Accessories EVO car dock now available?

[dbpaddler]

Wouldn't people come in to see it, read the reviews and comments and then determine it's overpriced and not worth the difference in price compared to the $6 eBay one? For those that feel that way...
I doubt they saw the thread title and said it was time to go trash it point blank. Negative opinions also help people decide if it's worth dropping $60.

I'm not getting defensive about that at all. I'm getting defensive about someone coming into a thread specifically dedicated to the official HTC EVO CAR DOCK, just to tell me what is or isn't worth $65. To me, that's just someone trying to draw attention, not contribute anything constructive.

 

[drexappeal]

Wouldn't people come in to see it, read the reviews and comments and then determine it's overpriced and not worth the difference in price compared to the $6 eBay one? For those that feel that way...
I doubt they saw the thread title and said it was time to go trash it point blank. Negative opinions also help people decide if it's worth dropping $60.

There's no doubt that reading reviews would help people decide, but I definitely wouldn't be one to go into a thread talking about the Universal EVO dock for $6 bucks and have my first comment be, "You guys are too cheap to buy the real deal." Sorry, but that's not my style and I don't feel that lends any help on making my decision.

The main point here is, there are only 2 choices that I know of (for EVO docks) that connect the charger through the base of the dock and not directly to the phone. That's the HTC official dock OR the ProClip dock. Other than those two (which are the same $59 price), the rest of the docks have to have the charger plug directly into the phone.

Now, Getting back to the MAIN discussion
Where is the advantage/disadvantage? Well, when you have a dock that you can turn in different directions without having to worry about the charger chord getting in the way (not even taking into consideration how it looks nicer, if we're talking functionality, either the ProClip or the OEM HTC would be better for function simply because of this fact). There's the advantage. Where's the disadvantage? It costs a lot more money.

Plain and simple explanation on why people would pay the $59. I personally like the form factor (looks) of the OEM dock vs. the ProClip.

I'm not one to really wait for opinions on products. I just purchase them myself and decide from there (I've purchased 4 different docks) and I like the convenience of the OEM dock compared to all the rest I've purchased (combination of ebay docks and the Soundgate dock, which I really like).

It's like I've stated before, there are other universal dock threads that people can post in to get an idea if they would like it better. If it works for them, great...so be it...fine by me.

 

[dbpaddler]

But the ProClip isn't limited to being stuck on your windshield. Since they adhere to an industry standard mounting system and put the connector in the cradle, the user has the option to locate the holder where they want it and not on a windshield or bean bag.

I don't mind paying a premium for a product as long as it's a premium product.

So far, the ONLY other one I've seen that has the same format is the ProClip dock. AND IT COSTS THE SAME!

 

[drexappeal]

But the ProClip isn't limited to being stuck on your windshield. Since they adhere to an industry standard mounting system and put the connector in the cradle, the user has the option to locate the holder where they want it and not on a windshield or bean bag.

I don't mind paying a premium for a product as long as it's a premium product.

The official evo dock comes with a mounting disc, so u can mount wherever u need it, so it's not limited to just windshield or beanbag either.

 

[Throckmorton P.]

I have a couple questions... I scanned the entire blog and didn't see these details. The HTC website is selling the mount and it states, "The dock’s built-in speakers and volume controls enhance the in-car music and media experience. " Is there really a speaker in the mount... from the pics, it is hard to tell.

Also... if the mount plugs into the USB, how do you charge? Is there another mini USB port in the base?

 

[drexappeal]

I have a couple questions... I scanned the entire blog and didn't see these details. The HTC website is selling the mount and it states, "The dock

 

[Throckmorton P.]

Thanks! I looked at one of the You Tube vids and saw the mini USB at the base, so I assume that is where the charger is inserted.

 

[dbpaddler]

you mean an adhesive disc to stick to your nice dash. And outside the top of the dash, most don't have the real estate to stick it someplace else to give it a nice location for viewing and being within arm's reach. The disc is really meant to take the place of the bean bag, though some vehicles have some real estate to stick it elsewhere, but it's rare. And most are trying to avoid sticking anything anywhere in their car.

The official evo dock comes with a mounting disc, so u can mount wherever u need it, so it's not limited to just windshield or beanbag either.

 

[drexappeal]

Thanks! I looked at one of the You Tube vids and saw the mini USB at the base, so I assume that is where the charger is inserted.

Oh, for charging on the OEM HTC dock, there's a port on the base of the dock. You connect the charger to the base of the dock, not the phone. On the dock itself, the phone has a connector on the dock that inserts into the phone.

