Develop Bugs

Vehicle Dock for larger Otter Box case, gauging interest...

I use an OtterBox commuter case and it is awesome. The case is larger and heavier, but also stays on the phone properly unlike all lighter ones I have tried.
My only issue is there us no freaking way that it will fit in the genuine samsung vehicle dock.
Currently I'm gathering pieces to fabricate my own dock that uses the genuine suction cup arm. You would need the samsung kit plus my dock, or will have an extension so it will stay standing upright on a desk, all while using the case. I'm thinking any smaller case could also use it with the addition of stick-on rubber spacers to make it fit snug.
I figure there may be a small market for it, prototype will like be made from aluminium on a cnc, but would wear out the case going in/out so will use a plastic injection moulder once finalised. May cnc plastic initially if can get my hands on a block.
So far the plan is for a dock that it slides into, like the samsung desk dock, but with the fittings to attach to vehicle kit arm.
Thoughts/comments? Foreseeable demand?
Pricing I anticipate to be roughly half to cost if the genuine vehicle dock.. So by the time you buy both it adds up. I think would be worth it, and would buy one myself if available.
At least, so far have found nothing similar...
Sent from my GT-I9100T using xda premium

I had a similar problem for a different reason, my SGS2 has no case but is quite fat due to the Momax 2700 mAh battery I use.
I ordered an "EXOMOUNT exogear" car holder as it has some sort of claw-lock mechanism that appears to work well with really fat phones. I have not received it yet so can't comment. 25€ on ebay.
It has no lighter-charger, but you can get one of those for peanuts.
Your plan sounds pretty interesting tho, nothing like a well-built custom product.

Exogear's Exomount
Yes I can vouch for Exogears' Exomount.
I've had it for 3 months on my S2 with CaseMate Pop, and works like a charm.
Exomount has a large jaw and can clip just about any smartphone bordering the size of a tablet.
It sticks awesomely on the dashboard. It will stick on any surface, including glass/windshield, but I prefer it on the dash.
If you don't believe me, look at the youtube video demonstration.

Yeah I looked at various mounts, my main motivation is I want it to charge at the same time, and want the charging part built into the dock so I don't have to dock and then plug in a loose cable. Docked and charging in one motion.
Hopefully will get time to draw it up in 3D tonight.
Sent from my GT-I9100T using xda premium

I'm very interested in this project. I'll keep an eye in this thread!

Have started the design. Hopefully will order the MicroUSB for the base this afternoon to measure up that part.

Guys
This may save you some time......
http://www.slipgripcarmounts.com/Sl...2-i9100-Using-OtterBox-Commuter_p_100415.html
You can use it with standard RAM Mount fittings (which come in a wide range of different types and sizes).
http://www.ram-mount.com/
Have fun

Thanks, had a surge of laziness when I saw that haha
I think I'll build mine as a personal project then instead of as a possible commercial project - though mine will have charging built into the dock Will keep posted.

Case that will work with Dock and Car Dock

Just bought my G-Nex and I'm looking for a case that will work with the extended battery and will either be very easy to take off or can fit in a desk dock and a car dock.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.

I'm leaning toward the ghost armors. I just want the corners protected from drops really. Not sure how well ghost armors work when dropped on concrete from 3-4ft (like it fell out of your hand).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1406602&highlight=ghost+armor

Erukian said:
I'm leaning toward the ghost armors. I just want the corners protected from drops really. Not sure how well ghost armors work when dropped on concrete from 3-4ft (like it fell out of your hand).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1406602&highlight=ghost+armor
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. I'm not a fan of screen protectors for hardened glass, but I could use the other parts and skip the screen protector. I agree about the dropping it from 3-4 ft onto concrete. I don't know if you've noticed, but the G-Nex reallly is slippery, which is why I want a case. The darn thing just slips out of my huge hands all the time. Frankly I wish it was a little thicker. This always thinner nonsense drive me crazy. I'm having trouble holding on to mine it is so thin!
Thanks again for the ideas.

