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Magellan Premium Car Kit for iPhone and iPod touch

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Average Customer Rating:	3.5
Release Date:	2010-01-08
Brand:	Magellan
Model:	AP0300SGXXX
Weight:	2 pounds
Dimensions:	8 inches x 5 inches x 5 inches [Width x Length x Height]

Product Categories

Portable Vehicle GPS; Gen 2; iPhone; Bluetooth/Hands-Free Phone; GPS Accessories; All product; Electronics & Computers; Electronics; Electronics & Computers

Product description

The Magellan AP0300SGXXX Premium Car Kit With GPS effortlessly turns your iPhone or iPod Touch into a GPS navigator! Attach the Magellan iPhone Premium Car Kit with GPS to your windshield and instantly, you can navigate using the various GPS functions of your iPhone or iPod Touch.

The Magellan Premium Car Kit transforms your iPhone into a complete in-car solution for GPS navigation. Simply place your iPhone in the cradle and connect the power. There's no need to remove your protective case--the cradle adjusts to your needs.

Transform your iPhone into a complete in-car solution for GPS navigation. Click to enlarge.

Secure, adjustable vehicle mounting.

Works with any navigation or location-based app.

Magellan Premium Car Kit for iPhone / iPod Touch

Requires purchase of a navigation app. Sold separately.

The Premium Car Kit lets you use great navigation apps like the Magellan RoadMate App for iPhone and iPod touch (2nd generation) and instantly enhances your navigation experience.

This powerful, built-in receiver boosts GPS reception, ensuring accurate directions. Simply place your iPhone or iPod touch into the cradle and connect the power. The cradle even works with most turn- by-turn routing applications available today, including the Magellan RoadMate App for iPhone (sold separately).

The Premium Car Kit connects via Bluetooth (iPhone only) to deliver a superior hands-free calling experience. The powerful, amplified speaker delivers crystal clear calls and turn-by-turn directions. No need to even remove your protective cover--the cradle adjusts to accommodate most cases or skins.

Navigate in confidence with the Magellan Premium Car Kit!

Features

Built-in GPS receiver enhances performance
A powerful, sensitive built-in GPS receiver provides faster and more accurate location information to your iPhone or iPod touch
Turns your iPod touch into a GPS navigator
The built-in GPS receiver adds GPS capability to your iPod touch (2nd generation)
Fits hard shell cases or silicon skins
Accommodates most cases or skins for maximum flexibility when inserting into the cradle
Works with most navigation or location-based apps
While optimized for the Magellan RoadMate app for iPhone, the cradle is compatible with most GPS navigation apps
In-car charging
The cradle automatically powers and charges when connected. No need to worry about running out of battery.
Noise-canceling, hands-free speakerphone
Full duplex speakerphone for crystal clear calls
Powerful, amplified speaker
Use the volume control for loud and clear voice guidance
Secure, adjustable vehicle mounting
Quickly secure the cradle to your windshield or dashboard and easily adjust for portrait or landscape viewing
Audio line out for music playback on your car stereo
Listen to your favorite tunes through your car's audio system

Car Kit Compatibility

iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4
iPod touch 2G, 3G
Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later and purchase of navigation app (sold separately).

What's in the Box
Premium GPS Car Kit, Vehicle Mount, Adhesive Disc, Vehicle Power Adapter, Getting Started Guide

Features

Compatibility: iPod touch 2G, 3G; iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4

Transform your iPhone or iPod touch into a complete in-car solution for GPS navigation

Charge your device while mounted; built-in GPS receiver enhances performance

Noise-cancelling, hands-free speakerphone with powerful amplified speaker

Works with any navigation or location-based app, including Magellan's RoadMate app

Customer reviews

« Recommend buying from different merchant! »

Product works as advertised. Very disappointed with Amazon's customer service experience. Recommend buying from one of many other merchants that sell the same item; hopefully you will enjoy the product without having to worry that the price will be changed under your nose with no recourse other than returning the item and repurchasing it at the lower price. Silly policies that lead to additional work for everyone.

