Drivers in NSW, Australia, should be well aware of relatively new rules regarding the use of mobile phones in cars.
For those who don't know the road laws that came into play last November, a driver may only touch a mobile phone if the device is secured in a fixed mount. The new rules incorporate all phone functions, not just making a phone call. This means it is against the law to use your phone, even as a navigation device, unless its mounted.
There are a number of car mounting solutions available on the market, but one of the best we've discovered is the Wallee M car mount, a product of Melbourne company Studio Proper. The Wallee mounting system first came to prominence as an iPad accessory, but a secondary Wallee M range has been produced for various smartphones.
The Wallee M is a two part system. A plastic case ($29.95) that has a rubberised feel does most of the work. It features a X-shaped Wallee pattern on the back and magnetically attaches to a range of accessories. One of these accessories is the Wallee M car mount ($34.95).
The Wallee M car mount has two advantages over regular smartphone car docks. Because the system uses magnets, it reduces the bulk you normally see on other cradles and mounts. Secondly, the magnets mean that it's the easiest cradle we've ever used. It's effortless to attach and remove your phone and it's also one of the better looking car mounts we've seen.
Unfortunately, the Wallee M is limited to five smartphones at this stage, the iPhone 4 and 4S, the iPhone 5, the Samsung Galaxy S III and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. If you don't have one of these devices, you're out of luck.
The Wallee M case is also very difficult to remove from your phone, particularly if you own an iPhone 5. We tested the system with both an iPhone 5 and a Samsung Galaxy S III and it was much easier to remove from the latter. Most users will stick to the one case, though, and Studio Proper did assure us that the cases have been "designed to be quite tight."
The Wallee M mounting case and Wallee M car mount accessory can be purchased online from Studio Proper.