First find a dock and car dock that can be purchased...

nomisunrider said:
First find a dock and car dock that can be purchased...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL... Yeah I know...

whoster69 said:
Just bought my G-Nex and I'm looking for a case that will work with the extended battery and will either be very easy to take off or can fit in a desk dock and a car dock.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dont have this, but i'd assume the case mate tough case would since it has cutouts for the dock connector(the gold . . . ) on the side
i believe they have pulled it till January though as they have to fix the size of the usb hole(like with the pop case)

i seriously doubt that ANY case will work with the docks.
the docks are normally molded to fit the phone perfectly in the same that it is, adding even 1mm around the phone can make it not fit.
the case i bought has the holes, but honestly i don't think theres a chance in hell of it fitting in the car dock in the case.
the Nexus One had these custom docks, and it was the same thing, you couldn't have any case on the phone for it to fit in any of the docks.
now, things like the invisible shield work just fine (usually) because they don't add any significant bulk to the device.

neok44 said:
i seriously doubt that ANY case will work with the docks.
the docks are normally molded to fit the phone perfectly in the same that it is, adding even 1mm around the phone can make it not fit.
the case i bought has the holes, but honestly i don't think theres a chance in hell of it fitting in the car dock in the case.
the Nexus One had these custom docks, and it was the same thing, you couldn't have any case on the phone for it to fit in any of the docks.
now, things like the invisible shield work just fine (usually) because they don't add any significant bulk to the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know Seido used to make some, but I wasn't satisfied with the support I got from them, so I won't be doing business with them again. I kind of figured that might be the case (no pun intended) but hoped someone else might make one.
Thanks.

Case & Car Dock question

So I'm definitely going to purchase a case for my S3 as it tends to be a bit slippery at times and I'm terrified of shattering the screen. However, I also plan to get a car dock and these 2 decisions are directly related to each other (for me anyways) so I'm just looking for opinions or advice from anyone else in a similar situation. Basically, I have narrowed it down to two different options for me:
1- Get a thinner/TPU style case and use the Infuse Car Dock.
I like the idea of using a custom car dock as it looks neater, in my opinion, though they wont work with a case so I would need to get a thinner case that can easily and repeatedly be removed and put back on several times a day, when I'm placing it in the car dock, without losing it's form or grip on the phone. After looking around on these forums, I think I would go with the Diztronic Matte Back Black TPU Case (mentioned in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1726922) as it seems to offer decent drop protection and can still be easily removed for use with the car dock.
2- Get a thicker case and use universal car dock.
If I went this route, I would get something similar to the Otterbox Commuter, Incipio Dual Pro, or Seidio Active/Surface case as I feel they would offer superior drop protection to the thinner style Diztronic case mentioned above. However, those cases are not really meant for constant removal so I would have to go with a universal car dock (most likely the Exomount). The exomount is a great looking dock and has pretty solid reviews and even though I prefer the look and functionality of a custom dock, I would be willing to sacrifice that if it meant keeping my phone much more secure.
Is there anyone else in a situation similar to this? Can the Diztronic offer decent protection against drops or is it mainly just for protecting the back of the phone? Is there anyone who uses a Exomount car dock with a larger case? I'm just looking for personal opinions from anyone else who may have gone with one of the methods I mentioned above. Thanks very much.

