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

[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

[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

[srbsq7]

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