iPhone 4 and TomTom Car Kit brought together with velcro
By Donald Melanson 
posted June 25th 2010 2:40PM
posted June 25th 2010 2:40PM
Disappointed to find out that your brand new iPhone 4 won't work with the TomTom Car Kit for iPhone you paid $100 for? Well, it looks like there's a surprisingly simple fix: velcro. As tipster Ben Peacock has informed us, all you have to do is cut a small strip of velcro (the soft side) and apply it to the bottom part of the kit behind the dock (it's not necessary to apply it to the phone itself). Once that's done, the iPhone 4 will dock properly, and function just as before complete with charging and Bluetooth support. Head on past the break to check out the fix on video.
[Thanks, Ben]
[Thanks, Ben]
now you don't have to hold it. The lord shall be pleased.
http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/4434/charltonheston2.jpg
@Herman Melville
Nice one :)
@Herman Melville Was this shot with his iPhone 4? Pretty good for a cell phone, really good actually, looks like a crappy hd video cam, or really good standard cam
@Herman Melville
Introducing... The iCut-in-half-velcro, £29.99.
@pple
Keep the memes coming! So funny but true!
Wait someone bought this?
Wow. Now you dont need to hold it in your left or right hand to interfere with reception. Its just the way ol' Steve wanted it. Hands free.. Now about that velcro......
I hate that resolution of video, who wants to watch that?
@oldpass56 I made the video and I agree. I uploaded it via 3G OTA, so it was not HD quality. I didn't know. I should have connected via iTunes and uploaded the high quality video.
now how do i hang up?
Engadget writers, why are you always so amazed and stupified by people taping an iProduct to something?
"OH MY GOD YOU USED TAPE!!! WHY DIDNT WE THINK OF THIS?! Greatest DIY evAR!"
@satn
Stop complaining.
If you don't like their reporting site, find another awesome tech blog to read.
@satn You're holding your emotions the wrong way. -Steve Jobs
Yay I guess.
I was using this kit with Navigon on my old iphone 3G. Worked great. Glad I don't have to sell it to get a replacement for iphone 4.
@durian: Same setup with me. I just got my iPhone 4 yesterday and am going on a business trip next week where I'll need the navi. I didn't even know this was a problem until I saw this post! Thanks, Engadget!
Now you ain't got to touch nothing at all, nothing at all, nothing at all!
Is this really worthy of a post?
@therodt
Is it really worth a comment?
FYI.. The Magellan kit works fine with the iPhone 4
@CaldwellOne Specifically why I bought the Magellan over the TomTom kit, better futureproofing.
One more joke about holding the iPhone here.
And here. And here.
This is newsworthy!
Velcro fixes everything.
It's the duck tape of 21st century.
@Ben64
YO, Dawg, I duct taped a dawg to your Dawg, with some velcro, so you can have velcro and Duct tape with yo Dawg, Dawg.
classy and practical.
Not that this isn't a particularly informative post, but you gotta ask yourself will Engadget report on any accessory, app and video that's made for the iPhone 4?
Hi I am new to iengadget, its pretty cool, but does it deal with non-apple topics?
It would be great to see tech stories beyond reports of steve jobs and
and what colors an iphone comes in.
screw that woot! radar detector... mine doesnt power on anymore!
confused - TomTom car kit seemed to fit and work just fine for my iPhone 4 with no modification.
This is a nice fix but the video sucks. It doesn't actually show the problem. Or the fix working. This guy should have used a mirror and the front camera.
@emax There is a link to an updated video with the fix working now on the video. It doesn't show the initial problem though.
@DeuX wrong. this was designed for iPhone 3G/3GS. iPhone 4 is a new design.
@luckylukz99 Oh, my bad then. Thank you for the update.
G-H-E-T-T-O !!!!
Cool, it works. I needed 2 layers though.
Velcro truly is an amazing invention.
Velcro was invented when a Swedish (?) guy noticed that sand spurs clung to his trousers. Excuse my English, I'm from the Southern US~
not sure if that velcro is magical enough to hold the iPhone
Geez, rubber (bumpers), tape (cracking glass), glue (scratches) and now velcro?
iphone 4: some assembly required?
@DeuX wrong. this was designed for iPhone 3G/3GS. iPhone 4 is a new design.
@luckylukz99: wrong. the iPhone 4 was designed to rip yet more out of your bank account by forcing you to re-buy all of your accessories.
Luckily, these antics will be a thing of the past Real Soon, people will be digging for spare parts at the local landfill while legislators pass bills to forbid 'redesign' customer lock-in.
There just aren't enough habitable planets to go 'round wasting precious resources unleashing wave after wave of incompatible gadgets onto an increasingly concerned population.
This video is much better it shows iphone4 working with the tomtom kit after modding it..Shot with iphone4 then 3gs you can tell but it works..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riP4s8ExIjA
I posted a longer video showing a similar fix with a piece of foam rubber from a craft store:
http://youtu.be/t_KA7INIP68?hd=1
Just did it, and it worked like a charm. Good stuff.
Honestly, TomTom designed the thing horribly. It's hard to get the phone in and out, and I'm so worried about the clip at the top damaging the phone. Magellan and Navigon both have designs that look far better for the phone and able to accept a case or skin on the phone, too (though I don't know if either of them ever launched or works well or has the features of the TomTom - I'm just commenting on the design of the way the phone goes into the dock).
Just tried it...works great! Thanks engadget (and Ben!)