goodwidp said:
So I'm definitely going to purchase a case for my S3 as it tends to be a bit slippery at times and I'm terrified of shattering the screen. However, I also plan to get a car dock and these 2 decisions are directly related to each other (for me anyways) so I'm just looking for opinions or advice from anyone else in a similar situation. Basically, I have narrowed it down to two different options for me:
1- Get a thinner/TPU style case and use the Infuse Car Dock.
I like the idea of using a custom car dock as it looks neater, in my opinion, though they wont work with a case so I would need to get a thinner case that can easily and repeatedly be removed and put back on several times a day, when I'm placing it in the car dock, without losing it's form or grip on the phone. After looking around on these forums, I think I would go with the Diztronic Matte Back Black TPU Case (mentioned in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1726922) as it seems to offer decent drop protection and can still be easily removed for use with the car dock.
2- Get a thicker case and use universal car dock.
If I went this route, I would get something similar to the Otterbox Commuter, Incipio Dual Pro, or Seidio Active/Surface case as I feel they would offer superior drop protection to the thinner style Diztronic case mentioned above. However, those cases are not really meant for constant removal so I would have to go with a universal car dock (most likely the Exomount). The exomount is a great looking dock and has pretty solid reviews and even though I prefer the look and functionality of a custom dock, I would be willing to sacrifice that if it meant keeping my phone much more secure.
Is there anyone else in a situation similar to this? Can the Diztronic offer decent protection against drops or is it mainly just for protecting the back of the phone? Is there anyone who uses a Exomount car dock with a larger case? I'm just looking for personal opinions from anyone else who may have gone with one of the methods I mentioned above. Thanks very much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the infuse car dock ( love it ) and I have the the incipio case which is very easy to take the device out and put back in every day.
http://www.amazon.com/Incipio-SA-30...=1342720597&sr=8-1&keywords=incipio+galaxy+s3
I take it out every day / time I get in my car to drive and put in my dock and not a pain at all.

I went with the exomount because I am planning on getting the otterbox defender soon.
Look at the bottom of this page for some pics and description for what I did:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=28677574#post28677574
Working great so far.......I can vouch for that exomount. I stuck it on my dash three weeks ago and it hasn't shown any sign of coming off. I had my doubts of it holding up in this SW Louisiana heat, but it has both surprised and impressed me so far.
the_buzz_man

the_buzz_man said:
I went with the exomount because I am planning on getting the otterbox defender soon.
Look at the bottom of this page for some pics and description for what I did:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=28677574#post28677574
Working great so far.......I can vouch for that exomount. I stuck it on my dash three weeks ago and it hasn't shown any sign of coming off. I had my doubts of it holding up in this SW Louisiana heat, but it has both surprised and impressed me so far.
the_buzz_man
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was considering getting the Trident Kraken AMS case just so I could use the car mount accessory that came with it. You might want to check it out.. but now I am confused about whether I need the phone to go into dock mode with the pc board or if the ap I downloaded on its own can do that.. it seems like it, but maybe its only because I am trying it for a few minutes at a time.
Can't link to the kraken because I don't have 10 posts yet. I somehow lost my other forum account.
They said on their facebook page that it will be coming out next week.

KiraLynB said:
I was considering getting the Trident Kraken AMS case just so I could use the car mount accessory that came with it. You might want to check it out.. but now I am confused about whether I need the phone to go into dock mode with the pc board or if the ap I downloaded on its own can do that.. it seems like it, but maybe its only because I am trying it for a few minutes at a time.
Can't link to the kraken because I don't have 10 posts yet. I somehow lost my other forum account.
They said on their facebook page that it will be coming out next week.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure about the app you are talking about, but I just discovered an app called car widget that allows you to setup one of your home pages to look like car dock mode. This will negate the need to have that PC board to trip the mode. For me, however, I like having to only plug one cable in to both charge and output audio to my car stereo. The basic car widget app is free by the way.
the_buzz_man

I ended up ordering the Infuse Dock along with a Diztronic Black Matte Back case. The case is very flexible and shouldn't take more than a few seconds to remove/put back on so I can live with having to do that when I want to use my dock. Nice thing is the dock was only 18$ (half-price on AT&T website) and I could always return it to the local AT&T store here if I absolutely hate it. I'll try to post some pics of the dock and/or case when I receive them if anyone would like.

How do you secure your S3 to your motorcycle?

