Mobile phone mount and charging process

[JohnHeagney]

On the subject of mobile phones, I posted this in another thread but think that it justifies its own thread.

it is a shame that Ineos Automotive having created a masterpiece with the Grenadier but they haven‘t designed in a location to store your phone when driving and allow it to be on charge - especially considering 99% of us never leave home without a phone!

There are USB’s in the storage box between the front seats so power available from there but a phone slides around unless secured into a cradle and that also means trailing wires.

Has anyone found a decent solution to this quandary?

This Forum is full of people with good ideas so I look forward to seeing the responses!

Thanks in anticipation!

 

[Pat-Ard]

Hi @JohnHeagney ,

I set my bets on Brodit - http://www.brodit.de/
Have those mounts in my VW T4, my Audi, in my daughter´s Mini Clubman etc.
The mounts are well designed and Brodit will find a solution…

 

[Arkaig]

+1 for Brodit

 

[CS Dunes and Snow]

Hello everyone, I've been using "SP Connect" for years - because it gives me one system for all my applications. My vehicles: 3 G-Class (1983 - 2014), Mercedes CLK Cabrio, BMW R 1250 Adventure, mountain bike, street bike, hiking and office. This is super quality - not cheap - but reliable and not as big as RAM mounts. https://sp-connect.de German English French, .. And the wait for the new grenadier is long. I've been following the story for years. 1. Reservation 10.2021, ordered 19.09.2022, contract signed 03.03.2023. We're all holding out!

 

[Hannes01]

On the subject of mobile phones, I posted this in another thread but think that it justifies its own thread.

it is a shame that Ineos Automotive having created a masterpiece with the Grenadier but they haven‘t designed in a location to store your phone when driving and allow it to be on charge - especially considering 99% of us never leave home without a phone!

There are USB’s in the storage box between the front seats so power available from there but a phone slides around unless secured into a cradle and that also means trailing wires.

Has anyone found a decent solution to this quandary?

This Forum is full of people with good ideas so I look forward to seeing the responses!

Thanks in anticipation!

it is therefore more of a pity that no navigation system is installed, the customer is reliant for a mobile phone application and there is no installation + power connection available.
For example. a rammount head with usb connector nearby

 

[DaveB]

it is therefore more of a pity that no navigation system is installed, the customer is reliant for a mobile phone application and there is no installation + power connection available.
For example. a rammount head with usb connector nearby

I think the problem is that globally all different types of phones are being used.
Not everyone has a phone with inductive charging, some people will permanently install a mount that has charger built in.
Some will just leave their phone in a pocket and charge it at night.
My cars built in nav maps are so far out of date they are pretty useless and the manufacturer stopped doing updates years ago.

 

[Jean Mercier]

I don't need an "installed navigation" system, because you have to update it regularly. (I saw that @DaveB made a comment on this while I was preparing my post! ); I really loved the Idea of Ineos. Your maps are always updated on your cell phone!
But indeed, I would have liked a decent phone holder and power points close to the dashboard, even if the connection between my phone and the info screen is OK. In that case, if I weren't using it, my wife could use it.

I don't understand why they did put the connection points in the central storage box, and NONE somewhere on the dashboard.
You can't even visualize decently the connectors in the box, you have to feel them, unless you put a cable in it and never remove it!

Indeed a missed opportunity, and cheap solution, not very complicated to find a neat solution!

 

[JohnHeagney]

I don't need an "installed navigation" system, because you have to update it regularly. (I saw that @DaveB made a comment on this while I was preparing my post! ); I really loved the Idea of Ineos. Your maps are always updated on your cell phone!
But indeed, I would have liked a decent phone holder and power points close to the dashboard, even if the connection between my phone and the info screen is OK. In that case, if I weren't using it, my wife could use it.

I don't understand why they did put the connection points in the central storage box, and NONE somewhere on the dashboard.
You can't even visualize decently the connectors in the box, you have to feel them, unless you put a cable in it and never remove it!

Indeed a missed opportunity, and cheap solution, not very complicated to find a neat solution!

Jean, I fully agree and also reckon that Apple Carplay is excellent!

 

[Krabby]

it is therefore more of a pity that no navigation system is installed, the customer is reliant for a mobile phone application and there is no installation + power connection available.
For example. a rammount head with usb connector nearby

Exactly. If the theory was ”since people all have phones, have them Use them,” they should have designed a holder for the truck.

 

[Wile E Coyote]

I maybe in the minority here but I think phones and driving should be well seperated. I think the design is good, plug your phone into the storage box and shut it - out of the way. You can use the interface for everything you need on your phone. No need to touch it!

 

[Wayneos]

I think the problem is that globally all different types of phones are being used.
Not everyone has a phone with inductive charging, some people will permanently install a mount that has charger built in.
Some will just leave their phone in a pocket and charge it at night.
My cars built in nav maps are so far out of date they are pretty useless and the manufacturer stopped doing updates years ago.

The maps in my BMW have become a historical document!

 

[AnD3rew]

The maps in my BMW have become a historical document!

