Technology Pack with Audi connect, phone integration

[NickyF]

Hi all, I ordered an S3 Sportback last week and it's fair to say I'm a bit excited. I ordered the Technology pack with Audi connect and it looks like you can insert a SIM card into the system and use that for data. If you do that can you still pair another phone to receive calls? I really hope so otherwise I might change my order.

I'd love to hear people's experiences with Audi Connect in general. I fear that it sounds great and appeals to my geeky side but is a bit useless in reality.

 

[cemerson]

Yep, you can still use a phone over bluetooth and use the SIM for data only

I find connect really useful, the google earth integration is great, and the text message dictation is really useful too. Have also use the parking information a fair bit which is good.

 

[NickyF]

Thanks. I can't resist things like this anyway. The kids will appreciate the wifi on long motorway trips too. I know you can achieve this via most smartphones but I like the idea of my car having its own wifi network.

 

[cemerson]

Yeah, really adds some nice touches to a great car!

 

[veeeight]

 

[ACWKGYTO]

Ha ha dont do this whilst driving !

Now if it was really clever you could use voice control to reply to the text message

 

[mjcourtney]

Ha ha dont do this whilst driving !

Now if it was really clever you could use voice control to reply to the text message

You can if you have Connect!

 

[ACWKGYTO]

I'd like to see that demo'd, have you got a link ?

 

[cemerson]

Yup, I use that all the time to text people! Can have whole conversations, it's an impressive system. Not perfect, but impressive!

 

[ACWKGYTO]

Can you please do a little youtube video

 

[cemerson]

If I remember and get some time at some point, pretty busy over the next short while! I'm sure there must be one online somewhere?

 

[ACWKGYTO]

no worries....toys like this are very good, but its the driving experience that ultimately does it for me

I have voice control on my S3....now wheres that manual again ?

 

[The Challinor]

Sadly Android only as well

 

[glospete]

Sadly Android only as well

Do you mean that the Text feature using voice does not work with iPhones?

 

[veeeight]

It will read new text or iMessages to you (or you can read them on the MMI screen), but you cannot reply using voice with an iPhone.

 

[glospete]

It will read new text or iMessages to you (or you can read them on the MMI screen), but you cannot reply using voice with an iPhone.

:sign_unfair:

 

[The Challinor]

It will read new text or iMessages to you (or you can read them on the MMI screen), but you cannot reply using voice with an iPhone.

You beat me to it. You also can't auto reply with preset messages.

 

[veeeight]

^You don't wake up early, and laze around in bed all day

The early bird catches the worm etc.

 

[The Challinor]

^You don't wake up early, and laze around in bed all day

The early bird catches the worm etc.

Yer I don't, had busy afternoon of meetings today. may have to sweat to death in the suit !

 

[SockToy]

Hm. That's a shame. For any iPhone users, the new OS 8 will let you say "hey Siri" to dictate to phone when plugged in, so there is a rather ugly workaround...

 

[The Challinor]

Yes I think the Audi voice control just disables Siri all together.

I did ask Audi UK about Car Play and they said its under review...

 

[SockToy]

Are Audi any good at back porting stuff to already built cars through software updates? I'm kind of imagining the answer is going to be "Ha! No."

Shame my 37k s3 will go stale faster than my 500 quid iPhone....

 

[cemerson]

You can get updates done, but they aren't done as standard. I don't even think they'll do it by default as part of a service (which is pretty bad really, a service should include getting your car's software up to date!)

 

[mjcourtney]

You can get updates done, but they aren't done as standard. I don't even think they'll do it by default as part of a service (which is pretty bad really, a service should include getting your car's software up to date!)

Yeah, I had a fight over that one. Dealer said software updates aren't included as part of service unless they're 'safety related'. They will however update software to try and fix specific problems if you report them, and if there is new software available. Although I did report bugs with my bluetooth software and requested the new update, I was told there was no update available (even though I knew there was)... out of the blue 4 weeks later I get a phone call asking me to come in for a general Software Update which, lo and behold, included the bluetooth update I'd asked for previously.

The whole software support thing seems very sporadic at the moment.

 

[cemerson]

It is a bit silly, given that updating software on other platforms (computers, phones etc) is the norm now. Why does the car industry always lag behind so much?

 

[cuke2u]

One word, money, they like us to pay for it....

 

[cemerson]

I realise that, but you could say the same about the other platforms too, but they've realised that it's better to allow people to update software whenever they want (well, for the most part anyway).

There are plenty of issues with the MMI that I can just report if I want a software update off them, only because they have to do it themselves and take the car in for the day, and give me a courtesy car in the meantime, it ends up costing them more than if they just let you update the thing with an SD card like the maps.

 

[cuke2u]

The only update I could do to my ford was the Sony headunit, but even now that's been stopped with the sync system. I Don't know of any manufacturer that allows updates to any major control systems.

 

[cemerson]

Control systems, I can see why, but the MMI should be able to be updated to take advantage of new features. I'm hoping they support gapless mp3 playback in the future, I'll want that update! It's insane that a media system in this day and age still puts pauses between tracks, completely lost as to why they'd do that!

 

[The Challinor]

So they need it for that long you need a courtesy car, hmmm yer that's antiquated