smartphone mounts
 

I'm looking for a universal phone mount. I currently have the iPhone 5S and with the rumor of a larger iPhone 6 coming in a few months, I don't want to have to buy another mount for 40-60 bucks. I also use the Apple iPhone case - its very thin, so it doesn't add much to the current dimensions of the phone.

It doesn't have to be waterproof. I will need access to the lightning port so I can wire up an external battery if needed.

What does everyone suggest?

The Quadlock mount was designed for the iphone. This might be what you are looking for. There is also a Quadlock universal mount that will work with other phones. I plan on buying one of these myself but the universal mount has to mount to a hard non-textured surface. If you have the iphone 5 the setup comes with a case designed with the mount. I have to try to find a hard case that will work with my Motorola razor. Looks like I need to go into Bestbuy and have a look at what they have before I buy the Quadlock mount. If I have to I might have to cut a hole in my Otter case and mount directly to the phone but I really don't want to do that unless I have to.

Ram Mounts, see amazon.

I assume that quadlock will come out w/ one or more iphone 6 holders that fit their current mounts. I have a mount on both bikes, and my car, and I assume they will continue to work. I'll just need to buy one new case if I get a new phone. And for my money, quadlock is far and away the best mount combination. It's case that just always stays on my phone (and isn't bulky), and I just twist it onto the mount and off I go.

I agree. It's the best mount.

What you can do is buy a case you like and just stick on the universal mount thingie. You don't have to use their case.

What I did was buy an iBattz Mojo Refuel case that takes i9300 Samsung batteries (now, there's irony for you). I also bought the armor thing that makes it like an otter box. With that set up, a fully charged iPhone battery and the battery case, I'm good for 7-8 hours. If I need more, I just take an extra battery and snap it in when it's needed.

J.

How is this good in the rain??

Should be fine. They also have a waterproof version if you are referring to the iBattz part of the post.

j.

Yes that always is an issue now isn't it. If I switch over to a quadlock +hard case more than likely the case is not going to protect the phone completely from rain as there are always little openings that allow access to the power and volume controls.

Currently I use one of the Bikase ( handyman ) phone/case/mount holders. While not the most prettiest thing to have attached to your front stem, if you close all the zippers the phone is completely protected from rain. Somewhat ugly so that's the reason I'm considering a quad lock setup ( for fair weather ). Also I should note that under certain lighting conditions the front of the Bikase case does pick-up a bit of reflective glare ( another reason to seek an alternative). Even so the Bikase case/mount works and attaches very easily to the front stem. It also holds my Motorola Razor with Otter case inside without too much problem although it is quite a tight fit. The only down sides to using it are that I can't get to the main screen buttons ( lower end of the phone ) while inside the case and hearing the speaker (on the underside of the phone ) , while not impossible, is *sometimes hard to hear when windy. ( *the other reason for seeking an alternative )

I shouldn't complain too much but ...ehh....I figure a set-up with quadlock mount will be cleaner looking and let me hear better. Of course if it rains, without the Bikase case I'd have to stow the phone in my frame bag. ( unless someone comes up with something like a phone condom....which even if there was such a thing would likely not be completely waterproof.

I use something similar and altered the original to suit me better. I sewed the hoop side of velcro material to the back of the mount and glued the hook side to the phone. With this I can attach the phone and have the PVC cover zipped if it is raining or not if the weather is fair. I have such mounts solidly attached to a couple of bikes and one more attachable for travel, if I get a bike locally or take along a folder. The PVC can crack after a while but most often can be repaired using a vinyl glue, without hampering much operation in the rain. This PVC cracking is presumably is the most annoying part of my current system. A cable can be passed through the zipper and I have a waterproof amp/speaker system on my main bike. For navigation in the rain, though, I found the sound transmitted through PVC good enough.

The quad lock case does have a piece that fits over the top. I have one of those and I'd say that it's very weatherproof. It pretty much covers up all of the ports with the case covering the back. It's called the "Poncho" and it essentially makes a tupperware container out of the case. I wouldn't hesitate to use it in the rain.

J.

I have, and it works great. The only problem is that a small amount of grit/moisture can come up through the mount on the back of the case. I solved this by putting a small sheet of laminated (waterproof) paper under the phone in the case.

If you have an iPhone, the quadlock is tough to beat.

I have an Android, and I would say I'm an ardent supporter of the Delta Smartphone Caddy II due to the differing sizes of various Android phones. When it comes to universal mounts, it's without question the best combination of support (it wraps around every edge of the phone) and ease of use/ingress/egress (takes me 1-2 seconds to put in or take out my phone). RAM Mounts are bulletproof mounts, and they're great in automobiles, but I still swear by the Delta.

I love my Rokform. It has one of the most solid mounting systems crafted out of billet aluminum.

Rokform Smartphone Bike Mounts

I use the Rokform as well. For my Samsung I have their excellent plastic case. I really like their Customer Service responsiveness.

You comment about the quad lock and the iPhone is not accurate. You can mount any phone to the quad lock mount using their universal adaptor. I've had it mounted to my iPhone in an Otterbox and I currently do it with an iBattz Battery case. You take one of these adaptors and just stick on on the back of whatever you want to use. For example, I'm looking at mounting a Wahoo Fitness RFLKT+ on my stem using this method.

That is not true of many (most) of the other mounting solutions. For most phones, they do not have the legs in the battery to go much longer than a couple of hours (usually less) on the internal battery. For this reason, mounting it to a battery case is generally a good idea.

J.

