Audi Phone Box - seeking information

[anemeth]

I have the Audi Phone Box in my Q7 and I am not sure it is working correctly or my phone is not suitable for the phone box.

According to the owner manual the phone in the Phone Box can be effected by metal and my phone is a Samsung Galaxy A3 2015 which is fully clad in metal. When I put my phone in the Phone Box I cannot see any change in the bar graph on the phone (see attached picture what graph I am talking about).

My question to owners with Phone Box, that when you connect your phone to your car by bluetooth and you see that your phone got connected to the car (phone with the bar graph in the instrument cluster), does the bar graph shows higher signal strength when you put your phone in the Phone Box?

Thanks,

[Nemo78]

I can’t say I’ve ever looked if I’m honest - will do so next time [emoji1360]

[srbsq7]

I’m sure I tried this in the past and couldn’t see a difference. I don’t really have many signal issues anyway though.

[Nemo78]

I’ve picked up on other forums that cars fitted with phone box have all been held with deliveries cancelled due to some regulatory issue.

Have a read of some of the other VAG group forums and people en route collecting cars today told to not bother as dealers unable to release cars...

[anemeth]

I’ve picked up on other forums that cars fitted with phone box have all been held with deliveries cancelled due to some regulatory issue.

Have a read of some of the other VAG group forums and people en route collecting cars today told to not bother as dealers unable to release cars...

Interesting, can you put some link about this, I would like to check it out.

By the way, my phone box works. I remembered that the Android phone can show the signal strength in real time, thus when I put my phone to the phone box, the signal strength went up by 8db.

[srbsq7]

I can’t tell. On the iPhone when I tried earlier it was on 2 out of 4 bars and made no difference in the phone box.

Annoyingly, Apple prevented you from enabling the dB signal strength with iOS 11?! It may be a bit better but just can’t tell with the stupid 4 bars!

[Milesunder]

It’s a shame that the Bluetooth rSAP protocol never really took off. I had this in my 2012 Superb Estate and the signal was brilliant. I could go through Burrington Combe near Cheddar and when I didn’t use rSAP the signal would drop to no service about 15% into the Combe. With rSAP I could go the whole distance and still make and hold a call.

A thought it was 3G calls never dropped. It was a shame that only a few phone manufacturers supported the protocol and fewer still car manufacturers. The iPhone never supported this which was a shame.

I work in IT and the amount of sales people in our company who would come in and complain about their phones dropping calls. Trying to explain to them about rSAP and telling to use something other than a iPhone or BMW and they would look at you blankly 😐.

In regards to the phone box I have found this to be a poor substitute. Then main issue I find is that I have a iPhone 8 Plus model and it won’t fit in the tray unless I take it out of its case and I certainly can’t use the lightning connector! Normal size iPhone fits but don’t know about the X.

Either way I am unable to confirm how well it works.

[Nemo78]

Interesting, can you put some link about this, I would like to check it out.

By the way, my phone box works. I remembered that the Android phone can show the signal strength in real time, thus when I put my phone to the phone box, the signal strength went up by 8db.

Sorry yes here is a link to another thread but googling brings up a couple of reports as well

VAG Group cancels 'TECH pack' cars? | Audi-Sport.net (https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/vag-group-cancels-tech-pack-cars.372425/)

[Nemo78]

In regards to the phone box I have found this to be a poor substitute. Then main issue I find is that I have a iPhone 8 Plus model and it won’t fit in the tray unless I take it out of its case and I certainly can’t use the lightning connector! Normal size iPhone fits but don’t know about the X.

Either way I am unable to confirm how well it works.

No problems with the X [emoji1360]

[srbsq7]

Interesting. I wonder if they will disconnect mine when it goes in for the service next month?

[Milesunder]

I guess the clues will be in the terminology of the law. Clearly any new cars being sold are affected. But it depends when the rules come into effect they might have to retrospectively disable any cars previously sold.

The other question is this only applicable to new cars? So will any used cars they sale with this feature have to have it disabled?

