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S4 windshield mount that won't fall off? (5200mAh compatible)

T

Tinytacohead

Member
I've got a Galaxy S4 with a Hyperion 5200mAh pack + TPU cover. Are there any windshield mounts that'll fit, and actually stay in place? I purchased an iBolt while on an extended trip last summer. It worked great for about the first 1k miles, but after that it'd only stay attached as long as the road was extremely smooth. Unfortunately it wasn't long until it'd fall off within a few minutes of installation/became completely useless. FWIW, I always made sure to clean the mating areas with rubbing alcohol first. As always, thanks in advance! :)
 
Thanks for the suggestion, I may have to pick one up before this summer's adventure! Unfortunately I won't really have time to read your review for awhile.. I'm pretty well limited to windshield attachment. Does it perform well for that particular method and is it tricky to mount/remove? Also, do you happen to suggest anywhere specific to purchase from?
 
Tinytacohead said:
Thanks for the suggestion, I may have to pick one up before this summer's adventure! Unfortunately I won't really have time to read your review for awhile.. I'm pretty well limited to windshield attachment. Does it perform well for that particular method and is it tricky to mount/remove? Also, do you happen to suggest anywhere specific to purchase from?
Click to expand...

That's why my reviews always have two parts, a detailed write-up and then lots of pictures ;) If you are in a hurry, don't even have to read - pictures will do the talking, each one with a thousand words :D

Because of the sticky base, it will perform well on any surface, especially windshield mount. No problem mounting/unmouting, and will stay put going off road. One thing you have to be aware, since I know a number of people make this mistake. In the past people used alcohol wipes on the suction cup to wipe off oil and to clean it up. With these sticky base suction cups, NEVER use alcohol wipes because they will lessen the performance. You rinse it under a warm water (even can use a mild liquid detergent), air dry it, and it will be SUPER sticky. You don't have do it every time you remove it, but once you sense it's not sticking as well - wash it to rejuvenate it.

Regarding purchasing - I always recommend Amazon, here is a link: Amazon.com: Arkon SM678 Slim-Grip Ultra Flat Surface Removable Sticky Suction Mount for Smartphones - 1 Pack - Retail Packaging - Black: Cell Phones & Accessories - hassle free return if anything messed up, and electronic record from authorize place since you are getting 2 year warranty from Arkon directly.
 
Awesome & thanks again! (it's cheaper than the iBolt I had too :))

Just in case anybody runs across my mention of the iBolt, I never used anything stronger than warm water to clean its suction cup. The rest of the unit was great and I imagine they work well for lighter devices and/or in cars with soft suspension, don't see bumpy roads etc.

EDIT - after a quick, closer look @ the Arkon unit, I kinda wish I still had the portion of the iBolt which holds the phone itself, (to see if I could mate it to the Arkon mount), as I really liked its adjustable arm length & wire routing design. If the Arkon mount holds up, I may try combining the two at a later date. (but maybe not due to the iBolt's price :p)
 
Finally picked up the suggested Arkon unit & while I haven't had a chance to mount/really test it, everything looks good.. EXCEPT the cradle/portion that holds the phone itself. I dunno if they sent mine with the wrong part or what, but there's NO WAY it'll fit a Galaxy S4, (never mind a tablet or Note 3 etc) One of the 4 arms doesn't want to stay in place either. If the thing would fit my phone, the pressure would no doubt keep any of the arms from falling off, but yea.. On the bright side, it does look like I could pair the base with a cradle from my aforementioned iBolt unit. (of course, that means dropping another $40)
 
Tinytacohead said:
Finally picked up the suggested Arkon unit & while I haven't had a chance to mount/really test it, everything looks good.. EXCEPT the cradle/portion that holds the phone itself. I dunno if they sent mine with the wrong part or what, but there's NO WAY it'll fit a Galaxy S4, (never mind a tablet or Note 3 etc) One of the 4 arms doesn't want to stay in place either. If the thing would fit my phone, the pressure would no doubt keep any of the arms from falling off, but yea.. On the bright side, it does look like I could pair the base with a cradle from my aforementioned iBolt unit. (of course, that means dropping another $40)
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I'm not quite sure if I'm following you, so maybe you can post some pictures of the problem? Slim Grip Ultra comes with 2 sets (short and long) of 4-arms which securely slide into the groove at the edge of the cradle.