I was not incorrect, as I did not say that it was exclusively for iPhones. While it doesn't quite jive with the sometimes-aggressive "function over form" crowd that populates most bike commuting forums, the reason I don't like the quad-lock for most Android phones is because you have to permanently adhere what amounts to a huge eye sore to the back of your phone. I use a Nexus 4 (the one on the left): http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=377560, and I think it's a beautiful device. Good looking enough, in fact, that I've made an effort to be able to show off its good looks while protecting it by using a bumper and quality screen protector on both sides (I am neither careless nor accident prone enough to necessitate anything more substantial). It's also funny that the image Quadlock uses to show their universal adapter is a Nexus 4 with their product superimposed on it.

I will concede that mounting a quadlock on an adapter on a battery case for your phone is a FANTASTIC idea that I had never considered--and I am one who could seriously benefit from something like that. I play Google/Niantic's game Ingress on my bike, and the game is a bigger battery hog than even Google navigation. It's such a battery hog that players are basically forced to buy an external battery pack to supplement their playing if they want to play for an appreciable amount of time. Being such, I bought an aero fuel bag so I could put an external battery in it and route the cable up to my phone: http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=377561 (higher resolution)

But I digress... because of the variable sizes associated with Android phones, the Delta is the most secure, easiest, fastest, and non permanent-est mount out there.

You don't stick the adapter on the phone, you stick it on any one of a multitude of cases into which you place the phone. So you are not constrained to using the quad lock case. That way you can pretty much get any characteristic in a case that you want - waterproof, ruggedized, battery etc..... and with no permanent change to the phone.

J.

About the Delta and Quadlock mounts: A couple of the reviews on Amazon had the plastic piece ( on the Delta ) that attaches to the stem breaking off. Still, most of the reviews were favorable. A couple people had their phones jumping out of the cradle on hard bumps. I like the look of the Delta and with the right safeguards in place I might be able to make it work. However I have no idea if my Droid Razor (XT912 ) will fit in the cradle with the Otter case still on my phone. Not to mention there is still the issue of what happens if you encounter some rain which is likely to happen on a early evening summers ride.

Some of these same issues apply to the quadlock universal adapter as well. Irishtexmex makes a good point about mounting the adapter to the phone. No problem if you can find a case that you can mount it to but with all the different types of Android phones THAT seems to be the real problem. For me the major issue is , "I need a case that will hold my phone ( with Otter case ) that will allow me to access all functions of the phone and come with a "waterproof" cover in case I encounter a storm. As much as I like the look of mounts that attach to the stem post or stem I can't ignore the weather factor ( as much as that pains me because I hate the idea of getting caught in a storm while riding but crap happens. ). I've been considering this Satechi RideMate bike mount. Not as pretty but should work well ( with my Otter case ) and keep out most of the rain.

While on the subject of phones it needs to be said that if you are an I-phone owner you have many more bike related accessory options than the Android crowd. Not that you can't find stuff for the newer android phones in the stores but as soon as the newer phones come along the old(er) stuff disappears. Yeah, you can still find stuff on the web but sometimes you would like to actually *handle some stuff before buying. ( * ...although almost everything sold in dept. stores nowadays is encased in plastic...:rolleyes: )

Ortlieb just announced this one View the ULTIMATE6 M PRO E at http://www.ortliebusa.com, the phone goes in the lid ..
and there are electrical connections in the bag to bar mount , so as to use one of the hub dynamo USB power sources
to trickle charge the phone batteries as you ride along.

without over thinking this, since I don't have a waterproof case, here's what I do. On days that it might rain, I put a zip lock bag in my jersey pocket. If it were to rain, I'd take the phone, put it in the bag and then in my pocket. Simple and cheap. If I need to look at the phone or use it, I can do that right through the bag.

That said, for my iPhone 4 I had an otter box and I just put the quad lock universal adaptor on the back of it. Better yet, what I'd do now if I were worried about water is this.


J.

I have the Delta Smartphone Caddy for my Motorola RAZR Maxx HD, and it is not that good. Clamp will not stay tight (hex nut spins in housing--really tough to tighten) and twice my phone has flown out of the holder on bumps or speed grooves. I am looking for something better.

How about one of the Minoura mounts? I looked at one in my LBS a while back and it seemed pretty solid, although I just carry my phone in my pocket.

Is it waterproof? It rains A LOT where I live.

Not on its own. They provide a few custom baggies to slip over the phone if it starts raining. I haven't had the need to use one yet.

Screen Protectors for Samsung Galaxy S3 by Rokform

I just placed an order for the Satechi Ridemate Bike mount. Once again I'm opting for "function" rather than form. I can't see being on an extended ride and having to figure out what to do with the phone if the mount doesn't protect the phone from the possibility of rain. The reviews are good for the Satechi. If you don't have an iphone or newer Samsung phone, finding a waterproof case designed for bike use is tough going.

@SpiderDad.....I like the look and function of the Rokform. Once again if you are using an iphone or newer Samsung phone the Rokform mount would be one of the coolest looking mounts that I've seen. Lookng at the close-up photo of the case; the case has open ports for accessing the phone side buttons and plugs. This means if you encounter rain you need a strategy for weather-proofing the phone ( or putting the phone away so it doesn't get wet ).

When I get the Satechi next week I'll post up and give my opinion. Ya know, I just got thinking...if you encounter a really driving rain while using your phone for navigation I really doubt that you will be able to hear any prompts unless you are using some sort of bluetooth speaker/head phone device. Even so those might not function well in a really driving rain storm. ( as I write this a really nasty rain storm is passing through my area and making one hell of a noise...lots of wind, lots of rain ) I hope like hell that it all passes so I can take a ride. I'm getting annoyed at all the rain that I've had to deal with over the last couple weeks. So far this spring I've seen at least 4 flash flood warnings. That is not a good sign of things to come.