Car and Motorcycle Mounts for the Nexus 6

Square Jellyfish Jelly-Grip Car Air Vent Mount fits the Nexus 6The Nexus 6 is a big phone.  Some refer to this as a phablet.  A phablet is a term that became popular a year or two ago to describe a phone with a screen size that is larger than a typical phone but smaller to a mid-sized 7″ tablet.  In the case of the Nexus 6, the diagonal screen size is 5.96 inches.  That’s pretty large for a smartphone and as a result, not all mounts are going to fit these.  In fact, many will not fit because the cradle will be too small.

The Nexus 6 features a 2.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor and 3GB of RAM.  That’s a remarkable about of horsepower for a phone and I have to wonder what’s under the cover to keep it cool.  With a huge screen size approaching six-inches diagonally, this phone is 6.27 inches tall by 3.27 inches wide by .40 inches deep.  These are important measurements to keep in mind when selecting your mount.  If you own a previous universal mount to hold your older phone, it’s fairly likely it may not fit especially if you are using a case or skin which can add another half inch in all directions.  Be very aware of the size of the cradle that you will need because as previously mentioned, this large phone won’t fit into just any mount.

I always like to provide some advice to buyers of expensive phones.  If you drop it, it will break.  Buy a case for it.  I have always liked the Otterbox Defender series which we reviewed here, but there are lots of others.  Invest about $25 or so.  A single drop on ceramic tile that results in a broken lens will cost way more than the case.  If you think insurance will cover you, think again.  Insurance policies purchased from your carrier have a deductible and for newer more expensive phones that can be $169 on up.  So to add insult to injury, you will not only be paying the monthly insurance premium, but you will then pay the deductible.  You can read our article on phone insurance here.  Bottom line is buy a case.

So let’s discuss mounts.

Using your Nexus 6 as a GPS is a great idea.  We have written many articles about Waze and if you haven’t downloaded it yet, do it now.  When using your Nexus 6 as a GPS, you will want it at eye level.  The most popular mount for this purpose is one that will attach to your windshield using a suction cup.

The Arkon Slim Grip Ultra Travel Mount is an excellent inexpensive entry.  The cradle opens to over seven-inches which is easily large enough to hold your phone with or without a case.  This mount includes a cradle with a spring loaded feature and legs which can be moved from side to side to leave any port on your phone exposed to run cables.  It include a mount that can be adjusted at the base and the cradle.  The phone can swivel 360 degrees.  A really nice feature is that an adhesive dash disk is included to turn your windshield mount into a  dash mount.  This is nice for states that may not permit mounting to a windshield.  We wrote a detailed article on this topic which can be read here.

Another great place for your Nexus 6 is the air vent.  Thinking a little out of the box, consider the Square Jellyfish Jelly-Grip Car Air Vent Mount.  It’s the mount in the photo.  The Square Jellyfish Jelly-Grip mount can be used to hold most phone models with or without a case or skin.  It has a ball and socket so the cradle so has the capability to be oriented downwards towards the driver versus the roof.  This mount will work on flat vent slats that are 3/8 to 1 inch deep.  The included cradle opens to 3 5/8 inches which is large enough for this phone.

For motorcycle use, it’s important that you select a mount that has a well constructed cradle that is going to hold your Nexus 6 very tightly so that it stays put through the vibration of a ride.  We continue to be big fans of the RAM X-Grip line.  These are heavy-duty mounts that are mostly constructed of metal.  The mount has gone through some rigorous shake tests and holds up well on a motorcycle.  We wrote about X-Grips extensively on this site and you can view that article here.  Most motorcycles can use the RAM X-Grip Handlebar Mount.  Both of these mounts feature the expandable X-Grip IV cradle which can open to 4.5 inches which is large enough for most cases.  We always recommend tethering your device for added security.