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I've been searching for a clean and user friendly mounting + charging solution for an iPhone for a very long time.
To make what I've described below work, you must have an iPhone 12 series phone because they include the MagSafe charging feature.
I took a Modifry mount, affixed a MagSafe charger using double-sided acrylic mounting tape, and connected the charger to a 2.4A USB port that I installed under the dash with a fused connection to the accessory fuse box port. Even on some rough roads, my iPhone 12 Pro stays put. However, I have yet hit one of those lovely super-jarring moments on a rough road which may or may not dislodge the phone. Since the iPhone 12 Max is a bigger and heavier phone, it may not do as well at staying put as an iPhone 12 or 12 Pro.
I tried a number of MagSafe chargers from Amazon until I found one that had the strongest magnets. I found many of the MagSafe chargers lacked the perpendicular magnet which is part of the Apple MagSafe published specification. This additional magnet helps to create a better bond and even more importantly to stops the phone from rotating when affixed horizontally. I use my phone in an Apple MagSafe clear case, but the phone can be attached on its own without a case if you like to go unprotected.
The install looks really clean IMO. The phone appears to almost float on its own when viewed from the driver's position. It's within close reach and is mounted high enough to allow me to keep my eyes on the road. Best of all, there is no fumbling with a mechanical mount or the need to ever plug in a cable to charge the battery.
For those who are interested, here are the parts I used to piece it all together with the Modifry mount:
It took a lot of searching to find the powered USB ports I wired into the car (be sure to add a fuse). The one I used truly delivers 2.4A per port which allows the MagSafe charger to charge as quickly as it can. I've read about numerous MagSafe chargers not activating the visual charging ring indicator on an iPhone's screen due to insufficient power. This pairing of the USB power source and the charger I selected works perfectly.
I elected to use acrylic mounting tape because it typically has a strong bond and can usually be removed without destroying stuff. It's only been mounted for a week or so in the dead of winter (it's around zero degrees today where I live), so the mounting tape I used is not completely battle tested/proven just yet. Acrylic tape typically holds up well in heat and cold if the initial bond is a clean one. Always ensure your surfaces have been prepped with an alcohol wipe before affixing and then try to put extended continuous pressure on the affixed item for a few minutes (or preferably use a clamp for a few hours).
I had the same idea but was lacking the knowledge for execution! It looks brilliant and thank you for doing all that research into the ideal parts.
As a noob to the wiring part, please could you help me re how to wire the module into the car or point me in the right direction so I can read up on it?
Do you think the official Apple Magsafe charger would work sufficiently with this setup if I were to have the phone mounted vertically? I use iTunes/Spotify in the car and those apps don't support horizontal rotation, so probably best have the phone vertically for ease of use across maps and music. The USB-C cable from the Apple Charger (3ft) could be positioned to run along the edge of the cluster in the same way.
I’ve done a very similar thing, except using the genuine Apple MagSafe charger, and no problem with the phone vertical. Genuine Apple leather case on the phone if that helps! I wired mine directly to the HU wiring, but I have no HU so was easy.
Good luck!
Even though the phone in my pictures is shown in the horizontal position, I can also place it the the vertical position. Today when driving around I decided to attach my iPhone to the mount in a diagonal position to see how it held. It stayed put just fine. The magnetic strength was much better than I had guessed it would be. I suspect the Apple MagSafe charge has great magnets and therefore would do well.
To help you with the wiring, take a look at these links which show how to hard wire a radar detector. I used the first link to the PDF years ago to hardwire in my radar detector. I also found the video tonight which looks helpful as well. All you will care about is making the connection to the fuse box. This is how powered accessories are often wired into the car. Always use an inline fuse for your power source.
Modifry + iPhone MagSafe Charger / Mount