slim-grip-ultra-17_zpsa048e335.jpg


For a smaller phone or a tablet, you use the shorter one, while for a bigger phone you use a longer one.

slim-grip-ultra-19_zpsce527b22.jpg


Regarding pairing of base with another cradle, like iBolt, they all use the same universal ball joint connection, so everything is compatible.

ibolt_xpro-19_zpsa12d022a.jpg


The reason I like Slim Grip Ultra because its universal and fits ANY phone from iPhone to Note 3 with extended battery, and everything else in between including S4, S5, etc. Also, it will fit 7"/8" tablets like Nexus 7, Note 8, and iPad Mini, holding it across (like I have it in my review pictures).

iBolt will not hold securely a phone with extended battery case.
 
After looking over the square portion again the other night I realized the one end is spring loaded. :o FWIW, mine only came with the longer arms though, and as mentioned, fitment of such is quite loose in one section of mine. Partially due to a medical condition, I do find extending the unit enough to fit my S4 quite cumbersome though, and know it'd be a much bigger struggle to do so if it were actually mounted to a windshield. (especially since the one arm would likely fall out every time)

As previously stated, I much prefer the iBolt's cradle anyways though, and actually it will securely accommodate an S4 with 5200mAh Hyperion + honeycomb TPU. (with room to spare if the units arms are fully extended, though I prefer their ability to be set at just the perfect length) It's quite a deal easier to add/remove a phone from an iBolt's cradle too, especially one-handed. Soo, I guess that settles it. Thanks for confirming that they do indeed utilize the same ball diameter, as that was my next question. :) If only I could purchase an iBolt cradle alone/cheaper! Oh well, I just hope once I've mated the two, the Arkon's cup doesn't let me down!
 
Did you buy your Arkon mount from Amazon, I assume? Regardless, I would contact Arkon directly (warranty@arkon.com) because you should have received 2 sets of mounting arms and the fitment should be perfect. Amazon could be sketchy with a lot of shady sellers pushing fake stuff. Contact Arkon, and mention that Alex from AndroidForums suggested you to contact them (I stay in contact with every manufacturer whose products I review).

Regarding mounting cup, those sticky gel types stick like a cement. With one hand operation, I found iBolt to require more force but that was also due to a larger size of my Note 2. One of their engineers suggested a DIY of taking their cradle apart and removing one of the springs to make it easier for a bigger phone, bu I never got around doing it. S4 is smaller, so you shouldn't have that problem.
 
Yeah, I did get it from Amazon - thanks for the reference.. though without the mentioned spring removal, I don't see how the Arkon's cradle could ever be less cumbersome to deal with. Perhaps my current unit has particularly stiff springs, I dunno.

As for the mounting cup, the iBolt also utilizes a similar sticky gel type and I was far from impressed. (FWIW, I don't drive some big boat with cushy suspension, but it's far from a jarring ride & the roads I was on weren't that bad) I could be mistaken, but believe the cup itself was slightly smaller. Whatever the case, the Arkon needs to do a much much better job. If not I'll be pretty upset, especially if I've sprung for another iBolt cradle! (so I may very well test what I've got first)
 
Tinytacohead said:
Yeah, I did get it from Amazon - thanks for the reference.. though without the mentioned spring removal, I don't see how the Arkon's cradle could ever be less cumbersome to deal with. Perhaps my current unit has particularly stiff springs, I dunno.

As for the mounting cup, the iBolt also utilizes a similar sticky gel type and I was far from impressed. (FWIW, I don't drive some big boat with cushy suspension, but it's far from a jarring ride & the roads I was on weren't that bad) I could be mistaken, but believe the cup itself was slightly smaller. Whatever the case, the Arkon needs to do a much much better job. If not I'll be pretty upset, especially if I've sprung for another iBolt cradle! (so I may very well test what I've got first)
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You know, I gave it more thought, since you mentioned a medical condition and having a hard time operating it single handed. There is another Arkon mount I have been using for awhile, Mega Grip (you can look up different versions HERE). This one will be the easiest for you to use with one hand, to squeeze the sides to secure the phone and to release it with a single push of a button on the side. I have it pictured in the car below (though I have a custom sticky dashboard mount in here):

arkon_mega-grip_note2-1_zps914c70f4.jpg


I hope it helps.
 
