Introduction:

Griffin Technology WindowSeat Windshield Mount for iPhone/iPod

    There is nothing more frustrating, or dangerous than fumbling and bumbling with a cell phone while driving. Now multiply that by ten fold when said cell phone is a multimedia powerhouse like the Apple iPhone 3GS that can do a million things and therefore has a million things to lure you into messing with it while driving. The full touchscreen of the iPhone has been considered a drawback to some for it's difficulty using in pocket or without eyes on it to see what you're doing. However that same full touchscreen makes this next product absolutely great with the iPhone while driving. The Griffin WindowSeat iPhone/iPod Windshield Mount is designed to hold your iPhone or iPod touch while attached to your vehicles windshield much like a GPS would mount. We've all seen those GPS devices mounted on cars all over the place. Now you can mount your iPhone the same way. Let's take a closer look at the features.

Features:

• High-grip silicone suction pad easily and quickly attaches to your windshield or other nonporous surface and stays put.

• Mounting bracket securely holds iPhone or iPod touch with easy access to dock connector and headphone jack.

• Can be used with Griffin PowerJolt charger, or other in-car charging solution.

• Includes an audio cable for convenient connection to AUX-In-equipped car stereos.

• Good-looking, durable materials complement your vehicle’s interior and withstand the temperature shifts that go with that environment.

• Swiveling ball-and-socket joint lets you adjust the viewing angle quickly and easily, and stays where you point it.

• Included adapter accommodates steeply angled windshields.

• Comes with cradles for iPhone, iPhone 3G, and 2nd generation iPod touch.

Packaging:

Retail Front	Retail Rear	Contents
What You'll Get		iPod Touch/iPhone Adapters

   The box (that's right, I said BOX! No plastic coffin!) is very well done. It's colorful, informative and secures the items inside sufficiently. Other than the necessities needed to mount an iPhone 3G(s) to your windshield, you'll also get a small disc to help dashboard mounts and also two more adapter plates for the iPod Touch 2G and iPhone 1G.

A Closer Look:

    Like many people, I already have a GPS in my truck. A Garmin 255w to be specific. So I'm used to not only windshield mounts but also how they should look. I've got to be honest, when I first took this WindowSeat out of the box I thought it looked a bit bulky, and I guess it is, technically. All the knuckles are twist to loosen/tighten to adjust the unit. We'll do this once installed in the vehicle. The quality of the plastic used seems very good, typical of a quality GPS mount plastic.

That grey circle you see in the middle of the cradle is a rubber cover over the twist lock that holds the adapter cradle in place. To change from iPod Touch to iPhone cradle you simply pop that grey cover off and then you'll be able to twist the existing cradle off.

Installation:

    Mounting the Griffin WindowSeat is really easy. Once you've got the correct faceplate cradle attached, simply place it on the windshield in your desired location and twist the base screw to suction to the window.

I've been using this product for weeks now in my truck and it has become a staple of my interior. I've actually taken the GPS mount off my windshield to make room for this because I use this all the time now and only use the GPS occasionally. Although recently I needed both and having both attached to the windshield was fine since I mounted the WindowSeat up so high.

If your vehicle has an AUX input (or similar) you can plug in the included audio cable and listen to your media right through your vehicles speakers! I use this unit with the recently reviewed Griffin Hands-Free Mic + AUX Cable Review and absolutely love it. It's so handy, however now I wish the answer button was at the other end of the cable which would be eye level using this.

Conclusion:

The Griffin WindowSeat is perfect for playing my favorite video podcasts where I can listen all the time and glance at the screen when it's safe too while driving. This just makes it so much more enjoyable to use the iPhone in the vehicle. My kids love using it for their iPod Touch's and watching movies or listening to music while I'm driving. The cradle can be changed in seconds, and it's easy, and small enough, to carry an extra one with you in the glove box or center console.

You can swivel the cradle 360 degrees when mounted so no worries of getting the right perspective. The only thing I'll make clear here is that this unit will only work with devices without a case. It's precision molded for stock iPhone's and iPod Touch's so there is not even a teeny bit extra. So if you're a case person, you will have to take it off to mount it using the Griffin WindowSeat. I'm a fan of the Elago slim cases, but I'm getting tired of taking it on and off (although I still will because I love using a windshield mount for my iPhone!). I would've liked to see Griffin design in some sort of universal mounting system to accommodate devices with cases since millions have them. However don't be discouraged for that because as soon as you use this while driving you'll be hooked. It's just that cool.

I'd like to thank Griffin Technology for sending over this review unit. It has become a staple in my iPhone inventory.

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