I had a nice set up for my Lg G2X, a pouch holder that attached to the handlebars of my Sportster with a rubber loop. I took a hard rubber case and modified it to the holder. Worked well.
But I cannot find a suitable rubber S3 phone cover to do the same thing with. None are hard enough for me to be comfortable with. I'm afraid the phone will slip out. And I don't really like the pouch as originally designed on this holder. Want to actually touch the screen.
There is a steel device holder available with channels on top and bottom that looks real secure, but not real low key.
Anyone have any suggestions for a good phone holder?
Love listening to Pink Floyd on my bike LOL. When I get a call, it mutes and I have to push the play button which now involves taking it out of my pocket.
FYI I use the Scala communicators which are awesome.
Thanks in advance for your input.

Ram Mounts
Go to ram-mounts.com. They will mount anything to anything. Car, boat, truck, airplane, motorcycle, bicycle. Makes do difference. Plus, their stuff will not shake loose. They probably even do saddles.
Motorcycle page:
http://www.rammount.com/Products/MotorcycleMounts/tabid/128/Default.aspx#/wizard

schneid said:
Go to ram-mounts.com. They will mount anything to anything. Car, boat, truck, airplane, motorcycle, bicycle. Makes do difference. Plus, their stuff will not shake loose. They probably even do saddles.
Motorcycle page:
http://www.rammount.com/Products/MotorcycleMounts/tabid/128/Default.aspx#/wizard
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the link! At $104.00, that's a bit pricey. Looks like a pretty good system though.

rokform rokbed has a case that doubles as a mount. also a little bit pricey but check it out, kinda cool
http://www.rokform.com/cart/Galaxy-S3-Cases/
http://www.rokform.com/cart/v3-Bikemount.html

This is what I use on my bike:
RAM part number - RAM-B-149Z-UN4U
No problems at high speeds and works great with my Sena SMH-10. I have an Otterbox commuter and with the fingers adjusted all the way out, it's a tight fit.

DIY Qi/Wireless Car Dock idea

I've been thinking about creating my own wireless car dock. Basically I was thinking of using a case protector and trimming the edge off that locks the phone into the case to provide for easy insertion/removal from the "dock". On the back of the case I was going to cut an opening for the wireless charging transmitter...preferably one with magnets to assist with keeping the phone in place. Not sure if I'll just buy/use the Nexus 5 charger I currently have build my own. On the back of the charger I was going to attach one of the swiveling mounts which can then attach to one of the mounts similar to what the Pro.Fit mounting brackets and such use.
Any comments, concerns, better ideas?

sorry bro its been done.
The Air Dock
and the official website
http://www.theairdock.com/

undivide said:
sorry bro its been done.
The Air Dock
and the official website
http://www.theairdock.com/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really the same thing at all. The OP is looking for a solution that uses magnets. You could get a random car dock, trim any plastics past the ball joint to fit, epoxy a nexus wireless charger to it, and be done. That would work nicely.

did you even read anything about the air dock ?
you probably skipped over this part...
"Inside the Air Dock are magnets that pull the phone tightly into the foam face"
the FAQ also covers the nexus 5 & 7 + magnets
only reason I bothered posting the product is because the price seems reasonable when you consider how much it would cost to "rig up" something hack style which, in the end, would probably not function as well nor look as nice as the air dock does.

I realize the air dock exists...and it's $69. I already have numerous cases and Qi chargers I can use to do this. The only thing I really need is the swivel adapter and the bracket to install in the car. I think the air dock is great but I feel like I can create something very similar that would work just as good if not better and for less money. The way I look at it, the air dock is missing one thing that I would like just for my own piece of mind, especially since I drive in Pennsylvania a lot (and if you ever have driven in PA, you know you can practically lose your car in the potholes there). I like the idea of a case/surround that doesn't require it to "snap in" to but provides just enough support for a solid hit so it doesn't pop out/off. Basically my idea is very similar to the air dock except it includes a case around the charger part. The way I look at it, even if I were to buy everything to make this, I can still make it cheaper than the air dock. The "case" I would hack apart I can get as cheap as $10 or less, and I already have 3 spares. The charger can be had for around $12 (even if I want to buy just the coil and PCB) unless I want to spend a lot and get another nexus charger which is $50. The only other thing I need is the adapter and mount which is about $9-15. So I can make the same thing for as little as $31-$37.

