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Our friends over at ProClip USA have supplied us with a new Brodit mount for the Apple iPhone 4, described as a 'Padded Charging Holder for Horizontal Support with Tilt Swivel and Cigarette Lighter Adapter'.[Product code: 521170].
This arrived packaged as per usual by Brodit in a plastic bag which contained the mount itself, the instructions and a bag of mounting screws. For a new user to the world of Brodit you'd also have to purchase a matching Brodit Mount for your car.
As you can see the mount comprises the mounting bracket itself and a trailing 'active' power lead which ends in a USB connector. This in turn plugs into the supplied USB to car power adaptor (cigarette lighter socket). Once fixed onto the Brodit mount and the power plugged in the iPhone 4 can then be slid into place. Power feeds into the mount via the active lead and from there directly into the iPhone 4, giving plenty of power for hands free phone calls or satellite navigation.
Brodit (as with previous iPhone mounts) have covered the mount with a fuzzy velvet-like material which serves to prevent any scratching of the iPhones surface. I'd prefer the mount to be plain plastic but as we're taking about a phone housing with a lot of glass in its construction Brodit are taking no chances!
The secure bracket feature is achieved by Brodit fitting an 'L' shaped second bracket fitment on to the back of the base mount. This helps to hold the iPhone 4 in place while driving and also gives an extra modicum of support when working with the mounted phone, giving it extra rigidity. To mount the iPhone the 'L' shaped gripper is pushed slightly backwards (it is a springy plastic construct), the iPhone 4 is slid into the mount, and the griper allowed to move back into place. This prevents any risk of the iPhone ever coming loose when mounted which could occur in theory if used in the landscape position.
With this Brodit mount the iPhone 4 is held very firmly and even when driving at speed over bumpy roads there is no problem with vibration or movement - the phone is held safe and securely.
It is worth mentioning that as with the other recent Brodit mounts we've reviewed this mount is fitted with the improved second generation swivel mount bracket. There is much more movement in the new swivel design which allows the iPhone to have a greater range of positional range once mounted.
One other point of note is that the cable exists from the back of the mount instead of the more usual exist in the base, this actually helps cable management as it pushes the power lead towards the dashboard of the car instead of the gear lever (in my 307CC), this means there is less chance of cable snagging so can be seen as an added safety feature.
To conclude: Yet again another well engineered mount from Brodit, proved with speed and efficiency by ProClip USA.
Pros and Cons:
A good sturdy mount designed by experts Velvet-like coating protects the iPhone 4 No vibration or movement in the phone when driving at speed Ensures a good level of power for operation when making calls or navigating Reasonably priced Designed specifically for the iPhone 4 Secure mount gives additional safety mounting
Supplier (USA): ProClip USA
[All images in this review have been processed by Snagit by Techsmith]
