Customer Reviews

Motorola DROID 1st Generation Vehicle Dock with Rapid Car Charger (Retail Packaging)

5 star:		(118)
4 star:		(61)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

This is the best car mount available for the Droid. It securely holds the phone in place and it's incredibly fast and easy to dock and undock -- you don't have to make any cumbersome adjustments or worry about accidentally pressing a button (sliding-arm one-size-fits-all mounts can trigger the camera button.) It can mount on the dash or windshield, rotates to support both horizontal and vertical orientations, and it has a magnet to trigger "car mode". It even allows access to the slide-out keyboard. The cheaper generic mounts just don't compare.

Why 4 stars? Well, If I had to say one bad thing about the mount, it's that you still have to plug the phone in to a USB car charger. It would be nice if you could plug in the dock instead, but it's a minor issue. The port on the phone is still easy to access.

Well worth the $30.

When attached to the windshield I experienced some vibration at highway speeds that made the screen very difficult to read. However, I attached it to the dash (using the included suction/sticky pad) and have not had any issues with vibration since. The phone is very easy to get in and out of the cradle, but is held firmly in place while locked in.

The magnetic sensor in the phone automatically detects that the phone is in the car dock and brings up the GPS navigation without having to touch a single button. The cradle still allows for use of the 3.5mm headphone jack as well as the charging slot, making it great for use as a "satellite" radio (Streaming Pandora or Slacker) and GPS unit all in one.

The unit can be adjusted to be used from pretty much any angle or mounting point. The twist clamps used to lock in the angles are very secure and do not move about once tightened.

Very good buy, do not hesitate.

Info on Car-Mode:

This mount simply has a small magnet mounted in the base-plate where it trips a relay in the back of your Droid phone. You can buy an equivalent magnet for pocket change at places like Micheal's or Hobby Lobby.

To check it to yourself, do this: get a fridge magnet, put it on the back of your Droid, and push it just to one side the center, staying on the L-R center-line on the back of the phone while you have it in Landscape mode. The phone pops into "Car" mode when the magnet is facing the proper way way, otherwise it will pop into Media Mode. Flip the magnet over, and it will go from Car into "Media Dock" mode and vice versa. Warning: Do not use a super strong magnet as it may damage the phone; you only need one that "just enough" to work through whatever protective cover you use.

Basic Info:

Most of the reviews here cover the basic functionality of the mount, and I have little to disagree with them. It fits the phone, and holds it in a good visible place. However mounting on the windshield glass means you get vibrations even in a Lexus. This is due to the design and plastic construction of the mount, so rating of 4 to start.

Issues:

The power supply still must be plugged in externally from a separate cord, instead of integrated like a true docking mount. Similar problems exist for sound cables, although I have a BlueTooth kit in my car for Music and Phone. Its enough to drop the rating from a 4 to a 3.

The biggest issue for me is: If you have a protective cover you will have problems with this mount. I own the "Body Glove Snap-On Cover for Motorola DROID A855", and have removed the belt mount tab to make it much slimmer. If you have that or similar covers, you will not be able to use this mount unless you remove the cover every time. For me, this makes this mount a non-starter. Spending a couple minutes prying the Bodyglove off and then snapping it back on every time I enter or leave the car is simply too much inconvenience. That drops it from a 3 to a 2 rating.

Summary: If you do not use a protective cover on your Droid, and can live with the power cable hanging on your car dash, have an integrated blue-tooth system for your car audio system, and take the care to mount this on the dash instead of the windshield, then this is a decent mount for you. If not, then see below for my alternative.

If you want a protection-friendly car-mode mount for your Droid you can make one yourself:

1) Buy a generic (non-Droid specific) mount into which your droid will fit in its normal configuration. WARNING: Be careful about where the bottom and top of the mount touch the phone in "landscape mode" - most inexpensive adjustable mounts will mash the volume controls on top, and on the bottom they will block the micro-USB power supply port. On the sides, they will cover the power switch or block the audio jack.

2) Get a thin small magnet at a hobby store, make sure it triggers the mount mode through your case.

3) Orient it properly (flip it and position it) to trigger Car Mode. Then super-glue it to the proper place on the mount where it will hit the right place on the back of your Droid when your phone is mounted.

There you have it: a "Droid Car Mode" mount that fits the phone without having to take off your Bodyglove.

EDIT: 3/13 Update - A friend got a Seidio case with holster, and the Seidio car mount. I tried out the mount, and its great -- good enough that I went ahead and bought all 3 from Seidio. Nice thing is the holster and cr mount all fit fine with the case on. (If you want more info, see my and other people's review on Seidio gear).

