New Car Technology, The Skoda Phonebox

Published Date: 22nd Feb 2016

 

• SKODA expands their range of modern infotainment devices
• Phonebox charges your Smartphone using the Qi wireless standard
• Technology featured in SKODA Octavia and SKODA Superb from spring 2016

The Skoda brand is expanding their range of the latest infotainment technology. From April 2016, customers purchasing a new Superb or Octavia can add in the option to have a Phonebox with wireless charging. This modern way of charging your device inductively according to the Qi standard is used by many mobile phone manufacturers in their latest handsets.  

This comes as an upgrade to the previous Phonebox option currently available on the Superb and Octavia but without the wireless charging. The Phonebox uses NFC (Near Field Communication) to utilise the cars antenna to increase the voice and signal quality transmitted.

The Qi standard of wireless charging recognises a device before inductively charging passing current through a coil in the Phonebox to the coil in the compatible phone, so none of your loose change will be supercharged instead.

Skoda are set to show off the features on their new cars at the Geneva Motor Show soon. Many smartphones by Google, Blackberry, LG, Nokia, Microsoft, Samsung and Sony already feature Qi technology. Other devices, such as the iPhone can be charged wirelessly using specially designed cases.