Rating: (4 out of 5) @ 2010-09-03

« Great addition for my IPhone »

I looked at the Tom Tom version of the car kit and I didn't like it because you couldn't use it with a case and you can't use it with an IPhone 4. This car kit rocks I love it. I wish I would have got one sooner. It will not work though with an Apple bumper on your IPhone 4. That was the only problem I saw but not that big of a deal. I got a new case today and it works well with the IPhone 4 with a case on it.
I am a huge Tom Tom guy but the Magellan car kit beats Tom Toms and I would highly recommend this if you have any IPhone of IPod touch!

Rating: (5 out of 5) @ 2010-08-29

« Excellent piece of equipment »

Only Car kit to fit iPhone 4 with the Otter-box Defender case. Not only does the case fit into kit, the Kit operates beautifully (increased signal). It is well constructed, external speaker works great & has plenty of volume. I have been through so many windshield mounts for my phones (3gs & iPhone 4) to use my GPS program (Navigon, excellent program too) where I have had to take my case off. What a hassle @ leaves my phone unprotected. The Otter-Box Defender case is also excellent. Best case I have ever had and I have tried many.

Rating: (5 out of 5) @ 2010-08-25

« Great for iPod touch, not so much for iPhone »

The Magellan Premium Car Kit for iPhone and iPod is a windshield-attachable charging unit with built-in speakerphone and GPS receiver. It communicates with the iPhone or iPod by bluetooth.
The bundled cigarette lighter adapter connects to the stand via a standard mini USB connector.
The main unit features a volume control wheel for the speakerphone, and a stereo minijack to connect to your car stereo.
The car kit provides the following features:
- charging
- speakerphone
- speaker for navigation guidance prompts
- audio output

I used the car kit in conjunction with Magellan's navigation software on my iPhone 3Gs and my new iPhone 4. It's adjustable and the phone fits without having to take it out of its case -- with the exception of the Otterbox case, which is too thick at the bottom and prevented proper dock connection.

Results are a mixed bag. I didn't find the supposedly better built-in GPS receiver to be a marked improvement over the GPS chip inside the iPhone 3Gs. The iPhone 4 was actually more accurate in my very informal tests.
The bluetooth pairing was frustrating. The minute the kit is powered, it's constantly trying to take over your phone, even if you're on another bluetooth connection. You could be in the middle of a call on your iPhone or a bluetooth headset, and suddenly the Car Kit kicks in. It wouldn't be so bad if the speaker was loud enough (it isn't) and the microphone decent (it isn't either, and people I was talking to complained about the sound quality).
I also had a problem with the arm design: it's very short, which is probably perfectly adequate in a small sedan but completely useless in an SUV or minivan where you're sitting a mile away from the windshield. At this price, Magellan could have included a few attachment options (short neck arm, long neck arm, air vent hooks).

In the end, the limitations make it difficult to recommend: if you have an iPhone, the Car Kit will add more frustration than function. However, it is a good complement to turn an iPod touch into a navigation system since the touch lacks the iPhone's built-in GPS, so I would still recommend it to sedan-driving iPod touch users.

I should also add that the Magellan navigation app for the iPhone/iPod touch is really stellar, particularly when running on the iPhone 4's superfast hardware. Screen refreshes fast, graphics are gorgeous, the POI list is extensive and the user interface very pleasant to use. I tried the Navigon and Tom Tom apps and so far Magellan is the clear winner of the three in my opinion.

Rating: (3 out of 5) @ 2010-08-18

« Works surprisingly well »

First off, to get the benefit of the external GPS in this mount, you actually have to plug it into power in your car, and then bind the phone to the magellan GPS in the Bluetooth config on the iPhone settings (no bluetooth passcode needed for binding). There is a volume control wheel on the left side of the unit.

I just drove a 3 1/2 hr trip through the mountains of Oregon with this iPhone holder and bluetooth GPS, using the Navigon iPhone turn by turn nav app on my iPhone 3G, and it worked fantastically. No GPS signal drops reported by the App. Without the Magellan external bluetooth GPS and mount, I got lots of GPS signal drops.

Plus it charges your phone while you are driving.

Highly recommended.