Review - DPL In-Car Windscreen Suction Holder

18 replies · 7,161 views · Started 16 June 2008

FaZyCrUcK 16 Jun 2008, 17:55

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:

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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:
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Contents:

The contents of the box were, the suction mount/arm assembly, and the N95-specific clip. No paperwork or anything else
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Heres the unit assembled:
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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:
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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:
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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:
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Continued in second post due to image limitations

FaZyCrUcK 16 Jun 2008, 17:56

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:
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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:
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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

jipee296 16 Jun 2008, 23:49

hi.. can you give me the exact keyword you used to find that product on ebay?? pls and tnx!

FaZyCrUcK 17 Jun 2008, 08:17

jipee296 wrote:hi.. can you give me the exact keyword you used to find that product on ebay?? pls and tnx!

Hi mate, its under 'N95 Windscreen Suction' Theres several different kinds but you'll know when you see it

Andy

munkiii 17 Jun 2008, 15:20

jipee296 wrote:hi.. can you give me the exact keyword you used to find that product on ebay?? pls and tnx!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-Windscreen-Suction-In-Car-Holder-for-the-Nokia-N95_W0QQitemZ170229393957QQihZ007QQcategoryZ35191QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-Windscreen-Suction-In-Car-Holder-for-the-Nokia-N95_W0QQitemZ170229447010QQihZ007QQcategoryZ35191QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-Windscreen-Suction-In-Car-Holder-for-the-Nokia-N95_W0QQitemZ180254195950QQihZ008QQcategoryZ35191QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Theres loads of 'em when you search for "N95 Windscreen Suction" like he said ^^.

m.r.davies 19 Jun 2008, 11:08

Great review!

THanks for taking the time to do this

i've just ordered one

TBird1 20 Jun 2008, 10:54

Can anybody confirm this works with the 8gb N95 please ?

Thanks

jondy1 27 Jun 2008, 22:27

can you charge the phone in the holder:con?

richied17 28 Jun 2008, 00:12

yes you can charge your phone in the cradle best �5 ive spent (apart from pain on ps3) great review by the way

FaZyCrUcK 28 Jun 2008, 01:54

Thanks mate, I really appreciate your feedback 😊

Ronaldo-9 07 Jul 2008, 13:53

hi there can this also be mounted on vent? cheers

FaZyCrUcK 08 Jul 2008, 08:56

Ronaldo-9 wrote:hi there can this also be mounted on vent? cheers

Not possible I'm afraid mate, sorry

jetsetwilly 10 Jul 2008, 14:24

I've also had one of these for a while. I was initially very impressed but a few drawbacks have stopped me from using it very much.

1. The way the phone fits into the holder always cuts off one of either the powersocket or the headphone socket. It might not bother other people but mine is using satnav and mp3 concurrently so needs to be charged. The headphone socket is then being used for an fm transmitter which obviously pipes music and satnav instructions over the radio. (I know the original review says it doesn't block any sockets off so perhaps there are variations on this holder)

2. It wobbles like mad unless you rest it on the dash. Again possibly not a major problem for some people but it bugged me, even more so when you have to rest it on the power cable which I need connected. You'll throw up in no time if you try using the screen without resting it on something !

Having said that, at �4 you can't go too far wrong.

FaZyCrUcK 10 Jul 2008, 22:49

Hmm, I have 3 of them and none block off the sockets... Have you tried rotating it 180* then putting the phone in? I constantly have it charging and connected to my stereo.

The wobbling is pretty annoying, but the only way to cure it is to rest it on the dash...

Andy

jetsetwilly 11 Jul 2008, 08:45

FaZyCrUcK wrote:Hmm, I have 3 of them and none block off the sockets... Have you tried rotating it 180* then putting the phone in? I constantly have it charging and connected to my stereo.
The wobbling is pretty annoying, but the only way to cure it is to rest it on the dash...
Andy

You've got me thinking now. I think it was actually a problem with the combination of those 2 and the gps receiver. Depending on which way round you put the phone in, you always covered 1 of the 3.

jaycey 11 Jul 2008, 19:19

Thanks for the review, I bought one on your recomendation and apart from the woble, which is easily solved, its handy bit of kit.

Cheers

FaZyCrUcK 11 Jul 2008, 21:35

Excellent, I feel like I've done something worthwhile 😊

illapino83 11 Apr 2009, 05:09

Is it possible to cut out a hole for the camera with out damaging the 4 teeth that holds it to the main mount?

jstockda 16 Apr 2009, 04:51

I've had mine for about 6 months no and the plastic clip that holds the phone in place has just snapped. Not bad though for such a low price.