Will we have to leave Bluetooth on all the time on our phones?

[T34ME]

I'm like you -- I sometimes remember to carry a phone, but mostly only if my wife reminds me or puts it in my pouch. Honestly though, I'm resigned to keeping the phone with me; its the keeping it charged part I'm worried about.

I would think in "your line of work", you would require telephone communications at all times. In my line of work, retirement, telephone coms is rarely a requirement. Evidently there will be bluetooth watches and that will be my work around.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

Model 3 Mobile App Screenshots - Repost from Model 3 Owner Club: Model 3 Owner

View attachment 249119 View attachment 249120 View attachment 249121

Looks like we've got a partial answer to the trunk/frunk question. But the main point still hasn't been resolved.....can they be opened by hand, just with the phone/key in your pocket?

 

[T34ME]

My Apple Watch runs my S using Remote S .

Thank you for that @Snerruc I checked out the Remote S app and it looks like it will do the job as long as TESLA will support third party apps. What I didn't see was a function to set user profiles like auto mirrors and seats. Is that function supported?

 

[Jeff4155]

I have a iphone 7 and all honesty I think the bluetooth hardly uses any battery life, Wifi and background apps that's always on will probably be the highest cause of battery life, if you do have an iphone go to settings/battery and it will show you exactly what uses the most battery life.

 

[Gwgan]

Key card user manual https://apps.fcc.gov/eas/GetApplicationAttachment.html?id=3491660
No way to use the card to open trunks, must fiddle with app. No official support for third part apps connecting to the car but maybe Siri can be taught to control the app someday so one could open the frunk by talking to their wrist.

 

[bitalb]

Looks like we've got a partial answer to the trunk/frunk question. But the main point still hasn't been resolved.....can they be opened by hand, just with the phone/key in your pocket?

From the video below I guess there is a button as in most modern cars.

 

[Zaphod]

Not in the scenario I described: you are coming out of the store, groceries, bags, boxes or whatever in both hands, no free hand unless you first put down some stuff. Ideally no problem, but like I said, imagine it's pouring with rain, everything is soaking wet, where do you put your stuff down? With such a feature, you just swipe your foot under the bumper, the boot/trunk opens, you store your shopping, close the lid, get into the car and drive away.
I haven't got that feature on my car, but I have experienced plenty of situations where I would have been so glad I if I had had it.



Over here, you can get this as an optional extra on many vehicles from various manufacturers. Perhaps "most" was too strong a word, but it is definitely getting more common every year.

Understood, but pretty much only time I am driving her car is when we are grocery shopping and all the bags are in the cart and hands are always free. In the event my hands would be full as in your scenario, yes, I would probably do the kick under the bumper, but overall the feature isn't that useful for me.

 

[Glade_EV]

When I drive by myself, I don't have our one and only smartphone >90% of the time. When my DW and I drive together, the smartphone is with us >90% of the time. I don't want a second smartphone because of the necessary monthly expense just to drive a car, there goes my savings on fuel! (with our Prius plug-in we spend about $25 per month on gasoline)

Dirty little secret - You don't need cellular service to use a smart phone. 90-some % of apps work fine with wifi and Bluetooth. After migrating from a non-cellular tablet, I went a month with my new smartphone before I bothered subscribing to a service. Vast majority of my usage is still non-cellular (shopping lists and notes, camera, music, internet browsing over wifi...) [ Of course, the remote (non-Bluetooth) functions of the Tesla App wouldn't work without an active wifi connection - but it's not clear yet exactly what the "Phone Key" function covers]

 

[sigmo32]

From the first responder's guide - shows the trunk button on the rear lid, very similar to Model S.

 

[SageBrush]

I would think in "your line of work", you would require telephone communications at all times. In my line of work, retirement, telephone coms is rarely a requirement. Evidently there will be bluetooth watches and that will be my work around.

At work I have an electronic leash, aka a "beeper." It is in large part the reason why I am so jealous of my privacy and quiet at home, and I have never been much of a texter/twitterer. Well, not at all to be honest. In my personal world, just about everything can wait a couple of hours until I look at my email.

