Cell phone holder placement

[bugaboo90]

I thought there was a topic in this but I couldn't find it. Sorry if this is a duplicate. I'm finding it difficult to find a good spot for my phones . Vent is a little weird, by the screen is a little too far. Etc.
So here's my current setup. I have one under the steering wheel that I can see through the steering wheel hole. The other is next to seat and the phone effectively sits flat and easy to access and for good measure I'm trying a vent mount. Ill upload a picture with phones on them later.

 

[Chris]

Be careful, I believe there is an airbag under that panel by the drivers knees. I don't think I would want that mount or my phone slamming in to my legs if the airbag goes off in an accident.

 

[bugaboo90]

Holy cow! Thank you for mentioning that, I didn't know. I will remove it. Now to find another spot.

Be careful, I believe there is an airbag under that panel by the drivers knees. I don't think I would want that mount or my phone slamming in to my legs if the airbag goes off in an accident.

 

[Chris]

Holy cow! Thank you for mentioning that, I didn't know. I will remove it. Now to find another spot.

Your welcome.
I'm super anxious about airbags. About a year ago I saw a wreck in the freeway, got out to help, and the passenger had her legs up on the dashboard when they crashed, her ankles were totally mangled. Her one foot was barely hanging on her leg. It's amazing how much force those airbags have when they go off.

 

[AV8R]

Holy cow! Thank you for mentioning that, I didn't know. I will remove it. Now to find another spot.

Put phone in cup holder. I’m worried about the cable sticking out and if it will damage the sliding door.

 

[Sting]

Can you slide back the cover to see your usb area, pic please
I have an idea! Cos i have been thinking about this too.

 

[CDv6]

Be careful, I believe there is an airbag under that panel by the drivers knees. I don't think I would want that mount or my phone slamming in to my legs if the airbag goes off in an accident.

Holy cow! Thank you for mentioning that, I didn't know. I will remove it. Now to find another spot.

Great observation, @Chris! Middle image shows the panel directly below the steering wheel, so it would likely flip down. If that's the same wrap-around panel the phone was mounted to, it would definitely go flying.

​

 

[CDv6]

I'm tentatively looking at the seemingly flat (although not level) surface just to the left of the display panel. Hoping a suction-cup mount could attach there.

​

 

[SEA Stinger]

After trying several approaches, I ended up installing my phone mount just to the left of the speaker on top of the dash. It puts my phone next to the left side of the infotainment screen, within close reach. I then ran the charging cord down along the panel near the steering wheel column and across to the cigarette lighter socket. Secured the cord with three small black plastic stick-on clamps. So far it's working quite well - good visibility and access to the screen without interfering with my view of the road, and with minimal sight of the charging cord.

Here's a photo of the mount (without the phone), viewed looking in through the windshield.


The mount I'm using is an iOttie Easy One Touch Qi Wireless Fast Charge. Very happy with it - highly adjustable and solid as a rock. Available on Amazon for $50: https://www.amazon.com/iOttie-Wireless-Samsung-Standard-Enabled/dp/B0754NDNT8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1518671008&sr=8-3&keywords=iottie+qi+wireless+charging+car+mount

When I get a chance, I will shoot and post a photo from inside the car showing how the setup looks with the phone installed in the mount.

 

[AV8R]

Can it stick to back of map,display unit? Jutt out from side?

 

[SEA Stinger]

Can it stick to back of map,display unit? Jutt out from side?

Seems like the mount could be attached to the back of the infotainment screen. The phone holder is attached to the mount using a round compression piece, so it can be rotated 360 degrees. Not sure though how the finished setup would look. Would be interesting to see.

 

[Plainolmoo]

I made several different attempts at finding a device that was reachable, easy to view, unobtrusive and wouldn't have to be glued or stuck somewhere that would leave a noticeable ghost behind after removal. I also didn't want anything hanging from the windshield. 3 different people received 'gifts' which were my failures at satisfying the above criteria. This is what I settled on:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075QYN337?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

It sits in the perfect height and position in my opinion. And since I'm alone in the car 99% of the time, the loss of one cup holder spot isn't an issue.

 

[AV8R]

That’s one solution but why don’t you just stand phone in cup holder? No stand. If it’s bluetoothed you won’t need to see screen.

 

[Plainolmoo]

That’s one solution but why don’t you just stand phone in cup holder? No stand. If it’s bluetoothed you won’t need to see screen.

