Advanced Phone package - effectiveness

[Sootchucker]

Just a quick question to all those that have the advanced phone prep in their cars. I got mine (probably like most) as I wanted the climate windscreen and at the time you had to have it in conjunction with Advanced phone prep.

Whilst the 2nd USB socket in the centre arm rest is very handy and most welcome, for the year I've had the car, I've been using it on an off and for the life of me I can't see any difference in phone signal strength (be it Iphone 6 or my Galaxy S8, in a case or out of a case). Admittedly I'm only looking at the number of bars on screen but having the phone out of the centre console and having say 2 of 5 bars showing, then dropping it into the holder sleeve inside the glove box and waiting for a minute of so, I see no difference what so ever ?

I thought the whole idea of this was that when in the inductive pad it coupled the phone up the cars shark fin aerial in the roof providing (apparently) much better reception. I'm just not seeing this and wonder if something is disconnected from build ?

Can anyone else with this option give me their thoughts please ?

[Nuggsy71]

I had the advanced phone prep on my GTD, absolute waste on money, though the climate screen on the GTD is great, as the diesel engine takes so long to warm up, unlike the GTI, which takes a minute or two.
Like you I tried the phone in the holder in the centre armrest, and never made signal strength any better, so just left the phone either in my pocket, or somewhere else in the car, and never suffered any problems.
I don't have it now in my current GTI, and you wouldn't know any difference.

[Guzzle]

Forcing people that wanted the climate screen to order the advanced phone prep was always a nonsense. The Skoda Superb has had the option of the same climate screen without the advanced phone prep and nobody has reported any major issues. I could be wrong but I think it's also the same situation with the Passat.

On a separate note, I recall having my works Nokia C2 next to my personal HTC Radar windows phone. Both were on the Vodafone network and both on my desk right next to each other. Works phone had a full 5 bars but my HTC only showed 2 bars despite reception being as clear as a bell. This wasn't a one-off either.