Easy On, Easy Off - Meet The NEO GRAB Universal Smartphone Holder [Review]

[Street Guardian USA]

Saw this on AppRadioWord thought I'd share. (perfect for Smart Phone DashCam setup)

http://www.appradioworld.com/2013/12/easy-on-easy-off-meet-neo-grab.html

Easy On, Easy Off - Meet The NEO GRAB Universal Smartphone Holder [Review]



Car mounts are an important component of driving helping you keep your hands on the steering wheel while having a clear view of your phone. Over the last few weeks I have reviewed a couple of smartphone car mounts; the minimalisticKenu Airframe and the magnetic Wallee M. They both have their own pros and cons.

The mount we are reviewing today is the NEO GRAB Universal Smartphone Holder. I have been using it in my car over the past week.

At 4.75 x 2.5 inches and weighing just around one-fifths of a pound the NEO GRAB is sizable but not heavy.

Packaging: The packaging is quite protective. My review piece came shipped in a cardboard box to ensure low risk of damage during shipment. The NEO GRAB box itself has a few technical specifications and contact information printed on it.



Build Quality: The high impact plastic makes this mount light and strong at the same time. You can tell the quality of the finish right away. This mount is really well made. The silicone suction pad can be used on any smooth surface and when attached creates a very secure hold.

Design: The clamp design of the holder works with springs in the joint. You can open up the arms of the clamp to fit an iPhone 4S in portrait view. This is the farthest I could stretch the arms.



In landscape view, my iPhone 5 sat nice and snug. The part of the arms that grip the phone have a non-slip padding material on them, ensuring the phone stays in place as well as avoiding scratches.



The neck of the mount is removable. There are two buttons you can push on either side to dissemble the neck from the base. The neck can then be attached to have the mount facing backwards (flipped 180 degrees). This can be useful when trying to get the best viewing angle depending on your car's dashboard or windshield.



When mounted, the phone can be rotated almost close to 360 degrees for the best view.

Mounting: I tried mounting this on the windshield first. Although it fits securely on glass, the size of the mount itself makes it take a lot of real estate in your field of vision. Also, windshield mounts are illegal in California unless mounted in the corners of the windshield.



I then mounted the NEO GRAB on the dashboard. I have a mounting disk attached already (old Garmin GPS disk) so I attached it to that. You can attach the NEO GRAB directly to most dashboards without the need of a mounting disk. The silicone suction cup has a sticky finish with makes the attachment stronger.



The mount held my iPhone 5 securely in place while I drove over speed bumps. As I said earlier, I have been using this for a week now. Mounting the phone is really easy. You just hook the phone to the upper arm and stretch it until it sits inside the lower arm. After it is mounted you can rotate it to the best desired angle and orientation. There is a "twist-n-lock" ball joint to tighten the holder and prevent your phone from shaking around while driving.

Pros: The best feature of this mount for me is the ease in which you can attach and detach your phone. It is really simple and can be done using one hand. The suction cup is also very nicely made and will stick to almost any flat surface. If it gets dirty, you can wash it and reuse.



Cons: This mount, although light, is quite big. It stands up pretty high on the dashboard and if mounted on the windshield takes a lot of real estate. Also, some might find the price a little high. I couldn't get my phone to a align straight when in portrait view. The mount can only rotate up to a near-90 degree angle unless it is tilted inwards.



Price: The NEO GRAB Universal Smartphone Holder is priced at $34.99 with FREE Worldwide Shipping. Expedited shipping (2-3 Day) will cost you $14.95. If you buy more than one you can save too. Buy 2 at $26.24 each and buy 3 for$24.99 each.
Where to Buy: Visit the NEO GRAB website to purchase or for complete details.
Summary: Here are some key features of the NEO GRAB Universal Smartphone Holder:

- Fits most smartphones
- Mounting the phone is easy, can be done with one hand
- Silicone cup can be washed and reused
- Offers close to 360 degree viewing angle rotation
- Lightweight

Final Verdict: This is one of the easiest mounts to use in the car (Wallee M mount is THE easiest to use in my opinion). You won't have to fiddle around trying to get your phone mounted before you start driving. Once in place the mount is very secure. The suction cup didn't come loose even once the whole time I had in mounted in my car.



The mount is advertised as being the "World's first One-Hand operating device mount". I would recommend this product if you want something that's easy to use but are willing to spend $35 for. There maybe cheaper mounts available out there but this works with any smartphone, whether you have a case on it or not. The ease of use is its biggest selling point.

Watch these videos below to learn more about the NEO GRAB Universal Smartphone Holder.

Thanks to the NEO GRAB team for sending out this product for us to review. Here are rest of the pictures...

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[Dashmellow]

I hadn't noticed this post before because a smart phone as a dash cam hasn't been of interest to me but I came upon it today.

The NEO GRAB seems like a worthy product but I'm a little struck by the very high price. This basic design has been around for years and in fact I bought such a product from DX a couple of years ago to hold a device other than a smart phone. It was well made, will hold a smart phone securely in a horizontal or vertical position and depending on the model chosen costs approximately 20% or less of what a NEO GRAB goes for. If anyone wishes to try this method, it is a more affordable option for those who want to experiment with a smart phone as a dash cam and mount it in this way. Many vendors on eBay and elsewhere offer them.







This one sells on DX for $4.19 USD.

 

[GJHS]

Nice @Dashmellow do you have a link? $35 is a bit too steep

 

[Dashmellow]

Nice @Dashmellow do you have a link? $35 is a bit too steep

There are quite a few on DX.com.

Here are some:

http://dx.com/p/360-degree-rotation...w-suction-cup-for-cell-phone-gps-black-288975

http://dx.com/p/360-degree-rotatable-car-holder-for-iphone-5-4-4s-more-black-185128

http://dx.com/p/360-degree-rotatabl...ction-cup-for-cell-phone-gps-black-red-284177

http://dx.com/p/merdia-qpyp04t2-car...p-holder-for-iphone-samsung-more-black-228839


Also, a search on eBay for "windshield suction clip mount for smart phones" will bring up quite a few.

 

[RPro]

I believe I have the predecessor to the Neo Grab - I have the Dash Crab universal mount. It is also as expensive as the Neo Grab. The main advantage of the Dash Crab compared to all the others is the special suction cup - it's textured and quite sticky. It will also work on textured and slightly curved surfaces, such as the typical dash of a car, unlike the rest of the suction cups on the market, which require perfectly smooth and flat surfaces.

I like the Neo Grab's mount - it is longer and appears to have a better range of motion than the Dash Crab, so far more suitable for devices with a wider camera angle.

With that said, the biggest weakness of the Dash Crab, and likely the Neo Grab as well, is the shaky mount. Your car goes over a small bump or imperfection on the road and your recording becomes very shaky.

The one thing that surprised me most of the Dash Crabs I own (I have two), is that they continue to stick very well even in the winter - at -20 degrees Celsius outside, the suction still holds! None of my other suction cups can do that - they just fall off when it gets that cold. Surprising, because I read many negative reviews about cold weather.

I bought my Dash Crabs at Staples, in Canada - they often have $10 off $50 purchase coupons, so I bought Dash Crabs with them. Brings the price from $30 CDN to a more reasonable $20 each (if I combine coupons on different days and purchase another item).