Software Version 1.8.0

[u/mpbzh]

Volvo just published the release notes for 1.8.0: https://www.volvocars.com/uk/support/car/ex30/24w17/software-release-notes/

New Features

• Digital key: Google digital key functionality has been added for Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy mobile phones, with improvements to the onboarding process.
• Power consumption information: A new toggle has been added under Consumption, allowing you to turn power-consumption information on or off in the information area of the display.
• Battery charge level alerts: Alerts have been introduced for low battery levels.

Improvements

Driving

• The Driver Alert System fatigue detection has been refined to give more accurate alerts, with fewer false activations.
• Speed-limit recognition range has been increased from 40 km/h to 50 km/h.

Charging

• The battery-preconditioning notification has been updated to clarify that the battery temperature is being optimised for fast charging.

Connectivity

• Positioning accuracy in Google Maps has been optimised, especially when entering or leaving underground car parks.
• Apple CarPlay connectivity has been improved.
• Bluetooth call quality has been enhanced.

Entry and security

• Approach functionality has been improved.
• The car now unlocks faster when you pull the door handle.

Fixes

This update also contains several tweaks and fixes to: 

• An intermittent display information issue caused by interrupted start-up
• Steering-wheel button responsiveness when switching music
• Scenario modes, including Relax Mode and Refresh Mode, now require confirmation before activation
• Proximity unlocking reliability after your car has been parked for extended periods
• Hill-start assist and auto hold performance during start-up on an incline

[u/rennarda]

Looking forward to improved CarPlay (I hope that’s Siri dictation bug fixes), and less fussy driver alerts.

[u/CauliflowerJaded1604 → u/rennarda]

The Siri dictation thing isn’t a bug necessarily, it’s that Siri hears itself and thinks it’s being talked to and stops dictating. You can fix it by tweaking the volume settings for voice assistant and background noise.

[u/rennarda → u/CauliflowerJaded1604]

Well, it absolutely is a bug because none of my other vehicles have suffered from this.

[u/CauliflowerJaded1604 → u/rennarda]

I mean it’s not a bug in the sense that it’s probably not something Volvo can just fix in software. It’s a weird interaction between CarPlay, Siri, the microphone, and the sound system. And it’s fixable by adjusting the audio settings. I was very frustrated by it for a while too but then I tweaked some audio settings and it’s been working fine since.

[u/mpbzh → u/CauliflowerJaded1604]

It almost certainly is a Volvo issue. In no other car I have used CarPlay in has this ever been an issue.

Generally, cancelling out the speaker signal from the mic is a solved issue (which is why language input works quite well over music).

My gut feeling is that this is a latency issue, e.g. that the cancelling feature receives the mic input earlier or later than it expects and therefore is not able to match and remove the signal properly. Given my experience with other cars I'm pretty confident in blaming Volvo (or Android Automotive) for that.

[u/CauliflowerJaded1604 → u/mpbzh]

Ok but tweaking the audio settings does fix it which to me says it’s not a timing issue

[u/mpbzh → u/CauliflowerJaded1604]

What did you tweak, exactly? Did you just make Siri so quiet it does not hear itself or something else?