I really, really like my CraigsDocks car mount & dock. I've been using it for the better part of 2 months now and between the location which is perfect for me and the functionality of the dock feature I think it's a phenomenal step up in a car mount.
It is more expensive than probably any other car mount but it's also the last mount I'll ever have to buy because it's universal for both the phone (with or w/o a case and/or an extended battery) and the car. It is solid hand milled aluminum & has no plastic or springs to wear out & all of the adjustments are threaded w/ set screws. IMO the design is as much modern industrial art as it is pure functionality.
CraigsDocks start @ $68 (mine has the $20 car dock swivel ball option & a custom fabricated adhesive base plate which I'm guessing a lot of applications wouldn't need). I was comparing it to a ProClip which was around $60 but the ProClip was both vehicle & phone/case specific and did not have any dock feature (it was capable of charging the phone but no dock feature). So considering I get new phones every 2 years & new vehicles every 3 in a short amount of time I'd have spent more on the ProClip and have nowhere near the functionality I have w/ the CraigsDocks.
The dock feature means every time I insert the phone into the mount the screen you see in the picture is continually on & the phone is charging/fully charged. The only time I have to use finger input is if the screen is locked and use the fingerprint scanner. The CraigsDocks mini USB>USB cable is modified to trigger the phones native car dock app (whether it's plugged in to my 12v accessory adapter or not) which on my phone triggers the Car Home Ultra app in the picture. So now instead of setting up the phone after placing it in a conventional car mount all I have to do is insert it in the CraigsDocks & I'm done. When I remove the phone I've got the normal homescreen w/o closing anything out.
The other thing I really like is my phone's location. I don't like an on the top of the dash mount but for those that do this mount is available with a suction cup or an extension that mounts the phone directly to the windshield like a rear view mirror. I think my vehicle is about as difficult as it gets to mount a phone the size of a N4 in a bulky case without having it block other screens/controls/air vents yet having it as close as my right steering column stalk control for perfect usage functionality. Mine has a custom adhesive dash plate to accommodate the mounting position which Craig will make at a slight additional cost if he has the time and after you supply him w/ pictures & measurements. His mounts are not mass production pieces, he mills every one of them by hand and the quality is exactly as you would expect for the cost.
Obviously I highly recommend the CraigsDocks mount/dock. I think it's easily worth its cost because of the dock functionality, the fact that it will last forever, that it's completely universal & that it locates the phone exactly where you want it. I know not everybody wants to spend that much for a car mount/dock but for those that would IMO you can't do any better than the CraigsDocks.
Samsung Galaxy S3 / S4 / S5 / Note 3 / 4 Car Dock - CraigsDocks
I also highly recommend the Car Home Ultra app (very highly customizable & makes access to desired contacts/apps much easier in the car), mine is set to automatically turn off Wi-Fi which I'm always forgetting to do in the car. The case is an Otterbox Defender which at the time of the picture had the built in screen protector & an iCarez 0.15mm glass protector. I've since removed the Otterbox plastic protector & installed a Zagg hdx.
It is more expensive than probably any other car mount but it's also the last mount I'll ever have to buy because it's universal for both the phone (with or w/o a case and/or an extended battery) and the car. It is solid hand milled aluminum & has no plastic or springs to wear out & all of the adjustments are threaded w/ set screws. IMO the design is as much modern industrial art as it is pure functionality.
CraigsDocks start @ $68 (mine has the $20 car dock swivel ball option & a custom fabricated adhesive base plate which I'm guessing a lot of applications wouldn't need). I was comparing it to a ProClip which was around $60 but the ProClip was both vehicle & phone/case specific and did not have any dock feature (it was capable of charging the phone but no dock feature). So considering I get new phones every 2 years & new vehicles every 3 in a short amount of time I'd have spent more on the ProClip and have nowhere near the functionality I have w/ the CraigsDocks.
The dock feature means every time I insert the phone into the mount the screen you see in the picture is continually on & the phone is charging/fully charged. The only time I have to use finger input is if the screen is locked and use the fingerprint scanner. The CraigsDocks mini USB>USB cable is modified to trigger the phones native car dock app (whether it's plugged in to my 12v accessory adapter or not) which on my phone triggers the Car Home Ultra app in the picture. So now instead of setting up the phone after placing it in a conventional car mount all I have to do is insert it in the CraigsDocks & I'm done. When I remove the phone I've got the normal homescreen w/o closing anything out.
The other thing I really like is my phone's location. I don't like an on the top of the dash mount but for those that do this mount is available with a suction cup or an extension that mounts the phone directly to the windshield like a rear view mirror. I think my vehicle is about as difficult as it gets to mount a phone the size of a N4 in a bulky case without having it block other screens/controls/air vents yet having it as close as my right steering column stalk control for perfect usage functionality. Mine has a custom adhesive dash plate to accommodate the mounting position which Craig will make at a slight additional cost if he has the time and after you supply him w/ pictures & measurements. His mounts are not mass production pieces, he mills every one of them by hand and the quality is exactly as you would expect for the cost.
Obviously I highly recommend the CraigsDocks mount/dock. I think it's easily worth its cost because of the dock functionality, the fact that it will last forever, that it's completely universal & that it locates the phone exactly where you want it. I know not everybody wants to spend that much for a car mount/dock but for those that would IMO you can't do any better than the CraigsDocks.
Samsung Galaxy S3 / S4 / S5 / Note 3 / 4 Car Dock - CraigsDocks
I also highly recommend the Car Home Ultra app (very highly customizable & makes access to desired contacts/apps much easier in the car), mine is set to automatically turn off Wi-Fi which I'm always forgetting to do in the car. The case is an Otterbox Defender which at the time of the picture had the built in screen protector & an iCarez 0.15mm glass protector. I've since removed the Otterbox plastic protector & installed a Zagg hdx.
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