Retro Camera
Chrome to Phone
Wordfeud
Doodle Jump
Moto DROID 2
HTC Aria
Taylor WimberlyFounder
Clark WimberlyFounder
Angie StricklandDesigner
Justin ShapcottAndroid Guru
Chris CaddellEditor
Anthony DomanicoEditor
Nick GrayContributor
Sean RileyContributor
Eric WeissContributor
Chris ChavezContributor
Update: The Nexus One Car Dock is now available for $55 at the Google phone store.
We have heard several stories over the last couple of weeks about new things appearing on the Google phone store, but each time the page is quickly returned to normal.
Today one of our readers spotted the highly anticipated official car dock listed for $55, but he was unable to order it because the item was listed as temporarily unavailable. He did manage to grab the link to the Car Dock help page so it appears this item is coming soon.
The car dock uses bluetooth to communicate with the Nexus One and automatically establishes a connection when the phone is inserted. The Car Home application is then launched with allows the user easy access to Maps and Navigation, Contacts, and Voice Search. Built-in speakers provide music playback and calls using the speakerphone.
From Google: The Nexus One Car Dock is the perfect place to put your phone when you’re in the car. In addition to holding your Nexus One, the car dock also charges your phone’s battery, lets you use your phone handsfree, and provides easier access to voice and navigation apps.
The dock’s built-in speakers and volume controls also enhance the in-car music and media experience. And the Car Home app, which loads automatically, makes it easy to access Maps and Navigation, Voice Search, Contacts, and Music.
You can mount the dock on the windshield or dashboard, and it ships with an adhesive disc that lets you attach it to a textured surface as well. The dock comes with a charger to fit into your car’s 12V utility socket, and the holder can rotate for flexible orientation.
From the car dock user's guide.
[Thank you Brett for the tip]
- Tagged
- #bits
- #n1
- #nexus one
- #nexus one car dock
- #popular
Comment RSS41 Comments
FINALLY! I’ve been waiting for the car dock for ages. They sure have been slow on releasing new accessories, but now hopefully with alternate versions for other carriers coming out things will start to pick up.
Agree, nexus one has yet again, prove itself that it’s a superphone, unlike what other’s are saying..
All I want to see now, is for it to have that 10.1 Flash capability…
This is totally turning into Flash for Android… tease after tease… I really need a new dock for my car since my lat one broke, so this can’t come out soon enough for me.
Finally! I admit, I am a bit disappointed – I would have liked to have an Aux-out, so I could connect my N1 to my car stereo.
You already have an aux out in the form of a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top of the phone. No need for on on the dock.
Not having a jack on the dock itself is lame, and having the jack on the phone is not the same thing at all. If there was a jack on the dock I could hook my car stereo up to it and leave it plugged in all the time.
With the jack on the phone I would have to connect and disconnect the cable every time I get in and out of my car. I may as well buy some POS aftermarket cradle if I’m going to have to do that.
This unfortunate bit of design cheapness has changed my mind from buying the Nexus One to not. I’ll just have to hope the HTC Desire becomes available in the US with a better-designed car dock or I may have to just go with a new iPhone.
No audio out? So I would still have to plug that in. That’s sad.
Seriously, no audio out? Why in God’s name would I want to listen to music through a tinny dock speaker when I have a perfectly good car stereo? I’d almost rather get an aftermarket dock and deal with dangling audio & power cords.
if only it had a fan or some form of cooling system to prevent the phone from becoming extremely hot while in nav… on long trips im forced to turn the screen off and go by the voice
What’s wrong with your car’s AC?
The biggest turnoff for me is the no Bluetooth headset limitation. I mean, I prefer to use my own headset due to its superior quality to the N1′s speakerphone. This kinda feels like a step back for me.
Um…I’m pretty sure you’ll still be able to use the wireless headset of your choice. That’s what the options menu is for.
The documentation states that it will not work with bluetooth headsets when docked.
Wow, that seems like a huge design flaw
Actually, the documentation says that you can use a BT headset with the dock instead of the built in speakerphone, it is an option in the settings.
The documentation didn’t say that yesterday. My downloaded copy from yesterday said you could not, the copy I downloaded today says it depends on the dock settings. Note that the help page uses the old PDF’s size (>400kb) rather than the new revision’s sixe (~250kb). Trrrricky Google.
omfg!!!! its about damn time, ive wanted this since i bought my n1
I hope the dock doesn’t interfere with my bt stereo. The desktop dock worked fine while streaming music to my pc speakers and taking calls with my bt headset, so hopefully this allows for multiple connections as well. Still can’t figure out why they wouldn’t add aux out to this… :-/
I’m wondering the same thing as I too have a bluetooth car stereo. I just ordered my car dock, should be here by Saturday. I’ll post back with the results when I get it!
