Cell phone holder placement

[Kazz]

I'm tentatively looking at the seemingly flat (although not level) surface just to the left of the display panel. Hoping a suction-cup mount could attach there.

View attachment 3220​

This was my original thought for a location for a mount. However, I'm not thrilled with what I've found as far as those sticky & suction cup mounts staying put for long in extreme temps. That bothers me about mounting one atop the dash to the left of the center speaker, as well. Vent mounts destroy the usability of the vent and are hard to get pointed the right direction due to the weight pulling the vent down. And since I want to be able to use both cupholders (I use the far one, currently, as a phoneholder LOL), those types of mounts are out.

There is a lip at the edge of the top of the dash and there are clip-type mounts that can slide on. Unfortunately, they're all designed with a short magnetic mount so they work like our heads-up-display does, directly in front of the driver. In playing with one I ordered, I've noticed I can clip one, seemingly securely, towards the right side of that lip over the instrument cluster. Now if, instead of the short, fixed arm, there was a flexible metallic arm like the one used in the cup holder mounts, it could be articulated to mount in that area between the steering wheel and the display. I really feel that would be ideal. I've not been able to find one like that yet. I've thought about "Frankensteining" something together. But I've not seen a combination I like.

Everyone please keep posting up your ideas and solutions!

EDIT: OH! And a clip that could attach to the driver's side of the center display with a gooseneck arm and magnet would be great. All of the clips are too big and often have a rough surface to help them stick to dash material. I don't want to damage that display surface. But if you have the 8" display, there is a large amount of screen real estate that's nothing but black.

 

[Beege]

I'm tentatively looking at the seemingly flat (although not level) surface just to the left of the display panel. Hoping a suction-cup mount could attach there.

View attachment 3220​

This is exactly where I've decided to go with. I've sat in the car looking at different possibilities and this is the best one.

It doesn't get in the way of any buttons and has good visibility. It's also close to the charging ports. I've ordered a mount with a gel stick pad and made sure the arm doesn't extend behind the suction portion. That part of the dash has an overhang and a lot of the phone holders have something that sticks out on the back.

It was delivered today and I'll install it when I get home later.

 

[mldavis2]

@Beege, please send pics.

 

[Plainolmoo]

Doesn't the cup-holder cell phone holder cover up too many of the buttons on the console? Looks to me like it is awkward reaching those buttons behind it.

And the gear-shifter mounting isn't what I want because I ordered the GT1 so I had a manual gate on the shifter instead of the shift-by-wire which always seems to want to revert back to automatic.

There's actually plenty of space between the phone and the buttons. The picture just makes it look closer than it is. The neck of the mount is fully bendable too so reaching the buttons is not an issue.

One of my "failures" was the little space to the left of the screen. The far left edge of the space has a raised edge which makes sitting a mount there tricky but Scoshe Magic Mount actual bends at the it's base to accommodate such a surface. I just wasn't satisfied with the way it looked huddled up next to the screen. Glue residue will also be an issue when it's 120 degrees in the car this summer.

 

[bugaboo90]

So far, I've landed here. Not sure if the mount in the tray will work out or not.

 

[Beege]

@Beege, please send pics.

I gave it a shot but the mount I got has too large of a base and it doesn't sit flush so the suction doesn't work. It's super close though. Also, I would have to trim part of the plastic just above the suction so it fits under that ledge. It was a no go.

 

[SEA Stinger]

When I get a chance, I will shoot and post a photo from inside the car showing how the setup looks with the phone installed in the mount.

Okay, here are a couple more pics. They show the driver's view of the mount without, then with the phone. Since it's a wireless fast charger, there's no need to connect the power

cord to the phone.



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[AV8R]

So far, I've landed here. Not sure if the mount in the tray will work out or not.

View attachment 3247 View attachment 3247

Jeepers don't hang yourself on all those cables! Don't take this the wrong way but it looks messy, the last one looked better in the cup holder. The one on the dash from SEA STINGER looks good .

 

[bugaboo90]

Omg that's funny. Lol

Ya I do have lots of cords. I should have cleans up the pic. The white one and a cig lighter charger are the only one that comes out of the tray.