A BT watch might end up being my solution too if the battery lasts a *long* time. It will mean I have to wear a watch, so that will be a change too ;-)

 

[diamond.g]

Key card user manual https://apps.fcc.gov/eas/GetApplicationAttachment.html?id=3491660
No way to use the card to open trunks, must fiddle with app. No official support for third part apps connecting to the car but maybe Siri can be taught to control the app someday so one could open the frunk by talking to their wrist.

Did you download the manual? I am getting access denied when trying the link.

 

[PoitNarf]

Did you download the manual? I am getting access denied when trying the link.

For some reason the direct link doesn't work. The link to the manual works from this page though: OET List Exhibits Report

 

[run-the-joules]

I hope the iOS widget is updated to support opening the frunk and trunk just by swiping from the lockscreen and hitting a button, having to log in and go into the app itself would be a bit "meh". I know it doesn't support this as of a week ago, but hopefully it does soon.

Also, seat heater controls from the app would be good.

 

[diamond.g]

For some reason the direct link doesn't work. The link to the manual works from this page though: OET List Exhibits Report

Thanks. Sad to see Tesla call out third party apps for lack of support.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Anyone more tech savvy than I am know how to tell if a phone will handle Bluetooth LE? I have an older LG running Android 4.4; regular Bluetooth works but I suppose that Bluetooth LE probably doesn't exist on such an old phone. Since it is a Tracfone and costs only $100 a year for care and feeding, I am disinclined to get something new, fancy and expensive from a major cellphone provider. I own AAPL stock, but that's as close as I'm going to get to an iPhone.

If I would have to go with the keycard to use a Model 3, that's another tick in the column in favor of another CPO Model S instead. No way I want to deal with a Bluetooth watch that has to be charged all the time, or some similar kludgy workaround for the lack of a fob.

 

[PoitNarf]

Anyone more tech savvy than I am know how to tell if a phone will handle Bluetooth LE? I have an older LG running Android 4.4; regular Bluetooth works but I suppose that Bluetooth LE probably doesn't exist on such an old phone.

If your phone supports Bluetooth 4.0 then it includes support for Bluetooth LE. Just look up the tech specs for your model phone. If it supports at least Bluetooth 4.0 then you should be good.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

Anyone more tech savvy than I am know how to tell if a phone will handle Bluetooth LE? I have an older LG running Android 4.4; regular Bluetooth works but I suppose that Bluetooth LE probably doesn't exist on such an old phone. Since it is a Tracfone and costs only $100 a year for care and feeding, I am disinclined to get something new, fancy and expensive from a major cellphone provider. I own AAPL stock, but that's as close as I'm going to get to an iPhone.

If I would have to go with the keycard to use a Model 3, that's another tick in the column in favor of another CPO Model S instead. No way I want to deal with a Bluetooth watch that has to be charged all the time, or some similar kludgy workaround for the lack of a fob.

Having a Moto 360(2nd gen) Android smartwatch, I only need to charge every 48 hours or so....and usually charge every night when my phone is charging anyway.

even the 1st Gen 360 could go for 24+ on a single charge. the issue would actually be if they're functionally compatible....i.e. can I pair the watch with the car as if it was a phone...?

 

[dgpcolorado]

If your phone supports Bluetooth 4.0 then it includes support for Bluetooth LE. Just look up the tech specs for your model phone. If it supports at least Bluetooth 4.0 then you should be good.

Thanks for the info. My phone does run Bluetooth 4.0 so I am now hopeful that it would work. I really like my little LG phone because it is small enough to hold comfortably and fits easily into a belt clip holster.

 

[diamond.g]

Having a Moto 360(2nd gen) Android smartwatch, I only need to charge every 48 hours or so....and usually charge every night when my phone is charging anyway.

even the 1st Gen 360 could go for 24+ on a single charge. the issue would actually be if they're functionally compatible....i.e. can I pair the watch with the car as if it was a phone...?

So far it appears it needs the app. Will have to wait and see if Tesla will extend the app to wearable devices.

 

[gregd]

So far it appears it needs the app. Will have to wait and see if Tesla will extend the app to wearable devices.

I would hope that an app of some sort would be required. Simply pairing a device is too easy to spoof. Hopefully (presumably?) the app includes some sort of crypto handshake to properly authenticate and authorize the activity (unlocking, etc.).

EDIT: Ok, so it looks like it depends on how the pairing is done in the first place... Perhaps it could be secure from spoofing? It appears to depend...