Review on D160 Flagship Retail Package 99H11114 00 by Julian Perkins

Compared to the $20 iBolt dock I bought for the HTC One X, it's a step backwards in every way. The only improvement is that it *looks* good, but it's a functional disaster! HTC has clearly never tested this on various real-world vehicles. I wouldn't buy it again - I'd find something else (but I didn't find any other mounts this time, which is disappointing) or pass up! --------- ---->>> Pros: Horizontal use with one hand - you can easily drop your phone and also don't have to snap the retaining lever (like iBolt). Includes power cord (some mounts do not). The power cord has a standard USB connector on the power side (not the phone side). So if you have a dual output USB plug, you can use that if you want. You can also connect it to your computer or USB charging adapter at home. I've had other kits that have a one piece cable and connector which limits your options. Looks beautiful. to elegantly attach the suction cup function but is generally unimportant ------------->>> Cons: Inserting the phone with one hand *sideways* almost never happens. You almost always have to hold the USB power cable with your other hand or your phone will pop out. However, I have found that if your mount is vertical you can drop the phone and it works fine. The power cord is not permanently attached to the mount (and is proprietary, more on that later) and is prone to falling out. Worse, *if* the two tabs holding the proprietary connector break, your $70 car kit will be useless (unless you buy another cable, which I suspect is $$ from HTC becomes). I plan on gluing the connector in place, but why would I do that? For reference, other mounts usually have a plug built into the mount that the phone plugs into, and then a plug for the power cord on the back. It eliminates the proprietary situation and is MUCH more durable. Although the power cord is included and is straight (not coiled) which gives you a lot more clearance, it means it has plenty of wiggle room. Plan to stash it behind the dash, in the glove box, or somewhere else to get rid of the excess. When you rotate the mount, the phone holder will detach from your hand as this is also the part that needs to be installed. It can be attached with super glue, but why would you? It will not mount to the windshield of my 2012 Mini Countryman or my 2006 Mini Cooper because the glass seems too curved. With the iBolt attached in the same place, that wasn't a problem. However, I was able to mount it on the windshield of an old full-size truck. 1 out of 3 cars performs pretty bad, isn't that the glass mount design? The side slot design looks snazzy but STRONGLY limits where you can mount this as follows: [*] You cannot mount this vertically (vertically) on your windshield unless you have a near vertical windshield. The carrycot has a very long "sliding" range so most windshields have the glass in the way! If you have a small car with a small dashboard, you might not even be able to mount it on the dash without the glass getting in the way! [*] You cannot install it horizontally (on the side) as shown in the product image. on the windshield unless it is at least 4 inches from the edge of the glass. This is because you need to insert the phone sideways into the mount instead of placing it straight "down" on the mount, so you need to have that clearance. Personally, I liked my previous mount, which could be on the far left of the dashboard, to the left of the steering wheel. It was close, easy to use, in my line of sight, easy to get the phone, get in or out of the car, etc. You can't do that with this mount! bottom), but then the home and back buttons are on the *left* edge of the phone (I prefer them on the right if my phone is on its side when I rotate it 9 0* clockwise to use it .) Then your volume buttons are also on the bottom of the phone! Or you can just buy a right-hand drive car. If you live in England then this kit is for you! ;) My previous mount could be mounted on the left side of the dash and window, and my phone could be placed "at the bottom" of the mount. If HTC had put a USB port on the side of the phone like they did with the HTC One X, this wouldn't be an issue. Overall I think this is a bad design. ---------->> > Unknown. I'm not sure how well it would attach to my Mini's dashboard with adhesive pads as the dashboard is quite curved and the center piece is far from the driver making access difficult. The included plastic disc doesn't look like it will work very well, but since I can't attach it to the windshield, that's my only hope. It's too cold to install right now so I'll update this review later. ---------- Right now I've actually installed this on the speedometer (!) in my 2012 Mini Countryman because I can't mount it anywhere else. Now I can't see my fuel gauge, clock or anything else. I tried this on my 2006 Mini Cooper but that bracket doesn't work there either so it's sitting on the floor unused! All in all, it's absolutely not worth the $70 they charge. It's beautiful but not functional. If you can get past these facts, this is a normal SUP PAR mount for SOME vehicles. Result? It worked on 1 out of 3 cars. I'll keep using it because (unfortunately) it's the best option, but if anything else comes up I'll get rid of it!