I do have a lot of charging the goes on.
2 cell phones, generally a tablet, 2 golf buddy gps thingy, 2 daughters with iPhones, sometimes another golf gps, a Bluetooth headset or 2 and some other misc stuff. Lol

Jeepers don't hang yourself on all those cables! Don't take this the wrong way but it looks messy, the last one looked better in the cup holder. The one on the dash from SEA STINGER looks good .

 

[AV8R]

Omg that's funny. Lol

Ya I do have lots of cords. I should have cleans up the pic. The white one and a cig lighter charger are the only one that comes out of the tray.

I do have a lot of charging the goes on.
2 cell phones, generally a tablet, 2 golf buddy gps thingy, 2 daughters with iPhones, sometimes another golf gps, a Bluetooth headset or 2 and some other misc stuff. Lol

You forgot the kitchen sink, where are you putting that? Lol

 

[bugaboo90]

Lol.

When new folks get in they just shake there head lol

I do wish they would put a charger (usb or cig) on the left side and not just the center panel. That would make the door side vent or even the window suction cup more pleasant to install.

You forgot the kitchen sink, where are you putting that? Lol

 

[AV8R]

Lol.

When new folks get in they just shake there head lol

I do wish they would put a charger (usb or cig) on the left side and not just the center panel. That would make the door side vent or even the window suction cup more pleasant to install.

How about this? Lol

 

[Kazz]

Okay, here are a couple more pics. They show the driver's view of the mount without, then with the phone. Since it's a wireless fast charger, there's no need to connect the power

cord to the phone.
View attachment 3261

View attachment 3262
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I had a holder that clipped like that in a previous vehicle. It always took two hands to get the phone mounted, which I hated. Is this the same? I'm currently stuck on looking for magnetic phone mounts only.

 

[kevin simard]

I'm really hoping we get android auto update to allow for wireless connecting to auto.. Then i just need to put it on the wireless charger and leave it.. Pleease Google uldate android auto!!!

 

[Chris]

I'm really hoping we get android auto update to allow for wireless connecting to auto.. Then i just need to put it on the wireless charger and leave it.. Pleease Google uldate android auto!!!

Google has updated Android auto. It does work through wireless. The head unit has to support it though. Kia's does not.

 

[SEA Stinger]

I had a holder that clipped like that in a previous vehicle. It always took two hands to get the phone mounted, which I hated. Is this the same? I'm currently stuck on looking for magnetic phone mounts only.

@Kazz, mounting the phone simply involves setting it against the raised button on the back plate of the mount. That triggers the retention clips at the side of the mount to snap into place, securing the phone. Removing the phone just involves squeezing the spring-loaded wings inward (can be done with one hand) to move the retention clips back out again.

For more details, check out the Amazon listing for the iOttie mount. The listing also has hi-res pictures of the mount.
https://www.amazon.com/iOttie-Wirel...pID=516DgjL9nqL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

 

[CDv6]

I gave it a shot but the mount I got has too large of a base and it doesn't sit flush so the suction doesn't work. It's super close though. Also, I would have to trim part of the plastic just above the suction so it fits under that ledge. It was a no go.

@Beege , could you share the one you bought that didn't work? Also, what the diameter was for the suction cup, so I can eliminate it from my searching.

I had a holder that clipped like that in a previous vehicle. It always took two hands to get the phone mounted, which I hated. Is this the same? I'm currently stuck on looking for magnetic phone mounts only.

@Kazz, the video on Amazon shows the range of operations, so definitely check it out. My brother had the non-Qi version of this mount, and it was very good: stable, adjustable, and easy to operate one-handed. This is currently very high on my list of candidates now.

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After trying several approaches, I ended up installing my phone mount just to the left of the speaker on top of the dash.

@SEA Stinger, were you able to suction directly to the dash surface, or did you need to use the adhesive pad under it?

 

[CDv6]

This is currently very high on my list of candidates now.

Another option I've been considering (@Kazz) is the Scosche magnetic Qi charger. This one appears to be pending final production release, but earlier versions from this manufacturer (non-charging) were advertised as being able to suction-mount to textured surfaces.

Magnetic Wireless Car Charger Mount | MagicMount™ Charge | by Scosche

Magnetic Wireless Car Charger Mount - Amazon

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[mldavis2]

I would think that anything that is "soft" enough to work on textures surfaces would leave a residue and mark over time.

 

[Chris]

So I guess my question to all of you is, with Android auto and apple carplay why do you still think you need to be able to see the phone while you are driving the car?