This item was listed under accessories for a Droid X. I awaited with anticipation for the arrival of this produce. Upon arrival of this product I tried to set it up with my Droid X and was extremely disappointed to find that it would not fit the Droid X. Returning the item is not cost effective. Beware of the accessories listed in Amazon for this item. I did purchase another Mount for the Droid X at Verizon and it worked great. These are the first items that I have purchased from Amazon that I have gotten burnt on.

I've been a victim of 3rd party accessories. I'm rather leery of window mounts in general, but since this is an OEM Motorola product built just for the Droid, there really was no way I could go wrong. The price of $30 was a little hard to swallow at the Verizon store, but once I got it mounted (it comes with a regular suction mount, as well as a stick mount for putting it on your dashboard) in my window I found just why you go and buy original accessories. Since it's built for the Droid, my Droid of course fits perfect. I was rather happy to find that it's very easy to get the phone in and out, without the risk of scratching at the casing, and it's also easy to plug in the headphone jack as well as the power charger, not to mention use the buttons on the device. I leave the mount in my window, and slip the phone in place when I need to use it for Navigation, which sends it in to Car Dock mode, providing an easy menu for operating the phone when it's docked, providing easy access to your contacts, Google Navigation, and voice command. I was also rather happy that it's very easy to adjust the face position of the phone, but it stays in place, a big bonus to anyone who's had to deal with touchy mounts that either just fall over or won't move unless you adjust the dial. Even though it's a little pricey, I'd still recommend anyone with a Droid just get this dock off the bat.

This is the best solution car mount for the following primary reasons:
- Fits bare Motorola Droid perfectly. Don't bother if you have a case.
- It's sturdy and won't wiggle or move around when tightened up. The tightening mechanisms are very well designed and thought out. It's a bit hard to reach the tightener at first, but once you get it tight you won't have to tighten it again for months (it loosens just a bit with daily use).
- It's solidly built, with nice materials from the type of plastic to quality of tighteners to quality of suction cup. I have used this since November, and I feel like it will easily last for years.
- It's a one-handed process to secure the Droid to this mount.

The only thing that keeps this item from being perfect is the fact that the charger cable isn't plugged into the mount itself and has to be plugged into the Droid. This would make using the mount a one step process, instead of two. But this is an issue with the phone since it doesn't have the charging contacts for such a feature. Still, this is the best car window mount you can buy for your Motorola Droid.

This is a terrible product that is very poorly concieved.

The good: Sticks to windshield fine and holds droid fine. Looks kinda cool too. Also automatically puts the droid into GPS mode when you put it in the cradle,

The bad: It is black, and the droid is black, and the battery is in the back of the droid. So, if you are driving in a way that causes the sun to shine on the back of your droid while you are charging, then the droid starts to overheat. Let it go too long, and the battery will stop charging (but get it will keep getting hotter). Repeat a few more times and your phone starts to act funny...all the time.

The Motorola Droid is a great phone, but the OEM accessories for it are terrible. I'm not sure if the seido windshield mount is any better, but it could not be any worse. After my dad replaced his phone (that this thing killed), he removed the suction cup, and attached this so that the sun would not reach the droid, and it works better now...but if you are planning to do that, you can get them already set up to clip to a vent or something.

works great on my dashboard! It really comes in handy when traveling, I Play pandora and navigate at the same time, very well made and sturdy.

While the dock itself is just as good as you can expect, mine did not come with the car charger. Mine was purchased from Amazon.com and not a third party or associate seller. Buyer beware!!!

On to the review!
The unit itself is made of a beefy nylon. Far better than the cheaper window units I'm used to. The suction cup seems to be well engineered. I've had problems with inexpensive units where the cup separates from the base itself.

As for the phone cradle itself, it's well made. The phone definitely clicks into it. If you don't hear the click, then it's not fully seated. It's very possible for the clip to hold the phone seemingly securely via friction, but don't be fooled. The first bump, and your phone will fall out.

The only niggling point is that the phone cradle covers the camera. That's unfortunate. Layar's or another virtual augmentation app while driving would have been cool. Nothing a little drilling can't fix but unfortunate since it'll weaken one of the corner supports.

The box itself came with the window mount unit, an alcohol wipe, and a flat rigid plastic disc that can be affixed to your dash with supplied double sided foam tape. The window arm then suction's itself to the smooth side of the disc. I thought that was a nice touch.

I'm happy I bought the window mount, kind of bummed I didn't get the charger though.

This is a custom holder for droid and I really like it. I've had the squeeze type holders and you never know if its secure and they tend to vibrate loose. With the corner clips and the exact fit for Motorola Droid, you don't have to worry about it coming loose or the need to keep checking it. These window mount holders are a necessity for travelling or talking on phone in the car, playing music, or using travel direction apps. I highly recommend this item for droid. The only things that would make it better would be an FM transmitter to play MP3's on car stereo and to accomodate custom skins for Droid so you don't have to constantly take off and put on the skin!!