Finding the right universal smartphone mount for your car can be a hassle. Discount mounts can cheaply-made and lack options, while quality, feature-rich ones can be pricey.
Osomount has attempted to bridge the gap with their Smart Plus universal mount. It offers quality, versatility, and some customization at a pretty affordable price.
The Smart Plus is a suction based mount, able to adhere to either your dashboard or windshield.
It has a ball joint where the phone attaches, so you can effortlessly turn and rotate your device to change the view. A turn screw cover on the joint gives you the option to lock down movement as much or as little as you like.
The clip itself is spring-loaded, adjusting to your smartphone's size and holding it snugly in place.
The Smart Plus also has NFC built into it, so it can used to trigger an app when you dock your phone.
Setup
Getting the Smart Plus mount setup couldn't be easier.
Just clean off the spot on your dashboard or windshield that you are sticking it on, and then press the suction cup firmly to the surface. Secure the mount by pushing the lever at the base of the mount to the down position.
The position of the phone can be changed by rotating or tilting on the ball joint.
Setting up the NFC requires a third-party app, like NFC Launchit for Windows Phone 8.1 or NFC Tools for Android. But once done, you can have your phone automatically launch your Music, GPS, or any other app of your choosing.
The Good
There are a whole lot of good things to say about Osomount's Smart Plus.
It is constructed out of rigid plastic that gives every indication that it can take its fair share of wear and tear. Even the moving parts appear to be built in such a way that it appears they will last quite a while.
The suction cup on the bottom of the mount is amazing. Once it is locked into place, it's almost too difficult to unstick, which is a good thing when it comes to phone mounts. That's not to say that it won't occasionally fall prey to the scourge of every suction cup, being locked in a car with the windows up on a hot summer day.
The best part about the suction cup is that if it gets gunked up with dust and debris you can simply rinse it with water and all of the stickiness will return.
As for the phone clip, Osomount did a stellar job. One side is fixed while the other is spring-loaded. This means that you can slide your smartphone into place using just one hand, which is immensely convenient when you are driving.
The sliding clip automatically fits your smartphone and keeps a tight enough grip on it to keep it in place as you use the touchscreen or go over bumps. And being that it fits phones from 2" to 3.5", it works just as well with my Lumia 635 as it does with my Lumia 1520.
The NFC tag instantly launch an app on contact is a nice touch as well. Since it uses third-party apps to program the functionality, it makes the Smart Plus OS-agnostic, and truly universal. It gives it the feel of a much more expensive mount without the accompanying price tag.
The Not-so-good
It is difficult to find fault with the Osomount Smart Plus, but a review has to have some criticism in it, lest it be an advertisement. So here's what I came up with.
I know I said that the suction cup's superhuman strength is a good thing, and for me it is. But for someone who wants to place the mount in different positions or use it in multiple cars, it could become an annoyance.
Secondly, availability is limited to the British and European sites, so if you want one in the U.S. you're going to have to wait a little while to receive it. The good news is that worldwide shipping is free.
Seriously, that's all I've got for gripes.
Conclusion
The Osomount Smart Plus is a clever mix of simple and effective. Setup is ridiculously easy, and the build quality should ensure that it will work well for at least your next couple smartphones to come.
The built-in NFC tag is a nice touch and doesn't appear to add on to the reasonable price, so even if your current phone doesn't have NFC, the Smart Plus is future-ready.
All in all, this is a good buy.
The Smart Plus is available at Osomount's website in red, white, or black (pictured) for £19.99 ($31.21). Windows Central readers can get 20% by using the promo code "windows20" when they order.
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