$6 iPhone holder - removable, does not damage, driver viewable, convenient position

[986_inquiry]

One of the biggest challenges I had with the Boxster after buying it was where to put the iPhone?

I had a tom tom in my Avalon but I didn't want to put a GPS in a convertible soft-top car, especially in St. Louis. So I figured I'd use my Waze on my iPhone as my GPS, but to do that I needed to place my iPhone in a convenient location in the Boxster where I could see and reach it but also easily remove it.

So I was wandering through Walmart automotive as I've been known to do and stumbled across this bargain:


$6 for a vent mount phone holder.

"Huh" you say, "but I don't want to put anything on the vent, it might hurt the vent!"

"Read on," I say

So I go about putting in my car but not by clipping it to the vents. Instead I slide the clips onto the top section of the vent where the vent meets with the car, so it's not really clips onto any vents, it's on the car's vent's plastic and the dash itself:


Sorry for the poor photo, taken with a iPhone 3GS from inside my garage and the 3GS does not have a flash (4 or 4S coming soon)

So it's on there pretty snug!! ... or so I thought. Fell off the next day as I was using it.

But never fear! 3M magic tape to the rescue!


A few years ago I bought a roll of 3M Exterior Mounting Tape from Autozone because I read it worked wonders at mounting emblems outside of vehicles and I needed it to attach something to a dash. They weren't kidding, years later it's still doing it's job and it even came off the dash pretty easily when it came time to remove it.

So I put some of that down at the top of the vent on the dash where the top feet would be going over it and then shoved the vent holder back on. I'll take photos if anyone's interested in this.

Several days later it's still there, snug as ever, because the more it tries to pull off the more the 3M tape bunches up so it's not falling off any time soon.

There you have it, how to mount a easily removable $6 iPhone holder in a Porsche Boxster.

(I also attached all the images in case they're someday removed from the free image hosting website I used)

[Overdrive]

Not bad, 986 inquiry! That deserves some applause.

Could you elaborate a bit more on what you did? How/where did you use the tape to secure the clips? Do you anticipate, or is there any possibility of damage to the car's interior from not installing the tape or clips properly? Is the holder portion removable, just leaving the clips? Or is it always there unless you completely remove everything?

My only reason for those last questions is because sometimes just seeing the mount/holder for a device is enough temptation for someone to go looking around your car to see if you stuffed the device in a glovebox or elsewhere.

Since I don't use my phone in the manner you're suggesting (as a GPS), I usually just toss mine in one of the cubby holes in front of the shifter, but I can certainly see this as useful for folks who live and die by their phones. And it would make it a bit easier to not forget about grabbing it before leaving the car, as I've done once or twice not having the phone in plain sight for myself.

[tuanle16]

i have the useless cup holders under my vents. and now use them to carry the phone. so somewhat useful.

[986_inquiry]

Originally Posted by Overdrive

Not bad, 986 inquiry! That deserves some applause.

Could you elaborate a bit more on what you did? How/where did you use the tape to secure the clips? Do you anticipate, or is there any possibility of damage to the car's interior from not installing the tape or clips properly? Is the holder portion removable, just leaving the clips? Or is it always there unless you completely remove everything?

I'll take some more photos today.

Originally Posted by Overdrive

Since I don't use my phone in the manner you're suggesting (as a GPS), I usually just toss mine in one of the cubby holes in front of the shifter, but I can certainly see this as useful for folks who live and die by their phones. And it would make it a bit easier to not forget about grabbing it before leaving the car, as I've done once or twice not having the phone in plain sight for myself.

Soapbox: IMHO GPS navigation system devices are dead, dead as PDAs. With 1ghz dual core phones with the latest GPS chips and instant traffic information over 3G for $199 there's no need to waste $$$$ on a GPS navigation device anymore. When there is traffic I'm told instantly on my phone and it automatically re-routes me if the traffic is bad enough by monitoring the speed of other users of the same free Waze GPS software.

My tomtom never did that, and if it did it was a monthly fee and from what I've read the system didn't work well.

It even automatically knows where I want to go by watching my habits. For example it now automatically starts navigation to my work and routes it according to traffic each morning since it saw me choose that option every day.