Same for my Jag, to update it you need to pay a couple of hundred bucks to have a CD mailed to you and then spend and hour waiting for it to load and even when it is loaded it is already out of date. But lack of power on the dash or centre console is probably the biggest miss in my opinion. That would have have taken virtually no effort and minimal extra cost and would have made a world of difference to convenience. Easily solved, I will add USB power outlets but really shouldn’t have to

 

[Wayneos]

Same for my Jag, to update it you need to pay a couple of hundred bucks to have a CD mailed to you and then spend and hour waiting for it to load and even when it is loaded it is already out of date. But lack of power on the dash or centre console is probably the biggest miss in my opinion. That would have have taken virtually no effort and minimal extra cost and would have made a world of difference to convenience. Easily solved, I will add USB power outlets but really shouldn’t have to

Agreed, I really don't understand that aspect of the car. There should have been at least two standard USB and two USB-C ports dead centre.
For those without heated seats, there are two clear spots on the facia to add USB ports if they want.

 

[emax]

Maybe I missed something, but I think it's about a non-problem.

Any Android or Apple smartphone can be connected to the grenadier via bluetooth, I thought.

And I'm not sure sure about it, but in the box between the frontseats is a usb connector where I can charge my smartphone. So if I'm not mistaken, I don't see a problem at all. The entire telephone handling and address book should be accessible then over the center display.

But I might be wrong, as I do not yert have my car.

 

[AnD3rew]

Maybe I missed something, but I think it's about a non-problem.

Any Android or Apple smartphone can be connected to the grenadier via bluetooth, I thought.

And I'm not sure sure about it, but in the box between the frontseats is a usb connector where I can charge my smartphone. So if I'm not mistaken, I don't see a problem at all. The entire telephone handling and address book should be accessible then over the center display.

But I might be wrong, as I do not yert have my car.

Yes that is where they are. But many of us will want additional things. For example I use HEMA offroad maps, they are not Carplay compatible and the maps take a lot of memory even if they were so I use an iPad mounted in the dash or you can buy a dedicated HEMA device but they need power. Many will want things like dashcams, head up displays etc, all of which need power. And some people like other phone apps running that don’t use carplay things like GPS speedo apps, and additional bluetooth diagnostics from an OBD2 plug and so want their phone mounted on the dash. Some with campers and caravans have reverse cameras that require a phone app or additional monitor on the dash

 

[DenisM]

Agreed, I really don't understand that aspect of the car. There should have been at least two standard USB and two USB-C ports dead centre.
For those without heated seats, there are two clear spots on the facia to add USB ports if they want.

I agree that for those in warmer climes for whom heated seats are not required, the switch location is an ideal position for a couple of USB outlets... powered by the 10A footwell outlets.

BTW...anyone with a Gren. already ...can you please hunt around under the floor mats or between the centre transmission tunnel covering and the floor covering to see whether there is a Deutsch socket hidden there?? Put the rest of use out of our misery wondering as to where the fabled 10A outlets are located...

 

[MarkH]

Any Android or Apple smartphone can be connected to the grenadier via bluetooth, I thought.

Android can be connected via BT for phone calls but a cable is needed to utilise Android Auto. I imagine this would be using one of the USB points in the stowage box. This is not the case with iPhones, it's all done wirelessly.

 

[MarkH]

A couple of surface mount USB sockets hidden up out of the way either side of the transmisson tunnel might be a good solution. Power can be sourced from the deutsch plugs, if they exist, or from behind the fuse panel in the dash. Device charging cables can be run up to the dash and mostly hidden, especially when a dashmat becomes available. Using the heated seat blanks would mean cables hanging out of the centre stack.

 

[DaveB]

I don't need an "installed navigation" system, because you have to update it regularly. (I saw that @DaveB made a comment on this while I was preparing my post! ); I really loved the Idea of Ineos. Your maps are always updated on your cell phone!
But indeed, I would have liked a decent phone holder and power points close to the dashboard, even if the connection between my phone and the info screen is OK. In that case, if I weren't using it, my wife could use it.

I don't understand why they did put the connection points in the central storage box, and NONE somewhere on the dashboard.
You can't even visualize decently the connectors in the box, you have to feel them, unless you put a cable in it and never remove it!

Indeed a missed opportunity, and cheap solution, not very complicated to find a neat solution!

I seem to recall early mention that there was going to be a USB outlet behind the central display
No idea what happened to it

 

[DaveB]

Yes that is where they are. But many of us will want additional things. For example I use HEMA offroad maps, they are not Carplay compatible and the maps take a lot of memory even if they were so I use an iPad mounted in the dash or you can buy a dedicated HEMA device but they need power. Many will want things like dashcams, head up displays etc, all of which need power. And some people like other phone apps running that don’t use carplay things like GPS speedo apps, and additional bluetooth diagnostics from an OBD2 plug and so want their phone mounted on the dash. Some with campers and caravans have reverse cameras that require a phone app or additional monitor on the dash

There is a 10 amp outlet in each of the footwells.
Just use them to provide power wherever you need it.