hey man thanks for writing back ! yes I used to live in PA near philly, now I live south of wilmington DE, this winter has been hell ! my rearview mirror fell off 2 weeks ago from hitting a pothole so I see your concern. one of the reasons why I stopped mounting my phone in my car (used to have an iphone 5) I bought a cheap mount from walmart as you can see here they say the stickiness lasts awhile as long as you wet it when it starts to dry out however mine will no longer get its stick back so its worthless to me.
are you going to fix mount this to your dash, or suction cup it to your window ? the latter I would not recommend
I'm sure you've seen the ram mounts x-grip, it looks top notch and I think if I ever upgrade from the cupholder recess in my scion my phone would be so lucky to find its place there.
sometimes I rest it in front of my stereo so I dont have to look at the word "aux" while the music's on!

Pandages said:
Not really the same thing at all. The OP is looking for a solution that uses magnets. You could get a random car dock, trim any plastics past the ball joint to fit, epoxy a nexus wireless charger to it, and be done. That would work nicely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly what I did just yesterday lol.. iMagnet dock with the Qi Nexus charger. The iMagnet dock has 4 strong mangets on the end, well I took those and put them on the plates that you're supposed to put in between a case and phone and glued them together to create a flat surface for the nexus charger.
It works perfect for me. Also had to order a charger to support the nexus charger.
iMagnet Dock
Car Charger
Truck is dirty, shhhh waiting for a nice day to clean it, damn you Michigan!

I know what I'm getting with my next paycheck
I just hope the magnet on that dock is strong enough to hold my phone through its fairly thick silicone case

ilikethepenkils said:
That's exactly what I did just yesterday lol.. iMagnet dock with the Qi Nexus charger. The iMagnet dock has 4 strong mangets on the end, well I took those and put them on the plates that you're supposed to put in between a case and phone and glued them together to create a flat surface for the nexus charger.
It works perfect for me. Also had to order a charger to support the nexus charger.
iMagnet Dock
Car Charger
Truck is dirty, shhhh waiting for a nice day to clean it, damn you Michigan!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's pretty similar to what I want to do, although I was thinking of taking a Nexus 5 case and cutting a hole in the back and epoxying it to the charger two allow 2 things. One is to provide a little extra support for severe potholes and also to allow the wireless charger to sit directly on the phone maximizing the charge rate. I was going to cut the lip off around the edge of the case so the phone can just be placed into the case instead of snapping it in since the magnets will take care of the bulk of keeping the phone in place while the sides of the case will just provide extra support. Just an idea. If anything I'll start off with the same/similar thing as what you have and possibly add the case idea if I notice issues of slipping or popping off with pot holes.
As for how/where I was going to mount it (2009 Scion XB), I was thinking of either mounting near the stick shift or possibly to the right of the stereo. Either way I'd rather have something relatively close to the top of the dash. The stick shift would be too low but at least it's accessible if I need to take a quick glance at it.
undivide said:
I know what I'm getting with my next paycheck
I just hope the magnet on that dock is strong enough to hold my phone through its fairly thick silicone case
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the Cruzerlite TPU cases. They've always served their purpose well for me at least. The magnets on the Nexus 5 Qi charger are pretty strong without a case. With the cruzerlite cases it's not quite as strong but it does hold a bit. Probably wouldn't hold well hitting a series of potholes though. I guess it also depends on how vertical it would be to. I would imagine it would have a better chance of breaking loose completely vertical as opposed to some angle to it.

