING OUT OF THE BUILT-IN SPEAKER!!! This is a ridiculous design, as it means to listen to music through your car stereo without the crappy built-in speaker ruining the music for you, you need to turn down the volume on the Magellan Kit (as this only controls the volume of the built-in speaker). But then if you receive a call, the call audio (via Bluetooth) cannot be heard (as you have turned the volume down on the built-in speaker, which is where the call audio is sent), so you have to manually turn the volume up on the Magellan kit again (using a fiddly little dial that is difficult and dangerous to find while trying to concentrate on driving). You have to do this EVERY TIME a call arrives... STUPID!

Why oh why was the kit designed like this? We will never know. However Magellan have responded to my question about it and have indicated that they will release some sort of firmware/software/application fix for this speaker problem in the near future.

I am one of the early adopter, having bought this kit early when it was first available. I travel by car quite a lot as part of my job and I had the chance to test this kit extensively.

As the title stated, here are the major problems:

1). CHARGING
When I plug my iPhone 3GS, about 3 out of 5 I'll get a message on the iPhone saying that "This accessory is not for iPhone". I have tried every possible way to ensure that I am plugging the iPhone properly, which it does because the shape of the kit prevent the iPhone to be plugged in other ways, yet I still get that dreaded message and the iPhone DOES NOT CHARGE. it seems that the connector is not designed well and it does not recognize the iPhone most of the time.

UPDATE: Here's another thing I found about the charging issue: the car kit is SUPPOSED to CHARGE your iPhone while you are using the naVigation apps (TomTom, Navigon, Magellan Roadmate) at close to high brightness (due to sunlight). But when you do this, the car kit WILL NOT CHARGE your iPhone. I have tested this with 2 iPhone 3GS and none of them charge when I use any GPS application. Since the Iphone is running continuously, this car kit adapter cannot keep up with the power need.

2). GPS
The GPS inside the kit, when it work, it worked great. But most of the time, it DOES NOT WORK. Many times, my Magellan GPS or Navigon app will suddenly lose signal. I thought it was the application itself, but when I mounted my iPhone to a normal car kit with no GPS, I never lose GPS signal unless I am inside a tunnel or under heavy foliage cover

I tried my best to test this car kit, even beyond the 30 days return policy. Alas, this kit just perform badly.

Do not buy this kit!

I received my Magellan premium car kit finally. I have already downloaded the Magellan GPS app from the iTune store and I'm very excited about how wonderful this car kit functions.
Not sure about some of the other reviewers but this Magellan car kit makes my iPhone so much better with much louder audio volume, I had to turn the volume down on the car kit because it was too loud.
The Bluetooth paired up quickly and the GPS reception is so much better when the iPhone is connected to the Magellan car kit.
This is the perfect solution since my family owns 5 iPhones, mostly 3Gs and not everyone own a GPS, with this Magellan car kit, we can share the car kit between our iPhones when someone needs to take a trip.
We all use protective cases and it's great that it is not necessary to remove our phones from the protective cases when we mount the iPhone to the car kit. This is a huge plus and a great design from Magellan.
I feel some reviewers may look into the mirror instead of blaming Magellan if they don't understand this car kit was probably designed for convenience more than cost savings. When they paid the $129 for the hardware, they should not expect the software to be included with the hardware.
The option is they can buy the Motion X software for $2.99 and use this car kit with a 3rd party navigation software and still enjoy the better GPS reception and BT features along with excellent audio volume output.
There will be some reviewers that may be disappointed but I would guess more will be delighted to find such options for their iPhones as the Magellan premium car kit.
I'm tired of carrying a cell phone and a GPS, and with this Magellan car kit, it made my life much more enjoyable.
Thank you Magellan for introducing us to this wonderful GPS solution for our iPhones.

Hi,
I've been using this mount for months now and overall I'm pleased with it. The best thing about it is it holds the phone really well. It was secure using my 3Gs and now with my iPhone 4. The telescoping top bracket allows it to accommodate a wide variety of cases too (Note: I did have trouble with the Apple Bumper case as mentioned below). The thirty pin dock connector at the bottom also pivots. This makes it much easier to get the iPhone in and out of the mount.

Here are some other notes:

Positives:
- Holds the phone very securely
- Easily switches very smoothly from portrait to landscape
- Charges the phone (though not very quickly if it all when using the GPS)
- Provides an audio output jack so you can leave the cable connected when you remove the phone

Negatives:
- The speakerphone quality is only marginal. I wasn't expecting it to be great and it's not.
- The GPS reception is disappointing. Considering they market the built in GPS heavily you would expect it to pickup a really strong signal. My standalone Garmin Nuvi walks all over it when it comes to reception
- The volume dial is very poorly placed. It's on the side behind the phone. I always struggle with adjusting it while I'm driving.
- The bracket blocks the camera. I thought it would be cool if I could snap pictures/take video while driving but that's not going to happen.
- It would not charge using the Apple Bumper Case on my iPhone 4. It does charge with my other cases including the Otterbox Commuter. The bumper case is just a little too thick at the bottom. To be fair a lot of my other iPhone accessories (cables, speakers, etc.) don't work with the bumper case either
- It costs too darn much for what you get. The value proposition would be much better if it cost $50 or even $75 instead of $100+