Like I had mentioned earlier, it provides free movement of the phone in the dock, without the charging chord getting in the way.

 

[drexappeal]

you mean an adhesive disc to stick to your nice dash. And outside the top of the dash, most don't have the real estate to stick it someplace else to give it a nice location for viewing and being within arm's reach. The disc is really meant to take the place of the bean bag, though some vehicles have some real estate to stick it elsewhere, but it's rare. And most are trying to avoid sticking anything anywhere in their car.

Yeah. I understand that, so it's understandable why others would prefer the pro-clip, which I believe has a vent mount, correct?

 

[edwelly]

you mean an adhesive disc to stick to your nice dash. And outside the top of the dash, most don't have the real estate to stick it someplace else to give it a nice location for viewing and being within arm's reach. The disc is really meant to take the place of the bean bag, though some vehicles have some real estate to stick it elsewhere, but it's rare. And most are trying to avoid sticking anything anywhere in their car.

I looked at the Proclip and I personally don't like the vent mount system or the other location available in mt Kia Borrego. For me the idea of using the suction cup above me vent allows me to still utilize the vent and keep the EVO within arms reach.

I think this type of thing boils down to the what suits your eye and your needs. Whether is is a $7 eBay mount of a $100 dollar OEM mount. for me, I am choosing the OEM mount.

 

[edwelly]

I have a couple questions... I scanned the entire blog and didn't see these details. The HTC website is selling the mount and it states, "The dock’s built-in speakers and volume controls enhance the in-car music and media experience. " Is there really a speaker in the mount... from the pics, it is hard to tell.

Also... if the mount plugs into the USB, how do you charge? Is there another mini USB port in the base?

Where did you see this on HTC's web site?

 

[drexappeal]

Where did you see this on HTC's web site?

It's actually HTCPedia, which for some reason doesn't link from HTC's website.

HTC EVO 4G Car Upgrade Kit - KPH6786Q

Strange, $69.99 is the price they're selling at? And sold out already? I guess there are a lot of people that would pay the money to get it.

 

[dabigcheezze]

You know, I'm actually not sure if there are "built-in speakers", but I think this is part of the problem that I'm having with the dock (not really a problem, but more an annoyance).

I connect my phone to my car audio using the 3.5mm jack. Before, in order for the clarity not to get distorted, I'd have to lower the media volume/ringer volume to 1/2 level, so that the sound doesn't get distorted when transmitting through the car stereo speakers.

Now, when I'm plugged into the dock and have the 3.5mm jack connected to the car audio, the sound gets distorted because of the built in audio recognition that the dock has.

I actually didn't see any additional "speaker" on the mount, but I also wasn't looking for it. I'll try to play music on the mount tonight, without connecting it to my car audio and see if I notice.

That's a big negative on the speaker ghostrider.

 

[drexappeal]

That's a big negative on the speaker ghostrider.

Hmmm...I wonder what causes the volume to automatically bump up and stay at one level when the 3.5mm jack is plugged in.

 

[thekarens]

This says it all. I can't see why anyone would waste their money. I'm all for spending for a premium product, but I can't see how this could be considered a premium product.

Take note, no car charger or USB cable is included with this "kit" – they must be purchased separately. There are some additional issues to weigh before you purchase the car dock as well:
The phone’s rear camera is blocked by the dock (dock blocked, if you will)
The USB connector is not capable of data transfer (will not work with your car’s UBS stereo)
The SD card is inaccessible while the phone is docked (no SD apps, pictures, or music)
The "Car Home" app currently only displays in portrait mode
Given these issues, this may be the most disappointing "Car Upgrade Kit" ever released. Still, it holds your phone and (if you buy a charger) charges it while you’re on the road. Something to be said for that I suppose.

HTC EVO 4G Car Dock Finally Hits Sprint Stores – Priced at $59.99, Charger Not Included | Android News, Reviews, Applications, Games, Phones, Devices, Tips, Hacks, Videos, Podcasts - Android Police

 

[Rose4uKy]

I bought this bean bag car dock about a month or so ago. It can go on your windshield also but I have it on the beanbag on my dash. I read about Custom Car Home and there's one called Car Dock V2 which is here

Car Dock v2 - Android app on AppBrain

I have been wanting to get one of them and wasn't sure which one was better but I think I'll try the Custom Car home. Anyone tried it and the car dock one and have a preference to which one they like better? I wanted the Sprint car dock but got tired of waiting. I don't use GPS alot anyway just when I go out of town. My dock was like 35 or 40 bucks I think. But I like how the Sprint one charges the phone. I just bought a new car charger last week. But I wish my phone with my seidio case on would fit in it. I thought in the beginning of this thread someone said it did. If I was to get this one could I use it on my bean bag I have from my dock I have now? I don't think I want it on my windshield. But it sounds nice and I would of bought one cause I get 25% off but since I have one already I probably will pass. But I wanted this one for a while. Mine works pretty good though and I think I will get the cutom car home.

