Where do you put the phone?

[phil0909]

I use Android Auto for navigation, so need to plug in my phone to one of the car's USB ports. I've tried leaving the cabled phone on the passenger seat or stuffing it headfirst into the wireless charging slot.

Is there a better way? I think ideal would be a built-in USB cradle you could just drop your phone into to get the data connection and high-power charging, USB Type C in my case. That would have been much more useful than the wireless charge slot that won't work with Android Auto, charges slowly, and for many phones (those without wireless charge capability) doesn't charge at all.

Any ideas?

 

[flamaest]

I snake a right-angle USB cable into the armrest storage area and velcro my phone inside the deep armrest pocket.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/262523664075


I think it's kind of stupid that GM did not include at least one USB port inside of the armrest storage area, as many other cars have this as standard.

 

[Pigwich]

I put mine in the cup holder.......but I also don't drink coffee in the car. The phone cradle is mostly useless I think, especially since you can only connect to the head unit for projection over USB...which charges your phone anyway. Has anybody actually even used the Qi charger? It doesn't work with my phone... Plus, unless you have that right angle connector, odds are the elbow rest will clip off the USB cable.

The only problem with using the cup holder is that the phone can (and did) launch off in to the passenger foot well when a squirrel runs in front of your car.

 

[dan2112]

I put mine in the cup holder.......but I also don't drink coffee in the car. The phone cradle is mostly useless I think, especially since you can only connect to the head unit for projection over USB...which charges your phone anyway. Has anybody actually even used the Qi charger? It doesn't work with my phone... Plus, unless you have that right angle connector, odds are the elbow rest will clip off the USB cable.

The only problem with using the cup holder is that the phone can (and did) launch off in to the passenger foot well when a squirrel runs in front of your car.

I have the same issue. I started another thread asking about vent clip recommendations.

 

[scknogas]

As I posted in the other thread...

What I did was take the 3D printed iphone cupholder dock that I used in my Chevy Spark EV and install that in my right cup holder in my Bolt and ran the USB cable loosely along the side.

 

[bbock]

I know the wireless charging slot is worthless for the iPhone. But I wonder if it could be repurposed. Right now it’s too narrow to fit my iPhone 6 Plus or iPhone 7 Plus. But if you pull out the rubber insert, it slides in with a case. But it’s then an unfinished hole which isn’t desired. What I wish Chevy, or some accessory maker, or some clever guy or gal with a 3D printer would do is create a thin sleeve that will snap into that space to hold other phones. I’m biased to iPhones, so I’d like it to fit my phone in its thin case. Ideally it would have notch that would hold a thunderbolt or maybe a magnetic connector so you could just slide your phone in and charge it and connect it to CarPlay. Then the wire would feed up and out the top in another notch that would direct the cable toward the USB port.

C’mon, GM. You built a car that works pretty great with the iPhone. Why not give us the ability to swap out the charge cup for one that works with the iPhone? Please! :idea:

 

[dandrewk]

Note - very strong, consistent rumors pointing towards the next iPhone supporting wireless charging. It's not known if this includes the PMA or Qi protocols, or if they are developing their own. There is a good possibility of over the air charging in the future. It's not known if any of these will support CarPlay connection, or if they will be charge only.

In either case, nothing to be done for phablet support. Maybe MY2018.

 

[bbock]

You can get a case for existing iPhones, but the Plus models aren’t supported by Chevy in the charge slot because they are supposedly too big. Seems like a design oversight to me. I don’t care that much about the wireless charging. i just want to use the darned slot and can’t because they added these protrusions in the rubber insert which keep you from sticking a phone with a case into it.

 

[SeanNelson]

Note - very strong, consistent rumors pointing towards the next iPhone supporting wireless charging. It's not known if this includes the PMA or Qi protocols, or if they are developing their own.

It's Apple - when have they ever followed anyone else's charging standard?

 

[devbolt]

You can get a case for existing iPhones, but the Plus models aren’t supported by Chevy in the charge slot because they are supposedly too big. Seems like a design oversight to me. I don’t care that much about the wireless charging. i just want to use the darned slot and can’t because they added these protrusions in the rubber insert which keep you from sticking a phone with a case into it.

I have a 6S in an Otterbox Commuter wallet case. Even with the rubber insert in the slot, I could get the phone to fit in there, but it was a bit tight. Removing the insert did help, however. So now the rubber insert lives in the center console/armrest.

 

[user 1034]

You can just stick it in the top tray of the center console. There is a wire trough so you can close the armrest without pinching the wires. I prefer it there anyway since it is not visible when I leave the car (and am not bringing the phone).

I may mod a USB hub in there later to feed the rear seats and inside the console later, maybe after the warranty period...

 

[scooter123]

I am a LYFT /UBER drive and HERE is the **BEST** place for the phone.

[email protected]

Here is that holder. It sticks to anything.
I have tried all the other options and nothing is better or more out of the way

http://a.co/0jA5vfa

 

[SmokingRubber]

I am a LYFT /UBER drive and HERE is the **BEST** place for the phone.

[email protected]

Here is that holder. It sticks to anything.
I have tried all the other options and nothing is better or more out of the way

http://a.co/0jA5vfa

I think I'm going to buy that, rip the head off and 3d print a piece to conform that to the dash somewhere. Where would it look the best? I'm thinking just to the right of the screen.

 

[ArthurL]

Guess I’m lucky because I’ve still got my iPhone 6. It fits top down into wireless charging port. I have the cable going from charge port into arrest holder, little zip tie to clean it up inside the armrest then back out the same notch (fits both in and out without crimping) with about 6 inches of cable to spare. Nice and neat, constant charge available. Not once in 7 months has it gotten in the way.

 

[Anonymous]

I use the Sygic navigation on Android. It makes journey a lot more easier.

 

[Lin19687]

My phone doesn't fit in holder either. Unless you have a 2 inch wide phone it is a STUPID hole !
I have long USB cord and just rap it around the stick, lay phone on console over holder hole.
I use holder hole for coins with the rubber.

I do sometimes put it in the console with cord through the indent but then I forget the phone is here :evil:

There really is no good place to put it. Can't stick it to the windshield as it blocks view.

 

[SmokingRubber]

I'm going to get a magnetic phone pad, similar to this:

Then remove it from it's pivot mount and attach it to the dash with Sugru.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=oKXttsDXs-A

Or, buy this and probably mount it with Sugru.
https://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Phone-Mount-Stick-Installation/dp/B073K1ZNRF/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1510857316&sr=8-15&keywords=magnetic+phone+mount

 

[Lin19687]

That Sugru is cool ! TY

 

[SeanNelson]

My Samsung Galaxy S7 in an Otter Commuter rubber-lined case fits into the slot. It's tight, but it fits.

I was dubious about whether or not I'd be able to put up with having to connect and disconnect my phone all the time, but I found a nice 10cm-long USB cable that is exactly the right length and it's actually quite easy to shove the phone into the slot and then plug the cable into it - so I've now become an Android Auto fan and have pretty much ditched my plans to come up with a GPS mount for my Garmin. I might still pursue that project later so that I have NAV if I go on any road trips outside cell range (easy to do here in BC), but for now I'm super happy with Google maps.