iPhone anti-glare case (or alternative ideas)

[emptysea]

I use my iPhone X and an app called Scenic to navigate my planned routes and to track my routes, planned or otherwise. I have it mounted on a Ram mount which really works perfectly for me.

I use a waterproof case from OTBBA which I got from Amazon. It works great in general (very waterproof/very shock resistant - I have first-hand testimonials for both), but I'm getting glare on the screen that makes it difficult to read. Yes, I have adjusted the mount to keep it as much out of the sun as possible, but that doesn't help. Yes, I've changed the brightness control on my iPhone (I've tried both the True-tone and manual options)--I feel like it's probably bright enough without the case, but I haven't experimented with that yet. Yes, I know that iPhone screens can dim when the device gets hot, but the dimness/glare thing happens even in the winter. I think that the screen on the case is causing the glare or maybe is filtering the light in a manner that causes the iPhone to dim.

My question to you who use their phone for navigation is this: Do you have a waterproof case and, if so, do you have problems with glare/screen dimness?

Thanks for the help.

P.S. No, I don't want to use a paper map or buy a Garmin, but thank you.

 

[Gone in 60]

I feel your pain. I've tried different cases, and no matter what, the glare on the screen rendered looking at the phone useless enough that I stopped trying. Now, I just keep the phone in my pocket, and use a Bluetooth ear bud to get my phone-based turn-by-turn navigation.

In another post, I referenced a pair of Skull Candy earbuds, but if I'm just navigating, I also have a single earbud that fits inside the ear and leaves the other ear open. They can be had for less than ten bucks on Ebay.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

I feel your pain. I've tried different cases, and no matter what, the glare on the screen rendered looking at the phone useless enough that I stopped trying. Now, I just keep the phone in my pocket, and use a Bluetooth ear bud to get my phone-based turn-by-turn navigation.

In another post, I referenced a pair of Skull Candy earbuds, but if I'm just navigating, I also have a single earbud that fits inside the ear and leaves the other ear open. They can be had for less than ten bucks on Ebay.

Glare is an issue, yes. I still use from time-to-time, but I am considering the same use case of Gin60. The only problem I foresee with the BT use case is when the GPS app asks a question. I would need to interact with it in a reliable way (e.g. clear voice or touch screen).

 

[emptysea]

GoneIn60 has a viable option, but I'm only just barely weened off of maps and notes taped to my tank. I think I want to be able to see the screen so I can see the lay of the land. As to the earbuds, I might try the Skull Candy ones, but I'm looking for a non-Bluetooth noise-cancelling ear bud to use with my Cardo PackTalk Bluetooth communication devices...oh, yeah, and I'm looking for Cardo PackTalk Bluetooth communication devices, too. LOL

 

[KiowaEagle_imp]

EmptySea, how do you like that Scenic app? It has a curvy roads option that I'd like to try but they want you to subscribe to use it.

 

[Gone in 60]

Gold and Empty, I get what you're saying. This might help, might not, but here's what I do. I use both Google Maps and Waze.

Google Maps is my stripped-down mapping. Suggestions for re-routes are turned off, so there's no two-way communication - I just listen to where I'm supposed to turn, and I'm not worried about having to talk back to my phone or distractions. Also, I like the lay of the land as well. Before I leave for somewhere I've never been, I'll look at the route overview on my phone (just like looking at a paper map), so that I know what my estimated travel time and arrival time will be (good for client visits, as I can say "I'm on a motorcycle, so I can't communicate en-route, but I'll be at your office at about 3:15). Also, I can make a mental picture of the overview, so I can anticipate where I'm going to be turning: ie - about three miles up, right, four miles, left, etc. That way, I'm ready when the voice tells me I've got a turn coming up. Easy Peasy.

If I'm in my car, I'm typically travelling somewhere far or with my wife, and I'll use Waze, with all the bells and whistles turned on. My head might not be on as much of a swivel in the car, so getting "hey, cop up ahead" warnings are nice, and if it says "hey, I found a quicker route, tap to take it", my wife or I can tap on it. As with Google Maps, Waze gives a good route overview before you start, so you get the overall "looking at a map" effect.

 

[emptysea]

EmptySea, how do you like that Scenic app? It has a curvy roads option that I'd like to try but they want you to subscribe to use it.

I love the scenic app. There's a bit of a learning curve, but not nearly as steep as the one to convert Google routes to other apps. I usually just leave the routing options on "efficient" because setting it on "curvy" around Chicago just takes me down alleys and such. LOL. Instead, I usually plot the route on Google Maps and export it to Scenic. Then there's a few minutes of fiddling with their "via points" in the app to make sure it copied over correctly. Once that's done, I save it and it's good to go.

I subscribe and purchased some offline maps which helps a lot and is worth the money to me based on how much and where I ride.

I believe that RoadRunner has a very similar app that they just introduced. I'm tempted to check it out because it includes digital "Shamrock Tour" routes, but my wife is growing tired of my ever-increasing motorcycle expenses.
So, in an odd coincidence, I saw a video today of a kid flying a drone from his iphone. the phone had a sunscreen/hood around it. I'm thinking that maybe that could be the solution I need for the bike. I'd probably have to fabricate or modify something to fit my X-mount, though.

 

[Gone in 60]

Give it a try, Empty, but I've tried a shade. My last job made a unique product - a digital dash display for racing go karts using a cell phone. We thought a hood around the phone would be good for shading glare. However, since a motorcycle, like a go kart moves around relative to the sun, we found the hood pretty much useless. The guy looking at a hooded screen to fly a drone is in one position staring at the phone and doesn't move around relative to the sun.

 

[emptysea]

Good points, 60. My brother likes to tinker with his welding torch and such and this will keep him busy. LOL

 

[Cormanus]

MTC, there are always moments the sun beats you, but I’ve been using a Topeak weatherproof ridecase with reasonable success. If the sun’s hitting directly it’s not visible without shading it. Only problem is I can’t see they make one for the iPhone X.

I used a Lifeproof case and mount for a few years. It was good too, but it wasn’t Cormanus proof and after the third one broke I changed over.

PS, on the ear bud front, there is no substitute for the Bose QC20i. Santa may need a couple of trips if you’re planning to match it to Cardo gear, but an inexpensive iTrip Clip will do stand in service.