Inbay QI charger for Octavia - a quick review

[Danbury_Collins]

I've finally got round to fitting this:

 

https://www.maxxcount.de/inbay-qi-smartphone-ablagefach-fuer-skoda-octavia-5e-ab-2013.html

 

.. and I am very happy with it, so thought I would share my views.

 

The idea of being able to wirelessly charge my phone was appealing and I was surprised to find that this unit was available to retrofit.

 

Fitting is pretty easy - it took me perhaps 30 mins, but as always with this sort of job, doing a second fit would probably take 10-15 mins. You need access to the fuse box  for an ignition-switched fuse - 48 in my LHD model.

Also, you remove the plastic panels to either side of the tunnel - a single torx screw on each side, the panels can then be dropped to gain the access. The rubber insert in the phonebox comes out, followed by the panel for the transmission - 3 cables  need to be disconnected and the panel gently levered out.

 

Then the old phonebox can come out. the base of this snaps off, and the new base with the QI charging coil snaps neatly back on it. There's an extra cable to run from the fuse box to the new base on the phonebox, then re-fitting is the reverse of removal. 

 

In use, it is very simple - a red light comes on with the ignition, it turns blue when the phone is correctly placed. 

 

If you have any questions ... just let me know.

 

[gRoberts]

€99... I have a £3 Amazon base that can be stuck under the existing box?

[SashaGrace]

Any pictures of the install out of interest?

[silverden]

Found this on youtube, might be of interest 

 

[Wangarai]

This looks great, just nipp3d out to the car to check if my Samsung Note 8 will fit - it's too big :( 

I'll just have to make do with the usb cable. 

[Danbury_Collins]

That video is exactly* how it happened. ;-)

 

 

* OK, there was a lot more fiddling and trying to use only as much force as was really needed when I did it.

[Petunet]

It looks like there's no antenna connector on the Inbay QI charger, so it's no longer a "phonebox" with external antenna.

 

[Freedom]

19 hours ago, Wangarai said:

This looks great, just nipp3d out to the car to check if my Samsung Note 8 will fit - it's too big :( 

I'll just have to make do with the usb cable. 

 

This exact scenario. I was disappointed when I didn't order the QI and then saw the size of the bay and laughed so hard the salesman didn't know what was going on. Glad I didn't waste my money. On a side note, has anyone got a good cabling route for having the phone in the glovebox whilst plugged into the usb socket for mirror link? It's the only sensible place I can fit the phone as i can't close the lid of the arm rest if it goes in there...

[Danbury_Collins]

9 hours ago, Petunet said:

It looks like there's no antenna connector on the Inbay QI charger, so it's no longer a "phonebox" with external antenna.

 

I think you are right - there is a round connector coming from the base of the original phone box that is not connected after fitting the Inbay. Time will tell if that is an issue with phone reception, but I don't think it will be a problem on a modern phone.

[Petunet]

3 hours ago, Danbury_Collins said:

...but I don't think it will be a problem on a modern phone.

 

Depends on the area, I believe the coverage in Holland is good.

 

[apetcu22]

Hi,

 

It's a good product and fit great

[PetrolDave]

1 minute ago, apetcu22 said:

Hi,

 

It's a good product and fit great

Provided your phone is small enough to fit - my iPhone 7 Plus won't fit 

[SashaGrace]

19 hours ago, Freedom said:

 

This exact scenario. I was disappointed when I didn't order the QI and then saw the size of the bay and laughed so hard the salesman didn't know what was going on. Glad I didn't waste my money. On a side note, has anyone got a good cabling route for having the phone in the glovebox whilst plugged into the usb socket for mirror link? It's the only sensible place I can fit the phone as i can't close the lid of the arm rest if it goes in there...

Not as such, I went further and moved the USB so it runs under the trim to the centre console then filled the black with a USB charge socket

 

[Freedom]

That's a neat idea Sasha but my phone won't fit in the center console armrest.

[themanwithnoaim]

On 23/09/2018 at 19:46, Wangarai said:

This looks great, just nipp3d out to the car to check if my Samsung Note 8 will fit - it's too big :( 

I'll just have to make do with the usb cable. 

Yeah I've gotta Note 8 too, awesome phone but, big

[JohnnyType2]

On 23/09/2018 at 19:46, Wangarai said:

This looks great, just nipp3d out to the car to check if my Samsung Note 8 will fit - it's too big :( 

I'll just have to make do with the usb cable. 

 same here my S8+ and case wont fit so i went with a magnetic charger and case by xvida (www.xvida.com). There are very few cases you can actually inductively charge through without issues.

i would have loved to fit this if i'd had car play or android auto and the correct phone.

 

if your phone is too big...

https://www.xvida.com/collections/p2-charging-car-docks/products/universal-p2-wireless-charging-suction-mount-for-smartphones

Edited 25 September, 2018 by JohnnyType2

[JohnnyType2]

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1794/8027/files/POWER_2.mp4