Wonder if the Desire will fit it???
It just might… but it has no docking pins to actually work with the bluetooth or buttons, so it would just be a glorified phone cradle.
Seriously, a freaking suction cup, that setup won’t hold a month in the phoenix heat, seriously disappointed!
Its available now. http://www.google.com/phone
Just ordered Mine it’s live
Why couldn’t they put an FM transmitter into the base, so it goes through car speakers
Does anyone know whether this is also compatible for the htc desire?
Audio out is available through the headphone jack in the phone itself! Doh! C’mon people.
But for those of us with no audio in on our car stereo this is still a problem. There are some FM transmitters that go from the power to the micro usb port. But not sure if these will work via the dock. If it does then all is good.
Ok i think its all OK. You can get an FM transmitter which connects to the power socket and then has a micro USB for power (this will connect to the dock) and a 3.5mm plug for the audio which goes into the headphone jack on the nexus one.
I thnk this is an excellent solution!
I found this product on amazon as an example:
http://www.amazon.com/Transmitter-Charger-Google-Nexus-One/dp/B0037YERPK
It’s amazing how a small percentage of people are NEVER happy with a product.
I’m curious, for those complaining about “no audio out” on the cradle.. have you considered that the Nexus One already has an audio jack?
@Ryan I am wondering. why in god’s name you would want to listen to music while listening to directions from the navigation? Makes no sense to me.
But I guess SOMEONE is bound to no like SOMETHING whenever a product is released.
I agree with Ryan – I’ve wanted to listen to music while using the navigator. When I have 20 or 30 minute stretch with no turns … I don’t want to sit in silence and wait for the navigator’s voice. I want my music!!
I don’t want to have to connect to radio every time I get into the car. If I want to listen to music through my car speakers – I don’t bother using my docking station anymore. Not worth the trouble. Sign of a serious design flaw when I don’t want to use a product – even when I already own it!
Like the desktop dock, I’m guessing this is no good for N1s with a case.
Even with an invisible shield, my N1 wouldn’t connect to desktop dock pins. Why not throw a mini usb connector on this to automatically switch to car mode…
And the fact that a bluetooth headset won’t work while docked is pretty ridic.
I have the invisible shield on my N1 and it connects to the desktop dock through the copper pins without a problem. Either you put the shield on wrong or you are doing something wrong when you’re putting it into the dock.
On a different note – I’m pretty sure that if you decide not to pair your phone with the car dock, the blue tooth connection will remain open and you can connect your blue tooth headset. I think the documentation was saying that you can’t have the dock paired up with the phone and at the same time use the blue tooth headset.
My 2 cents.
I believe it automatically pairs when inserted. However, I’m thinking that if you go to the options for the paired device and uncheck phone and/or media as output options, it will likely work with other devices.
I may take my chance and try it. I do want to be able to continue using the phone with my Ford Sync.
Your shield must be thinner. Mine was from Ghost Armor…. And I can’t help but be slightly insulted that you’d mention I might be “doing something wrong” when using the dock haha. It’s not exactly rocket science. My shield made it just wide enough that it wouldn’t rest all the way tot he pins unless I pressed down constantly… Not he way I want to fall asleep haha.
$55 is a kind of OK, given that it charges the phone, can be mounted properly using the flexible ball joint, has a mic and a speaker. Not that I will be using the speaker.
I use the Coby CA745 Wireless FM transmitter (http://www.cobyusa.com/?p=prod&prod_num_id=192&pcat_id=4008) to blast my favorite Internet radio station to my car speakers. The good thing about this FM transmitter is that it allows you to plug in your GPS or now the car dock to the cigarette lighter and doesn’t ‘block’ the cigarette lighter for its use only.
With the car dock out, I can listen to music, use Google Maps Nav with traffic (audio off, drive with the map display) and charge at the same time.
Why Google waited 3-4 months for this dock defies any logic though.
What is really grating is having to buy from the Google store and pay another ~$40 for shipping.
I am Canadian, and just bought my phone less than 3 weeks ago.
Further, on shipments to Canada they use DHL, who are gouging for extra service fees, above and beyond the taxes due.
I want to know if it improves the hold on a 3G signal.
Not the place to ask, perhaps, but is it possible to search your music by voice search through the car dock?
I have it set as ‘searchable’ in the settings but it just jumps straight to Google results.
Any help / links would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Tal.