Putting my tomtom on eBay if anyone wants it, or maybe I'll give it away as a Christmas gift? 10 years from now tomtom won't exist if they don't get off their butt and give away the tomtom software on the iPhone, Waze is so far ahead of tomtom it's not even funny.

/soapbox

[Burg Boxster]

Originally Posted by 986_inquiry

For example it now automatically starts navigation to my work and routes it according to traffic each morning since it saw me choose that option every day.

Wow, and I thought my short term memory was bad. Couldn't imagine needing directions to same workplace every day j/k, of course

Agree w/ you in some respects re: live nav data, cellphone GPS vs stand alone, etc. However, there have always been and will always be early adapters and then those who resist change. Look at how many people still pay AOL for email...

[Overdrive]

Originally Posted by Burg Boxster

Look at how many people still pay AOL for email...

Don't even get me started on that...I've done enough facepalming at work today.

I can see how one would want to have the ability to avoid traffic coming into work and get daily use from the GPS on one's phone, 986_inquiry. I'm sort of in between the two extremes because I don't want to have my phone do EVERYTHING (GPS, email, web, facebook, banking, eBay, Amazon, car/home security, etc.), because then it becomes even more important that it not be damaged, stolen, lose power, or become compromised in some other way since I've become so reliant on it. But I'm also not going to be so set in my ways that I won't find a comfortable way to use new technology in my life. I'm just old enough to remember Tandy computers, phones with cords, and 900lb televisions, and I can appreciate the ease of life now by comparison, unlike the new generation that has only known cordless phones, cell phones, the internet, and iPods/-Pads.

[986_inquiry]

Originally Posted by Overdrive

Not bad, 986 inquiry! That deserves some applause.

Could you elaborate a bit more on what you did? How/where did you use the tape to secure the clips? Do you anticipate, or is there any possibility of damage to the car's interior from not installing the tape or clips properly? Is the holder portion removable, just leaving the clips? Or is it always there unless you completely remove everything?

My only reason for those last questions is because sometimes just seeing the mount/holder for a device is enough temptation for someone to go looking around your car to see if you stuffed the device in a glovebox or elsewhere.

I've used this tape on interiors for years. Seeing how it's designed for outside use it does not become brittle from heat or sunlight like most tape, and even after several years it peeled right up without leaving behind a mark or discoloration on the dash of another vehicle. I believe the Porsche dash will be ok.

Also an empty holder is not a temptation. I've had cars broken into because people could see a few dollars in change in the ashtray from outside the vehicle. Once they got in they steal everything. If they see holders and ashtrays that are empty it means you're the kind of person that removes things and takes it with you and they'll look for another vehicle with change or radar detectors in plain sight.

[986_inquiry]

Originally Posted by Overdrive

Don't even get me started on that...I've done enough facepalming at work today.

I can see how one would want to have the ability to avoid traffic coming into work and get daily use from the GPS on one's phone, 986_inquiry. I'm sort of in between the two extremes because I don't want to have my phone do EVERYTHING (GPS, email, web, facebook, banking, eBay, Amazon, car/home security, etc.), because then it becomes even more important that it not be damaged, stolen, lose power, or become compromised in some other way since I've become so reliant on it. But I'm also not going to be so set in my ways that I won't find a comfortable way to use new technology in my life. I'm just old enough to remember Tandy computers, phones with cords, and 900lb televisions, and I can appreciate the ease of life now by comparison, unlike the new generation that has only known cordless phones, cell phones, the internet, and iPods/-Pads.

I remember those days, use to have to change IRQ settings in DOS to get the sound to work on games, but I also embrace new technology, but maybe that's because I went to college for computer science and own a successful .com so without technology I'd be SOL

I have an "old" 3GS and I'm about to upgrade to a 4 ($149 for 32gb! 4S is meh), but I'll probably keep the 3GS as long as it's able to run the latest iOS so I have it as a backup.

Also there's a few watch and jewelry repair shops around here that have recently gotten into iPhone repair (very smart) so if I ever have a problem I can run into one of those with $200 and they can fix it.

Then there is insurance, $5 a month and a $75-$125 deductible and I'd have a new phone overnighted to me.