CES Live: Universal cellphone adapter coming to Audi

Jan. 12, 2012, Consumer Electronics Show—Cellphone connectivity inside of a vehicle usually is followed by a caveat: for Android- or Apple’s iOS-based operating systems only. Audi is shedding those distinctions.

At a press conference Wednesday at Consumer Electronics Show, Audi announced that it will start to integrate cellphone boxes into its vehicles that allow consumers who have a cellphone of any kind to place and receive calls through the vehicle’s system.

Ricky Hudi, who is Audi’s chief executive engineer of electronics development, tells Consumers Digest that the automaker will install the universal cellphone box first into the A3. It will add the system to the A4/S4, A5/S5, A6/S6 and A8/A8 L passenger cars for the 2013 model year. Inclusion inside of Audi’s other models will follow in subsequent years.

The box will be located in the vehicle’s center armrest and will use near-field antenna technology that allows the consumer’s cellphone to connect with the vehicle via an amplifier. The power supply is a USB port within the box.

Audi said it also is developing a contactless charger for cellphones in its vehicles.

– P. Snyder