Take my advice n get "custom car home".....best dock replacement app out of there imo.
if you search youtube i have a video on there called, EVO dock quick and dirty, my point,I've been using that app for months now and I love it, it does portrait or landscape, 3 pages to customize, its pretty sweet, fyi dock mode is automatically accessed by grounding pin 4 on the micro usb, pin 1 power, pin 5 ground for charging.

 

[dabigcheezze]

This says it all. I can't see why anyone would waste their money. I'm all for spending for a premium product, but I can't see how this could be considered a premium product.

Take note, no car charger or USB cable is included with this "kit"

 

[dbpaddler]

to edwelly and drexelappeal:

The ProClip mounts are not necessarily vent mounts and ones that they have that do mount around vents aren't like universal vent mounts. The basis of ProClip is to take advantage of seams in the dash to fit a barbed piece of plastic in between as a locking mechanism for securing a dash mount. In some cars, the dash is designed with minimal pieces and sometimes the only seams around around the vents. Also, they weren't always so creative in placements, and that is evident on older vehicles. Newer vehicles tend to have more mounting options. Some dashes just don't have seams, have integrated one piece panels and create problems for mounting.

The other option is to check out companies like Kuda or Panavise. Kuda has a similar philosophy to ProClip of not having to remove dash panels for fixation, but they run into similar limitations just of a different nature. If you're willing to go upscale, they have nice pleather covered mounts that look nice, but you're looking at $50 give or take for just the dash mount.

Panavise ones are an industry standard and generally mount to the right of the radio and have a nice angle towards the driver. They require removal of the center dash bezel and attach via the radio mount screw. Big plus here if you don't mind the work is you can find them on ebay for under $20 usually.

If you go with something like the holder on ebay you can buy the richter mount from ProClip and just keep buying the cheap type of holders that can attach to it as you switch phones.

I really have no beef with this "official mount". In this day of sprint, generally most of us are upgrading phones every year and to drop $60 on something that can only be mounted to the windshield and is phone specific with the only real plus being the charging through the base. I just don't see it. You can buy a six pack of stick on low profile cable guides to keep your charging cord by the mount so you're not fumbling all the time for the cable. And you just have more flexibility as well with other mounts. ProClip isn't the only game in town for dash mounts, and I readily find and recommend alternatives to people when their option isn't optimal. Heck, I have a Panavise mount for my adjustable holder as shown in my pics in that one thread.

Drop the price of this holder to $40, and I'd be more inclined to say it's a good deal. Just think it's overpriced for what it is.

 

[drexappeal]

to edwelly and drexelappeal:

The ProClip mounts are not necessarily vent mounts and ones that they have that do mount around vents aren't like universal vent mounts. The basis of ProClip is to take advantage of seams in the dash to fit a barbed piece of plastic in between as a locking mechanism for securing a dash mount. In some cars, the dash is designed with minimal pieces and sometimes the only seams around around the vents. Also, they weren't always so creative in placements, and that is evident on older vehicles. Newer vehicles tend to have more mounting options. Some dashes just don't have seams, have integrated one piece panels and create problems for mounting.

The other option is to check out companies like Kuda or Panavise. Kuda has a similar philosophy to ProClip of not having to remove dash panels for fixation, but they run into similar limitations just of a different nature. If you're willing to go upscale, they have nice pleather covered mounts that look nice, but you're looking at $50 give or take for just the dash mount.

Panavise ones are an industry standard and generally mount to the right of the radio and have a nice angle towards the driver. They require removal of the center dash bezel and attach via the radio mount screw. Big plus here if you don't mind the work is you can find them on ebay for under $20 usually.

If you go with something like the holder on ebay you can buy the richter mount from ProClip and just keep buying the cheap type of holders that can attach to it as you switch phones.

I really have no beef with this "official mount". In this day of sprint, generally most of us are upgrading phones every year and to drop $60 on something that can only be mounted to the windshield and is phone specific with the only real plus being the charging through the base. I just don't see it. You can buy a six pack of stick on low profile cable guides to keep your charging cord by the mount so you're not fumbling all the time for the cable. And you just have more flexibility as well with other mounts. ProClip isn't the only game in town for dash mounts, and I readily find and recommend alternatives to people when their option isn't optimal. Heck, I have a Panavise mount for my adjustable holder as shown in my pics in that one thread.

