Am I the only one that loves not having a Key Fob?

[Brisket5652]

The only problem with the phone is that if your battery dies then you are locked out of your car, for example if you are away from home or a place to charge. This means that I now have to carry a card and a phone just in case. Then I thought when I leave my car then I'll just take the card with me and leave the phone but the doors don't lock with the phone left in the car unless I turn off Bluetooth which is a pain to do that all the time.

Unfortunately the fob sucks too. No summon, no passive entry. Very featureless.

It hasnt happened to me yet, but 1) I would just call my wife and ask her to remote unlock, get in the car and immediately charge the phone - as soon as it powers up it the car will drive. 2) I almost always have a phone charger with me in my daily-carry bag so I'm almost never out of juice.

 

[Knightshade]

The only problem with the phone is that if your battery dies then you are locked out of your car, for example if you are away from home or a place to charge.

If only someone with a Tesla had a place they could charge their phone.

 

[kaffine]

The only issue I have is now I have to take my phone everywhere. I used to leave it at home frequently but with the other abilities the phone gives me more than makes up for it. I can always set my phone to silent if I don't want calls.

Only once have I had the battery on my phone die while I was out. Not an issue as I have the key card with me. Actually the key card is great for me as they are cheap enough to have a few spares so I can leave one at work, one on me and one at home.

 

[e-FTW]

One of the many things I love of the Model 3 is that I don't have to carry a key fob for it. My cell already goes with me everywhere I go, one less thing in my pockets is almost liberating!

Same. I love it!

But I am wary of using Summon with a phone. The round trip over the Internet cannot be as immediate to stop the car quickly in case you need to. The fob with the Model S worked really well for that.

 

[iwannam3]

I had to upgrade my phone to make it work, but it was worth it. Moto G6 100%

 

[bpjod]

Anyone with a newer iPhone having problems?

Had a few issues with my iPhone 6 the first month or so of ownership. Then an update came around the end of July and I haven't had a problem since. Upgraded to an iPhone XS when it came out. Not once has it failed either.

 

[longshot49]

Phone BT connection was hit and miss with my Nexus 6P.

I have not missed a door opening with my Pixel 3 XL. Flawless from day one. Also, connecting/waking up from the app seems a lot more reliable.

I have gone keyless for about 3-4 months now and I love it!

 

[EVaddict]

That’s a win! Yeah I’ve been thinking about it but I’m renting right now. So maybe someday.

You can install a smart lock on top of your existing lock:

Smart lock 101: What you need to know before you buy
"With some smart locks, you can hang on to the deadbolt that you already have.

Models like the August Smart Lock, Kwikset Kevo Convert and Sesame Smart Lockare designed specifically to clamp in place over top of your existing deadbolt hardware. All three work with a lot of standard deadbolt brands and are priced around $150. In August's case, the compatibility ranges from Arrow Hardware and Baldwin to Defiant, Kwikset, Schlage and many more."

 

[EVaddict]

I haven't received my car yet, but this is one of the features I'm most looking forward to. I'm already the old guy that only wears cargo shorts because my key chain has 3 car fobs on it, a handful of keys, and a mini-leatherman. It's time to cull the heard. This will be great for those occasional times where we actually get a night out and I need to where slacks. I can leave the entire key chain at home and not have that bulge in my pocket (insert joke here). At least in CA you always need to have your driver's license on you so I usually have my wallet and thus carrying a key card is no big deal.

For those worried about running out of battery on your phone, what about hiding an external cell phone battery on the outside of the car? Just get a quality one that won't burst into flames.

Great to know the key cards are so cheap!!! The Prius smart fob is over $100 and about $300 to get the dealership to program it if you don't have another one to clone.

 

[Tezlah]

Not having a key fob is amazing. I never forget my keys or my phone, as they are one in the same.

 

[EinSV]

My phone works great and I love not having a fob in my pocket.

 

[BobAbooey]

Major selling point for me, I've got two pockets, one for a phone and one for a wallet. My keyfobs have always had to be awkwardly jammed in a pocket. From my reading, it seems most are interested in the key fob for two reasons:

1) The phone based locking/unlocking has been unreliable, particularly for Android users
2) If they want guests to use the car, the credit card thing is complicated and unorthodox

#2 for me...

 

[electracity]

Had a few issues with my iPhone 6 the first month or so of ownership. Then an update came around the end of July and I haven't had a problem since. Upgraded to an iPhone XS when it came out. Not once has it failed either.

I went from the 6s to the XS. The bluetooth on the XS is noticeably better. It seems to me that the people having BT problems own an Android.

 

[Brisket5652]

No Bluetooth problems for me. Pixel 2 and 3 .


2) If they want guests to use the car, the credit card thing is complicated and unorthodox

Wow .I've found the exact opposite to be true . People expect something different from a Tesla. In fact, I had one friend be bummed because he had to use the key card and not his phone (I didn't want to share my password for the app) .

 

[longshot49]

I have a Gen3 August at home (and installed a Gen1 at parents). Very discreet and compatible with most doors. Bonus is that it uses your existing hardware

Walk up unlock is awesome!

 

[bruceleach]

Phone works great. However, in case the phone battery is dead, I keep a key card between the phone and case as a back up. Real quick and easy.

My phjnp has been rock solid lately. Don't know if the software updates have fixeost of the issues, or if the recent phone upgrade to pixel 3 has been the factor

I keep a spare in my wallet. Much easier to pull from there, especially when the occasional valet situation arises.

 

[ngogas]

What is this thing you keep calling a “key fob” lol.

 

[CapnOMatic]

I'm on the side of not having a key fob. I like the freedom and I have a pixel 2 and haven't had trouble opening my car unlike some others.

 

[shawn_]

I hate the fob. Been loving the phone key for the last 5 months. Garage door opener in car (and soon home link) allows me to not carry ANY keys most of the time. The phone key on my iPhone X has only failed 4 times .. ever ... and I was quickly able to unlock with the app or toggle bluetooth to get into the car. Haven't actually used the key card since they demoed it at delivery.

 

[RFernatt]

Nope, do not miss the fob. Love just walking up to and away from the car with my phone. Pixel 2 XL and a month of ownership with zero failures. I understand some folks have had problems, but knock on wood, it has worked great for me.