Because then I'd actually have to pick it up and hold it in my hand to use it or see more than the top half of the screen. I can Swype out a text or whatever with a single finger without touching anything. I can also just glance over and see any notification without picking it up or touching it. Also, I charge my phone whenever it's in the vehicle. The cord would be bent at the bottom and hang out. I did use the cup holder as you described for nearly a month and it was a pain in the butt.

 

[AV8R]

Ok in oz we can’t toch the phone else get fined. I put mine in the cup holder upside down and can plug in if need but I don’t spend that much time on the phone that it goes flat. I answer and make calls thru Bluetooth and don’t read texts til I’m stopped engine off. USA seems a bit more liberal with its laws then.

 

[Plainolmoo]

Ok in oz we can’t toch the phone else get fined. I put mine in the cup holder upside down and can plug in if need but I don’t spend that much time on the phone that it goes flat. I answer and make calls thru Bluetooth and don’t read texts til I’m stopped engine off. USA seems a bit more liberal with its laws then.

It's pretty much the same here. You can't have your phone in your hand while the vehicle is in motion. Until the fines or enforcement is at levels where they are truly a deterrent, people will usually not care that it's illegal. Believe it or not, this is my way of being more compliant with our cell phone laws.

 

[bugaboo90]

This or a small mount area next to the screen are pretty easy spots, but the phone is too far away for my alligator arms, so I am leaning against it. (Alligator arms help from picking up the check perspective, but not so good for cell phone reaching LOL!!! )

The cup holder area is nice, but with limited cupholders, I don;t want to use up the spot.

The person above mentioned the usb spot. That seems interesting to me. We could take the mat off and mount something on the plastic under the cig lighter/usb area. I'll have to look at that.

To be honest, the best spot that I am noodling on is the gear shifter. It doesn't really move except at the start and end of the trip. It is vertical. I don't want to doubleside tape anything to it for fear of damaging the cushion. They make sticky tripod with cell phone attachment (I bought several at golf galaxy). I tried winding the legs around the shifter. It stayed on ok, until I took a turn and then it flew off. So, I may try that again over the weekend but maybe grab some string or something and hold it in place.

But, the big question is, is using the shifter in this way ok? I think I am taking a huge chance if I do, since I could bump the phone which would cause the shifter to move into neutral or enough g-forces on the phone could move the shifter.. Lot of bad things could happen, I think. But, would love some thoughts on this area.

After trying several approaches, I ended up installing my phone mount just to the left of the speaker on top of the dash. It puts my phone next to the left side of the infotainment screen, within close reach. I then ran the charging cord down along the panel near the steering wheel column and across to the cigarette lighter socket. Secured the cord with three small black plastic stick-on clamps. So far it's working quite well - good visibility and access to the screen without interfering with my view of the road, and with minimal sight of the charging cord.

Here's a photo of the mount (without the phone), viewed looking in through the windshield.View attachment 3221


The mount I'm using is an iOttie Easy One Touch Qi Wireless Fast Charge. Very happy with it - highly adjustable and solid as a rock. Available on Amazon for $50: https://www.amazon.com/iOttie-Wirel...eywords=iottie+qi+wireless+charging+car+mount

When I get a chance, I will shoot and post a photo from inside the car showing how the setup looks with the phone installed in the mount.

 

[bugaboo90]

I will remove it from where I have it, but just a question. In looking at the picture above, I have it mounted on the panel that is not directly under the steering wheel as shown on pic by cdv6. Would that matter?
I don;t think it matters, since in an accident everything flys off randomly, so better be safe then sorry and just remove it from a sensitive area.

Be careful, I believe there is an airbag under that panel by the drivers knees. I don't think I would want that mount or my phone slamming in to my legs if the airbag goes off in an accident.

 

[mldavis2]

Doesn't the cup-holder cell phone holder cover up too many of the buttons on the console? Looks to me like it is awkward reaching those buttons behind it.

And the gear-shifter mounting isn't what I want because I ordered the GT1 so I had a manual gate on the shifter instead of the shift-by-wire which always seems to want to revert back to automatic.

 

[bugaboo90]

Ya buttons look covered but not sure which of those buttons I would use regularly anyway. Maybe the radio tuning knob.

Doesn't the cup-holder cell phone holder cover up too many of the buttons on the console? Looks to me like it is awkward reaching those buttons behind it.

And the gear-shifter mounting isn't what I want because I ordered the GT1 so I had a manual gate on the shifter instead of the shift-by-wire which always seems to want to revert back to automatic.