Lastly it will be interesting to see where this goes from a compensation or replacement point of view. How many people bought the car because of the advanced phone box feature. I am certainly not jumping on this wagon but I specifically choose this option. When it came to choosing the options for my car I opted to not choose the advanced pack but opted the features separately with the exception of the HUD. This was because of budget constraints and I wanted the heated windscreen...

My car goes in tomorrow for the AC repair so I guess I will see if my car gets neutered 🤭

[srbsq7]

It will be interesting to find out. It sounds like they will have to disable on all cars if it’s illegal.

Regardless of whether you use it, I would expect some compensation else the consumer is bearing the cost of Audi’s mistake.

[muumipeikko]

I don't really understand why you would expect a penny of compensation. The reality of this situation is through no fault of Audi, the law in the UK has changed, making one of their options illegal. It could be argued that even those who ordered the phone box option who's cars have already been built but not delivered are not due any refund as Audi has fulfilled their side of the contract. And before someone quotes consumer protection/trade and standards laws... they don't protected you from loss of functional use as a result of changes in local laws.

[srbsq7]

Missed the date part. Skimmed through the first time and didn’t spot it was a very recent change.

I doubt Audi will disable then as I can’t imagine it applies to cars already sold? They wouldn’t want to take the hit for that.

[srbsq7]

My car goes in tomorrow for the AC repair so I guess I will see if my car gets neutered 🤭

Did they make any change when it went in?

[andyhud007]

That's crazy. I have phone box and definitely get a better signal with my phone in it.

I bet its just getting disabled by coding...

[andyhud007]

Just been talking to my Master Tech at my local dealer on this and they have been instructed to remove the mobile phone amp from all new cars before handing them over to the customer which means they are still shipping them from factory with the amp (as far as we can tell)

They have been told not to remove the amp from any pre-existing cars that have it installed until Audi release an official customer recall notice telling us all to go in and get it "fixed". The fix isnt to remove the amp but find a way to fix the issue at hand, unless of course the fix is actually just to disable it!

[srbsq7]

That's crazy. I have phone box and definitely get a better signal with my phone in it.

I bet its just getting disabled by coding...

I did a more scientific test with an iPhone 8 that enabled me to see the proper readings. I wonder if mine isn’t working as it’s actually a worse signal albeit only just - call it no different to be fair.

Guideline to signal strength
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180501/3ba3eae5f0009697f486d3286c651504.jpg

Reading with iPhone sitting in the cup holder mount
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180501/61318bd56bba98ffb60a5b94a325ff00.jpg

With iPhone in the phone box (at least wireless charging works!)
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180501/957859b637b5504ad76de07c80c0486b.jpg

[Nemo78]

I did a more scientific test with an iPhone 8 that enabled me to see the proper readings. I wonder if mine isn’t working as it’s actually a worse signal albeit only just - call it no different to be fair.

Guideline to signal strength
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180501/3ba3eae5f0009697f486d3286c651504.jpg

Reading with iPhone sitting in the cup holder mount
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180501/61318bd56bba98ffb60a5b94a325ff00.jpg

With iPhone in the phone box (at least wireless charging works!)
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180501/957859b637b5504ad76de07c80c0486b.jpg

How did you get the above screens?

[srbsq7]

How did you get the above screens?

Enter this as a phone number and hit dial:
*3001#12345#*

[wardienet]

Enter this as a phone number and hit dial:
*3001#12345#*
I've not tried it but apparently you can change the phone to have this displayed all the time...
"To do this, you'll need to enter the first of our secret iPhone codes *3001#12345#* into your handset's dialer and press call. This will launch the phone's Field Mode, a secret set of menus usually reserved for developers. While here, try holding your phone's power button until the "slide to power off" option pops up. Now hold your handset's home button until you see the home screen make a reappearance and goggle in wonder as your signal is now displayed as a number."
​5 secret codes that unlock hidden iPhone features, from call blocking to signal boosting (http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/smartphones/feature/a799469/5-secret-codes-that-unlock-hidden-iphone-features-from-call-blocking-to-signal-boosting/)

[srbsq7]

Doesn’t work anymore unfortunately. I had this enabled for years and then they decided to block it in ios11??

The pictures I showed only work with newer iPhones with Intel chips and no where near as convenient. On my 6S Plus, I’m stuffed [emoji853]