Hey guys, this is my first review here, feel free to comment..
Yesterday I recieved the DPL Suction holder for the
N95. Due to the way it holds the device, I don't believe it will work with an
N95-8GB, but I will test this later in the week and let you know.
So here it is:
Introduction:
This holder cost me £2 on eBay, plus £2 delivery, which took 5 working days. Needless to say, I didn't have very high hopes for quality/usability.
When I opened the parcel, I was looking at a cheaply printed box, which had been badly damaged in the post:
Contents:
The contents of the box were, the suction mount/arm assembly, and the
N95-specific clip. No paperwork or anything else
Heres the unit assembled:
It surprisingly felt tough and not like a cheap plastic toy.
From here, I was just more pleased with the unit as the seconds went by.
Functionality:
Firstly, it is extremely flexible:
Secondly, the part which puts it ahead of most of the other car holders out there, is that it doesn't Block off, or fowl ANY of the
N95's Buttons/Sockets:
However, the camera lens is completely blocked off, which means no filming your driving.
The next great thing is that it secures nicely, with a reassuring click sound. I tried to remove it without pulling the release lever, and it was extremely difficult to do (without removing the rear
N95 cover too). I don't believe the handset could fall out of the mount, even if you were off-roading on huge bumps.
Another great feature is that you can swivel the handset 360degrees in the holder, plus face it left/right to a small degree. Heres the unit mounted in my car:
Perhaps the best feature yet, is this: Because the mount holds the
N95 via its rear housing, you can use the slider either way without any hassle:
This is incredibly useful for Sat-Nav applications, where you may have to enter text, but still want the device in landscape mode.
It also feels VERY secure on the windscreen. After installation I left it mounted for an hour with phone installed, then tried to prize it off with no luck. I didn't want to damage the unit so I gave up and released the suction cup.
Conclusion:
As far as car holders for the
N95 go, there seem to be very few handset specific units. Most of the OEM mounts fowl/block the buttons, and don't swivel. Most use the vent to mount (not good if you have your heating on) and nearly all of them don't allow the slider to fully function.
The official Nokia mount does some of these things, but is almost £40 plus delivery. That is 20 times more expensive than this unit, and I believe this unit is more functional.
I would rate this accessory as follows:
Presentation/Packaging 4/10
Build quality/Feel 8/10
Functionality 9/10
Price 10/10
Absolute bottom line:
For £4 delivered, buy one. Wether you use GPS or not. It even puts the
N95 in a great position for using the handsfree option during calls. The
N95's mic picks up my voice clearly. I HIGHLY recommend this product.
I like it so much, I have just ordered a second one, which I am going to screw into my desk, for when I am synchronizing photos/videos/etc with my computer. The suction cup wont hold it to wood for more than 10 seconds, which is why I'm screwing it down.
Heres a pic:
And finally, please feel free to comment on this review, helpful or not.. And I will be willing to answer any questions about the mount, and take further pictures at request.
Andy
Linear Mode
