Review: N95 Vehicle Mounting Solution from Brodit

There's a ton of discussion about this mount over at N95users.com in the accessories section, but there must be a few N95 users out there that still haven't visited the forum. Abhishta from TechnoBlabber and Ricky, the Symbian-Guru were asking about vehicle mounts for the N95. A few months ago I got a mount that was specifically made for the N95, and specifically engineered to mount to the dash in my Volkswagen without and adhesives, drilling or screwing- I've been singing its praises, as many others have, ever since.

Brodit develops and manufactures products for installation of communication devices in vehicles. Founded in 1983 and located in Karlsborg, Sweden, the company has about 50 employees, is market leading in Scandinavia and exports to 30 countries. One of the products happens to be the finest vehicle mounting solution for the Nokia N95- no question.

 The construction of the cradle is solid. The swiveling tilt mount is smooth and tight. I hate the big clunky spring-loaded arms you see on universal mounts- they always look cheaper than cheap. The Brodit mount has a specially designed cradle that the N95 effortlessly slides into, and there's no clunky to it. If a car mount for a mobile could ever be called elegant, this would be the one. There are two mounts for the N95, one passive and one with an active charger. Both allow the N95 to be swiveled as well as tilted, so that you can adjust the device to avoid glare, or operate the it in landscape mode, which is done quickly and easily. I feel the active model with the built in car charger has a bit better grip on the device- being plugged in on the bottom, but I've never had the device slide out of the mount in landscape mode- it just feels more solid. The only complaint I have is that the charger is one of those coiled cigarette lighter adapter deals- it would have been far nicer to have a wire that could be hidden easily, and have the option of hardwiring it into the car's 12v power. As I use the N95 for my primary music player, plugged into the Aux-in on my car stereo- so I snaked the stereo cable through the coiled power wire, which helps to keep things neat.

The actual mounting bracket that the cradle attaches to is engineered specifically for a number of vehicles, more than likely you'll find a match for your auto. If you're in the US, the distributor is ProClipUSA.com. Other mounting options are available such as suction cups and vent mounts- though certainly none are as stable as the vehicle specific solutions- none of which, to my knowledge, requires and adhesive, drilling or screwing of any kind.

Because the mount is so solid when attached to the dash of your vehicle, the N95 can be flipped around to point the camera at you, and even in the worst of road conditions, your camera and video won't shake. I know you were looking for a better solution for your videos, Ricky- this might be a good fit. ;)

http://www.brodit.se for pricing and availability in your country.

Just noticed this on Brodit's webpage as well...

http://www.brodit.com/?lang=E 

Comments (8)

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Great review
written by TB, October 16, 2007

Awsome nice carholder
Thanx for great review

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written by PseudoFinn, October 22, 2007

I guess it's important to note that the N95 8GB will NOT fit in this mount.

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written by maxchina, October 28, 2007

very good informative review,but will the n95 8gb fit the same holder, as i plan on upgrading once it comes to uk shores. :lol:

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written by PseudoFinn, October 28, 2007

Nope- unfortunately due to the difference in size of the top slider, it will NOT fit in the cradle. Sad but true. I'm sure it's more than possible to dremel it out to fit the larger device...

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The new model for the new N95
written by Terje F, October 31, 2007

I've just been in contact with www.brodit.se and they said that they are making the carholder for the new 8GB. It should be ready within two weeks.

Nice...

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N95-3 US Version
written by hkusp, November 20, 2007

Greetings,
This looks like an excellent holder, does anyone now if this device is compatible with the the US N95-3 that was just released in October?

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written by yosup, January 12, 2008

this isn't a good design since it blocks the air comming out of the vents... the apple ipod car charger/holder is a better design since it uses the cigarette lighter to holder and charge the device.

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written by PseudoFinn, January 12, 2008

You're right- this isn't the best location to mount the holder due to the air vents, but it's the optimal placement for accessibility of the device to me. There are several other mounting options for my car, one places it lower near the stereo- and of course all cars vary, so some work out better than others. You can attach the mount to windshield suction units, air vent clamps, goose-necks that connect to the floor, there are quite a few options on mounting of the actual cradle, this is just what works out best for me.

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