If you're looking for a speaker phone you can do much better. For me it works well using my iPhone 4, Otterbox Commuter case, and TomTom's navigation software.
Best regards,
John

This is exactly what I want. It transformed my iPhone into a full featured with Text To Speech GPS navigation devise (and it works also with the ipod touch, if you happen to have one). What a convenience.
Let me start off by noting that this is a mixed-bag, and it greatly depends on your expectations, and more so on what you're looking for. So, please read more reviews to get the benefits of various prospective.
The kit came complete with everything needed, except for the Navigation App. A number of apps is available on the market, I personally like Road Mate.
The adjustable vehicle mounting is very well built, sturdy, and holds the device very securely. You have a choice of mounting the cradle on the windshield with the suction cup, or use the dashboard mount. The built in amplified speaker is powerful. And the speakerphone has a noise cancelling feature (does not work so great though, people on the other end complained about noise); non-the less, the speaker is load and clear. The Bluetooth will pair with any phone, not only iPhone (if you use the kit with an ipod and regular phone). A car charger is also included.
Unlike other reviewers who complained about frequent satellite signal loss, I did not have this problem, may be because I have it mounted closer to the windshield?
The included maps are outdated, but, like other Magellan products, you can update the maps by calling Magellan's customer service within 30days of purchase.

I bought this to use mostly as a hands free cradle and amplifier for my car - not so much for the GPS functions. Magellan's website proudly claims it is compatible with the iphone 4 but after some issues I called tech support and was told that this unit is actually not compatible with the iphone 4. I asked them why they say it is on their website and over the phone claim it isn't... I got nothing but confusing rhetoric in poor english. I think the phone banks are in Indonesia or something because I had a tough time understanding them... Normally I don't mind but I was trying to get clear answers for a simple question and it was frustrating.
The issues I had were the bluetooth connection distorting and screeching over the speaker during calls and a recurring message on my phone saying 'device not compatible'. After a week things settled down and it seems to be working fine but for this price Magellan should care about their customers a little more and stop the false advertising.

To begin... let me say that I have purchased many cheaper car cradles for my iPhone and almost all of them are cheaply made and break easily. I was looking for a replacement when I came across this unit. The $129 is a price barrier for most(including me), but I took the chance and believe it has already paid off.

I installed this in my car two days ago, and I have to say it is working great. The bluetooth works excellent and the sound quality is great (do not know what the other buyers problem was). I might have to add that the bluetooth works too great... it connects to my phone when I am in the house! The construction of this model is sturdy, I have found no areas of weakness (like other models, particularly the horizontal/vertical knob).

I use GPS Drive by MotionX ($2.99) in the app store. The program works with the cradle with no problems. I would never spend $60+ for a navigation app when these cheaper programs work just as good.

The only problems I hope to solve with this unit are:
1)This unit does not power off when I cut my car off (could be an issue with my car)
2)When I play music using this unit (which is connected to my stereo using the AUX connector), it comes out through my car stereo AND the speaker on the unit. It's not a horrible thing, but I like to be able to control the sound with one volume control (my car stereo), not both. I do have to say, the music doesn't sound too bad through the cradle speaker.

These problems are minor to me, and I will be using this unit for a long time. If you are debating purchasing one, I highly recommend that you do. You will not regret it.

I bought this unit was so unimpressed I sent it back for a refund. The unit's built-in GPS did not make any of my 4 navigation apps work any better. In fact they dropped out occasionally, just like when I use my iPhone 3GS without it. The BlueTooth speakerphone is horrid sounding in both directions. In fact the people I was talking to claimed I sounded better on the iPhone's speakerphone! The built-in speaker of this unit is not that great. When playing my iPod app while connected to the car sound system via the built-in stereo mini connection the sound still comes out the Magellan unit! You need to lower the Magellan volume down to only have to raise it again if your receive a phone call. Save your money, this unit is a piece of crap! I warned you.

I received this the other day and while it completely meets my expectations in build and design quality, there is a significant issue with the AUX port: If you plug in a cable to the port, the car kit speaker is NOT disabled. So you'll now hear your iPod music being played through the car kit's speakerphone along with your stereo system. The AUX port was one of the main reasons I purchased this product and I'll probably be returning the device because of this flaw. I'm not sure why Magellan decided it would be a good idea to leave the speaker enabled after plugging into the AUX port.

Bought this, Navigon GPS App, and the Navionics lake maps, as a solution for the ipod touch, and have not been dissapointed. Alot of people write about the price of the unit and the software. For the most part you can buy a stand alone unit for less than this and the app, but try and find a stand alone gps unit you can use to get driving directions and lake maps all in one unit for the same price.

As far as the function of the unit itself. I found the volume to be more than adequate when driving down the road. (Not sure what the problem is with other reviewers) Gps locks on almost instantly, and it charges the ipod while plugged in.

Pros: Well designed. Adds accurate GPS capability to the ipod touch. Do not have to remove protective case to insert into cradle. Works with multiple GPS Apps.

Cons: Will not work without being plugged into a cigarette lighter.

Bottom line: If all you need is a unit to give driving directions, buy a separate unit, and carry both around with you. If you like flexibility to run any GPS app availible in the app store buy this, you won't be dissapointed.