From now on, Ride Screen and SmartphoneGrip in Portrait Format

A few days ago, Bosch solved one of the biggest annoyances regarding the Smart System drive. Until now, you could only use the associated eBike Flow app on the ebike on Bosch’s own solutions in landscape format. With the 1.21 update, the manufacturer is expanding the app to include the long-awaited portrait format and thus the portrait format for the Ride Screen.

Displays previously at an advantage over mobile phone mount

Since the introduction of the Smart System and accessories such as the Bosch SmartphoneGrip mobile phone mount, there have been repeated calls for the app to be used in portrait format while riding. The portrait format has established itself as the dominant format, especially when navigating with Komoot or other applications. It simply offers the advantage of being able to view more of the route in front of you on the display when the display is in the direction of travel. And this is the view favoured by the vast majority of cyclists. Bosch has responded to this trend right from the start with its displays for the Smart System. With the Kiox 300 and the Kiox 500, both displays, which can show more complex maps, are in portrait format.

New format, familiar operation

Now the eBike Flow app is also following this example. In portrait format, the layout of the data fields is arranged differently according to the specifications. The layout looks harmonious, providing you with a good overview of all the selected ride data on the respective Ride Screen. Apart from this, you can still use all other functions such as turn-by-turn directions via sound, voice output or the quick menu for flexible destination customisation. The control of the smartphone as an alternative display via the LED Remote, Mini Remote and Purion 200 control units also remains unchanged.

Setting the ride screen to portrait format

1. Install the update 1.21.
2. Click on the ‘Ride’ menu at the bottom of the home screen.
3. Click on the ‘Open Ride Screen’ option under the map display that then appears.
4. Ride Screen switches to portrait format.
5. Turn the smartphone 90 degrees to return to landscape format. The screen will then automatically change orientation.

If you are not successful, you may still have activated the screen lock on your smartphone. This can be switched off in the smartphone settings.

Update 1.21 of the Bosch eBike Flow app should be available for you to download from the Apple AppStore or the Google Play Store.

Vertical adapter as suitable hardware for the software update

As pleasing as the update is, it may raise a new question for some of you. Namely: What’s the point of the new function if I can only clamp my smartphone in landscape format on the Bosch SmartphoneGrip? An absolutely legitimate question. Elektrofahrrad24 has two fitting answers in the truest sense of the word.

The first is the eBike24 Vertical Adapter. With it, you can stick with the SmartphoneGrip and still use the eBike Flow app in portrait format on your tour. The 3D-printed adapter is made from a very robust, durable, UV-stable and recyclable filament called ASA Extrafill. It weighs just seven grams. The threaded inserts mounted in the adapter are assembled and melted in by hand. It is supplied as standard with two stainless steel screws that reliably withstand the weather. You connect the adapter directly to the SmartphoneGrip display holder. Afterwards, you can use the Ride Screens in portrait format while riding.

This is how you mount the eBike24 Vertical Adapter.

1. Remove the SmartphoneGrip from the display mount.
2. Pull both display cables (control unit and motor) out of the display mount.
3. Unscrew the display mount from the single-arm holder.
4. First loosen the connecting screw between the joint of the single-arm holder and the display mount. This makes it easier to access the screws on the underside of the display mount.
5. Now screw the eBike24 Vertical Adapter to the display mount.
6. Then mount both together via the eBike24 Vertical Adapter on the single-arm holder.
7. Plug both display cables back into the display mount.
8. Now place the SmartphoneGrip in portrait format on the display mount.

Rotatable alternative to the vertical adapter

The 90° Adapter goes one step further than the eBike24 Vertical Adapter. Thanks to a rotating mechanism, it allows you to switch between landscape and portrait mode with ease. It is therefore the perfect solution for anyone who needs one or the other depending on the app or personal preferences. It is also manufactured using the 3D printing process and weighs only a few grams as well.

In addition to its flexibility, it has another surprise in store. You can expand it with a small “secret compartment”. This can hold an Apple AirTag or a tracker with similar dimensions. It is placed as a kind of intermediate level between the single-arm holder and the 90° Adapter. This protects the tracker from prying eyes. With the addition, the height of the rotatable adapter increases slightly. Once you have clamped your smartphone in the Bosch SmartphoneGrip, it should not interfere with your riding. After all, the smartphone covers the construction from your point of view.

The rotatable adapter can be mounted directly on the display mount of the SmartphoneGrip, just like the fixed adapter. If you choose the option with the AirTag holder, you will need to attach this to the single-arm holder first, as mentioned above.

Pictures: Elektrofahrrad24