ParadingLunatic said:
That's pretty similar to what I want to do, although I was thinking of taking a Nexus 5 case and cutting a hole in the back and epoxying it to the charger two allow 2 things. One is to provide a little extra support for severe potholes and also to allow the wireless charger to sit directly on the phone maximizing the charge rate. I was going to cut the lip off around the edge of the case so the phone can just be placed into the case instead of snapping it in since the magnets will take care of the bulk of keeping the phone in place while the sides of the case will just provide extra support. Just an idea. If anything I'll start off with the same/similar thing as what you have and possibly add the case idea if I notice issues of slipping or popping off with pot holes..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I live in an apartment complex with speedbumps.. Made the truck go about 40-ish and the phone didn't even budge.. so you should be good. lol
I know what I'm getting with my next paycheck
I just hope the magnet on that dock is strong enough to hold my phone through its fairly thick silicone case
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My N5 is without case currently. Every case I have is too bulky and just eh, thinking about trying the poetic bumper one Ive seen on amazon..

I Made this
DIY wireless car charger: http://youtu.be/dDH2_auNWVs

It would actually be nice if there were a thread specifically for DIY Qi charger projects which included pics/plans etc. I guess creativity and the search feature will have to suffice for now.
I was also thinking of building my own Qi charger. I'd like my case to be much smaller though, similar to the Nexus 5 Qi charger. I was thinking of stacking the coil on top of the PCB but I'm not sure what shielding if any is required between the coil and the PCB.
If only that new NXP semiconductor solution were available right now. Check it out here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50hjojLLDww. Nothing much you can do about the size of the coil, but that tiny PCB is freaking sweet.

ilikethepenkils said:
That's exactly what I did just yesterday lol.. iMagnet dock with the Qi Nexus charger. The iMagnet dock has 4 strong mangets on the end, well I took those and put them on the plates that you're supposed to put in between a case and phone and glued them together to create a flat surface for the nexus charger.
It works perfect for me. Also had to order a charger to support the nexus charger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bingo! This is exactly what I was suggesting. I think I'll wind up doing the same. I've got one of the CHOE Qi chargers at home, but it is magnet-less. I'm also picking up a PowerBot unit to throw on my desk at the office.

I think you'll find that using a case to hold the phone snugly is not only overkill but also a hassle. Magnets work great on their own, but having a rubbery surface makes it even better.
I have the Air Dock (see here) myself but am considering downsizing to an official Nexus 5 charger fixed to a ProClip (see here) This would not only be smaller but also sturdier. First I might affix the Air Dock itself to the ProClip and see if that satisfies me.
Definitely happy with the Air Dock, though. Great product. The guy making them is great as well.

active nfc, Qi & bluetooth car dock
Hi all, I''ve been messing about with different versions of this for months now, since i had my Nexus 4. When i changed my car last year, the new one came fitted with an active, adjustable Brodit/Proclip iPod dock and a Parrot bluetooth system
The first thing i did was removed the active ipod plug from the bottom of the mount and replaced it with a standard micro usb for the Nexus.
Then i added an nfc tag to trigger a LLama event to switch on bluetooth and start music playback when connected
I decided i didn't like the Parrot system so i removed it and went back to the Belkin Aircast Auto i had from my last car and routed all the cables behind the dash to the lighter socket
Then i thought i'd try a cheap "puck" Qi charger. The jaws on the old ipod mount are very deep and the puck fitted in behind the phone nicely, with the nfc tag on top (first pic). The phone charged well even while streaming bluetooth, but would only maintain charge while using bluetooth and Sat Nav. together, so i kept the option to unplug the Qi and use wired charging when i needed more juice. The charger was a little wider than the phone, hence the foam and slight "v" angle on the mount jaws to hold it firmly
So last week i ordered a new pull tab slip case for my phone and the one that arrived was too small, so i thought it was time to break the guts out of the Qi charger (unclip the 2 halves and remove 4 screws to release a one piece coil and circuit board) and tidy the mount up a bit.
I made a taller plastic backplate for the brodit mount, stuck the circuit board to it with mounting tape and stuck the nfc tag directly to the centre of the coil. Then i added packing to even out the thickness of the whole piece and altered the slip case so it would slide over everything while leaving an access flap so i can still use the wired charger cable when necessary (pics 2 & 3)
If this works well i'll rebuild the charging "sandwich" from better plastic to decrease the thickness a little, then i'll fit an extra lighter socket behind the stereo for the charger