This machine turned my cellular phone into a touch cam for lower than $30

With the open highway changing into an excellent stranger place every day and the vacation journey season approaching, many shoppers need to report their drives, whether or not for proof within the occasion of an accident or to watch their very own driving habits. We right here at Pocket-lint love a good dashcam ourselves, however the actuality is that not all of them match into a good price range. Moreover, if you happen to’re a first-time purchaser, you won’t need to leap straight into the deep finish of the dashcam market.

All of that’s fantastic and dandy. In spite of everything, there is a product on the market for almost the whole lot, and in order for you a price range sprint cam that doubles as a cellphone mount, I imagine I’ve discovered the one you are on the lookout for: the Lounge-IT from Smart Additions. Most cellphone mounts solely couple up along with your A/C vents, however as we all know, not all vents are created equal. The Lounge-IT circumvents that downside by mounting onto your rearview mirror and, in flip, may double as a wonderful possibility for many who use dashcam apps on their telephones.

The mount itself is extremely safe

In the event you can stand a tiny magnet on the again of your cellphone, nothing beats this safety

One of many issues I actually like in regards to the Lounge-IT is that it is extremely safe, because of a sequence of magnets on each the mount itself and one which sticks to the again of your cellphone. I wasn’t positive what the cellphone magnet could be prefer to dwell with, but it surely hasn’t snagged in my pocket as soon as, reveals no indicators of ever coming off except I actually strive, and does not stick out like a sore thumb. Granted, I’ve a black cellphone case that blends in fairly nicely, but it surely’s a lot smaller than any Pop-Socket I’ve ever seen, and that counts for one thing.

It is minimal sufficient to go unnoticed, however substantial sufficient to make sure your cellphone will not go wherever within the mount except you need it to. Within the occasion of any accident, that type of safety is exactly what you need. I genuinely have to almost pry it out of the mount every time I take it off, which, if you are going to ensure you do one thing exceptionally nicely with any cellphone mount, I would slightly that be the sticking level, pun supposed.

It doubles as a conventional cellphone mount, too

Having the ability to multitask is a should lately

Whereas the rearview mount works nice, particularly in vehicles like mine with massive entrance windshields, with the ability to concurrently operate as a vent-based cellphone mount offers the Lounge-IT just a few additional props. In the event you’re in a sedan or a hatchback with a smaller entrance windshield, this is likely to be the higher possibility for you.

The very best factor in regards to the cellphone mount is that it is adjustable to any vent dimension or form. All it takes is screwing the mount’s base in or out to regulate its attain, then tightening it again down onto the vent for safety’s sake. All in all, my setup took a couple of minute, after which the Lounge-IT was road-ready.

In a world of wi-fi connectivity, cellphone mounts nonetheless make sense

I’ve used nearly each infotainment show available on the market, and none are excellent

The query of whether or not somebody wants a cellphone mount immediately, when almost each automobile comes normal with wi-fi CarPlay or Android Auto, is an efficient one. Nevertheless, as somebody who religiously makes use of both platform and has spent an unlimited period of time dissecting automotive infotainment methods, a cellphone mount nonetheless makes the utmost sense in 2025.

No infotainment system is ideal, and if you happen to’re a person of both mainstream possibility, the possibilities are you have skilled moments throughout your common commute when CarPlay or Android Auto simply randomly disconnects. Thus begins the scramble of reconnecting earlier than you miss your flip, which might get fairly harmful in case your cellphone is, say, in your pocket. A mount solves that subject whereas maintaining you a lot safer. It is a no-brainer — cellphone mounts nonetheless work even if you happen to’ve gone wi-fi, and the Lounge IT is without doubt one of the most helpful I’ve reviewed when it comes to usability and practicality.

The Lounge-IT is at the moment on sale from Sensible Additions for $28, however even at its $30 full worth, it is a fraction of what a price range sprint cam would price, and it solely requires about one-fifth of the setup.