Anyone looking to mount almost anything into a vehicle of some sort has probably seen products from Arkon as they are one of the first and are now one of the most diversified mounting accessory companies.  They recently sent us a first look at some of their upcoming products and we are proud to give you a first look at some of these new additions to their product line.  You can also check out the previous review we did of Arkon products covering the more traditional mounting systems. They also sent a couple of custom mounting systems for the Verizon HTC Thunderbolt and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7″ but I don’t currently have either of those devices on hand to test them out.  Once I get them to colleagues who have these devices, we’ll let you know how they are.

Who are Arkon?

“Arkon Resources, Inc. (Arkon®), is a manufacturer and global supplier of car mounting solutions used with Portable GPS Navigation Devices, SmartPhones, Satellite Radios, Laptops and Notebooks, Netbooks, and other mobile communication and portable devices. Arkon’s customers include many of the world’s most recognized brand names in portable navigation and wireless mobile communication.”

Mobile Grip MG001 Smartphone Clamping Holder

The Arkon MG001 Smartphone Clamping holder is a small universal holder that attaches to most of the mounting options you can get form Arkon.  It’s only .62″ deep and the jaws of the clamps cam accommodate a device up to 2.81″ wide.  The nice thing about this clamp is that will hold most smartphone’s with or without a protective skin or case.  The design is very simple to operate. all you do is insert your phone into one side of the clamp, pull the opposite side in the opposing direction and insert the other side of your device.  Once in place it securely holds your phone.  Of all the units they sent, This has now become the daily use mount in my vehicle attached to the GN042-SBH goose neck mount shown below.

GN042-SBH 8″ Flexible Windshield / Dashboard Suction Mount

I’ve never tried any of the flexible goose neck mount options before and I have to say that this product is excellent.  One of the nice features about using this mounting option is that it brings my device much closer than a traditional suction mounts I’ve used in the past and also allows much more flexibility in the positioning of my phone.  I was able to attach the suction cup to my windshield just besides my rear view mirror and extend the arm of the mount almost all the way down to my dashboard top.  This made my phone much less obtrusive in my car. Using regular mounts always meant my phone was somewhere in the middle of my windscreen, and while this was easy to see, it was always there, in front of my eyes, slightly obscuring my view of the road.

I’ve seen mounting systems like these in the past and never really paid much attention to them as they always looking flimsy.  I am still amazed at how sturdy the adjustable neck of this is feels when it’s mounted in my car.  You do have some movement and vibration at the end, where your phone is mounted, but it is certainly minimal and I would have no hesitation recommending this product to anyone who asked.

So this mount is still in my car, it has been for about 2 weeks, and it will be staying. With the combination of the MG001 Mobile Grip Smartphone Holder on the head of the mount, it makes the perfect pair.  Here’s how it looks mounted in my car with my T-Mobile myTouch 4G proudly inserted.  I did try it with and without my case and no issues either way.

Another question you have to make is how do you attach any of these mounts into your vehicle.  The obvious choice is to attach the mounts to your windshield, or possible even attach them to your dashboard using the supplied sticky metal pads.  The other option is to use one of the Sticky Pad options as shown below:

SDP001 Round Self Sticking Dashboard Pad/
SDP002 Arrow Shaped Self Sticking Pad

I’m not sure what these pads are made of, but the base of them sure is sticky, although they are not sticky, if you know what I mean.  What you say!  What is he talking about!. Well these pads have an incredibly tactile bottom surface yet they are is no sticky substance to leave any residue on your hands, dashboard, or any other place you decide to sit them down.

The pads are very flexible and form to almost any surface you decide to place them on.  On top of the pads is a circular disc designed to attach any of the suction cups form the Arkon mounts.  The suction cups adhere extremely well to the pads and everything seems to stay firmly in place even while driving at high freeway speeds.  These pads are a great alternative to the sandbag variety that have been around for quite a while.

The only issues I had with the pads was with my dashboard straight after cleaning my car.  My dashboard had been cleaned with a cleaning solution that had left some residue in place and this made it difficult for the pads to grip the surface.  I gave my dash an extra clean to remove the cleaning residue and this made a world of difference.  While they are not perfect for every vehicle and the shape of some modern  cars dashboards can cause issues, they are a great alternative if you want to quickly remove your mounts from your vehicles.  Overall, these alternative mounting systems work well and are easy to install and remove.  cleaning them is as breeze and is as simple as running them under a faucet with water and giving them a good rub with your hands.  when you clean them, the base of the pads does not lose any of its stickiness whatsoever.

Conclusion

Arkon make a very wide selection of mounting products covering smartphone’s, GPS devices, Tablets and much more and if you’re looking for some way of mounting your device in your car or even on your motorcycle, I’d recommend giving Arkon a try.

Head over to the Arkon website and take a look at the extensive selection of mounting accessories available.  You won’t be disappointed.

Like what you read in this review? Purchase your Arkon accessories through the AndroidStory accessory store.