Interesting.. by chance does it utilize a ball/is it compatible with the Arkon mount I've already purchased? I'm hoping to finally go try it out for the first time tomorrow.

On a different note, I'm not sure how tight your relationship with Arkon is, but if interested know a simple way they could improve upon/make the current design more universal.
 
Tinytacohead said:
Interesting.. by chance does it utilize a ball/is it compatible with the Arkon mount I've already purchased? I'm hoping to finally go try it out for the first time tomorrow.

On a different note, I'm not sure how tight your relationship with Arkon is, but if interested know a simple way they could improve upon/make the current design more universal.
Click to expand...

Yes, they all use the same universal 17mm ball joint connection. Maybe try what you have already, to see how it works for you. If not, look into an alternative options?

I usually have a very good working relationship with every single company whose product I review. If you look into the index of the products in my review list (sticky at the top of the accessories page), 95% of the products in there were sent to me directly from Marketing departments of those companies or from PR firms representing them. They are always happy to hear a feedback. As a matter of fact, I forwarded to Arkon this whole thread, so they did get a chance to read it, and agreed Mega Grip is the best option in your case (if Slim Grip Ultra doesn't suite you).

I can't tell them what to do or how to design their products. I'm happy to review and to provide the feedback. It's up to these companies how they take this feedback and act on it. But in general, they do a lot of focus group studies to determine the best design option and use feedback from amount of sales to confirm that. But like I said, I forwarded to them this thread so they can read all the details!!!
 
Gotcha. Well in the ever so slight chance they see this and feel like looking into it, here's my
Arkon Slim Grip suggestion:

I drive a tiny car, (1997 Mazda Miata), so space is at a premium everywhere, windshield included. Compared to the iBolt this unit has a pretty long arm. In order to allow tucking the phone up even closer to the glass, (while staying closer to the base/wasting less windshield viewing area), I simply removed the thumb-screw which attaches the hinged arm to the base, flipped the arm over & replaced the screw. This works well, though since it wasn't made for such, it no longer has the mating little ridges that're designed to help keep the arm from moving unintentionally due to vehicle vibration. The solution's simple: make sure the thumb-screw's good & tight, but it'd be nice if they'd just designed it to be reversible from the factory.

May update with pics. (since that probably only makes sense in my crazy brain :p) Perhaps they/somebody already does, but again, it'd be nice if it were possible to buy separate pieces at reduced pricing as well.. since so many kits have interchangeable grips/utilize the 17mm ball pivot.
 
Phandroid Phan 1 said:
I have this one:
http://www.amazon.com/BoxWave-HandiGrip-Samsung-Galaxy-Mount/dp/B00INEKCL2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1398705545&sr=8-2&keywords=boxwave+s5+mount
I have no complaints, all my other mounts before it stopped sticking within a couple weeks, Ive had this one for almost a year (used it with a previous phone) and its still sticking with daily use.
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This clip mount you can get for $2.75 from ebay including free shipping. BoxWave buys them in bulk for under $2 and re-sells at a premium (the biggest rip off on amazon).

Their suction cup only works on a glass windshield, and the clip will not work with a phone and extended battery. The phone by itself with a slim case will work. I reviewed it here before: http://androidforums.com/samsung-ga...-one-hand-grip-stand-car-mount-under-3-a.html
 
Thanks, if the current Arkon unit fails me I'll have to give that a shot. Been too busy with life to do anything but mount the base & toss the arm + cradle in the glovebox for the time being. I'm CO bound (roughly 2k) in about a month though, so it should be getting a good workout before tooo much longer!!
 
Well I've yet to leave my S4 in the holder for longer than a couple minutes, (long enough to find the best mounting spot), and the Arkon unit's already started falling off the windshield under its own weight after being up for only about a month - and that's just with the arm attached/no phone holder of any sort. Is this normal? I don't really expect it to perform too well once actually in use, even if I use the stock/lighter battery & no protector case.. (finally westbound in about a week, knock on wood!!)
 
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