Drop the price of this holder to $40, and I'd be more inclined to say it's a good deal. Just think it's overpriced for what it is.

No worries, dpaddler. I appreciate your informative retorts and it's good for people to see the alternatives out there.

The OEM dock just suited my needs the best overall, but ProClip is definitely another higher end alternative. I completely forgot about ProClip's mounting style. I had considered getting the Proclip mount for my car a long while back (when I first got the Touch Pro), but ultimately didn't end up going that route. I definitely won't knock ProClip for its quality because they do make very good quality mounts/docks/etc.

As for the pricing, I personally feel it's worth it, but that's just me. Like I had mentioned, the only thing that has bothered me so far is the fact that the dock has a built in "speaker enhancement" where the volume gets stuck at the loudest setting when the 3.5mm jack is plugged in. I checked it last night, without the 3.5mm adaptor plugged in and the phone volume adjustment / media volume adjustment worked just fine. It has something to do with the dock and 3.5mm jack being used at the same time.

All-in-all, I think it's much better than the reviews have stated. I do think that the charger should've been included (which would make the pricing more understandable. This also confused me because I'm almost positive the HD2 Car Upgrade kit was the same price, but came with the charger). I think the styling is by far the nicest. Functionality (w/ exception to the 3.5mm jack/docked volume and the camera being covered) is very good overall.

 

[mrvirginia]

so i loaded a stock ROM today and plugged up my phone via usb to my dash unit and again, it wouldn't even charge. so this leads me to believe something was changed with 2.2. can anyone else confirm this?

also, vid won't be up today. i not only forgot my tripod, but i also forgot my sd card to usb adapter =/

 

[drexappeal]

so i loaded a stock ROM today and plugged up my phone via usb to my dash unit and again, it wouldn't even charge. so this leads me to believe something was changed with 2.2. can anyone else confirm this?

also, vid won't be up today. i not only forgot my tripod, but i also forgot my sd card to usb adapter =/

I didn't even realize this was an issue that you were having (sorry, must have completely missed it).

Sorry, this may be such a dumb question so I mean no offense by it, but you do have a charger connected to the base of the dock, right? The dock itself doesn't have an internal charging unit.

 

[mrvirginia]

I didn't even realize this was an issue that you were having (sorry, must have completely missed it).

Sorry, this may be such a dumb question so I mean no offense by it, but you do have a charger connected to the base of the dock, right? The dock itself doesn't have an internal charging unit.

not a dumb question at all. i actually should have been a little more clear with my post. each time i've connected my phone to my dash unit has been without the car dock, so just phone to cable to dash unit. originally this was intended to verify that the music played via usb, which it did before the 2.2 update. now i'm just hooking it up this way to see if it will even charge lol. and it's not. usb debugging disabled or enabled, same results. with a stock ROM it should've worked unless this was disabled in 2.2, hence why i was asking for someone else to test it out and see if their Evo on 2.2 (non-rooted) was doing the same thing

i suppose i could load a 2.1 ROM back onto my phone but i just don't wanna go through all the trouble when someone can just hook theirs up real quick

 

[drexappeal]

not a dumb question at all. i actually should have been a little more clear with my post. each time i've connected my phone to my dash unit has been without the car dock, so just phone to cable to dash unit. originally this was intended to verify that the music played via usb, which it did before the 2.2 update. now i'm just hooking it up this way to see if it will even charge lol. and it's not. usb debugging disabled or enabled, same results. with a stock ROM it should've worked unless this was disabled in 2.2, hence why i was asking for someone else to test it out and see if their Evo on 2.2 (non-rooted) was doing the same thing

i suppose i could load a 2.1 ROM back onto my phone but i just don't wanna go through all the trouble when someone can just hook theirs up real quick

When you say "dash unit" are you referring to an aftermarket headunit that has a USB input?

As far as "charging" is concerned, I know there is a toggle in the setting somewhere that you can set it to not charge when connected via USB. I completely forgot where it is specifically, so I'll post again after I get back from lunch.

 

[mrvirginia]

When you say "dash unit" are you referring to an aftermarket headunit that has a USB input?

As far as "charging" is concerned, I know there is a toggle in the setting somewhere that you can set it to not charge when connected via USB. I completely forgot where it is specifically, so I'll post again after I get back from lunch.

yes, aftermarket headunit that has usb and aux input. a pioneer model, actually.

you aren't referring to the options you get when connected via computer, are you?