MMI Question Gents

[pitch3110]

Evening

Does the top spec A6 MMI display emails, calendar etc.....?

Having not been blow away by my recent test drive and looking at the dark side I am mighty impressed with their system and more importantly how the 2013 models talks even more to the dreaded iPhone.

i really am trying to make a case to keep with Audi, but it becoming increasingly difficult with the MMI glitches.

Ta
Pitch

[Timothy Nathan]

The iPhone (and indeed Vodafone) fiasco would certainly make me think twice if I were buying now.

I was driven in a big, stretched Jag yesterday and was very impressed.

[johnsimcox]

Evening

Does the top spec A6 MMI display emails, calendar etc.....?

Having not been blow away by my recent test drive and looking at the dark side I am mighty impressed with their system and more importantly how the 2013 models talks even more to the dreaded iPhone.

i really am trying to make a case to keep with Audi, but it becoming increasingly difficult with the MMI glitches.

Ta
Pitch
To get Audi Connect you need MMI Phone High with Audi Connect and not just Navigation Plus (both do come with the Tech Pack though) I have no personal experience (I only have the standard Nav and Bluetooth system) but I do not believe that Audi Connect allows you to access personal stuff like e-mail or calendar, indeed not sure why you would want to while you are driving and when stationary you can simply look at the phone itself. Also because the iPhone does not support rSAP you will need to have a separate SIM for the car and having the SIM plugged in disables Bluetooth meaning the car cannot receive calls from the iPhone, unless you try the jail break options found elsewhere on this forum. Hopefully Apple will sort this stupid situation out shortly (perhaps with iOS6?)

[Timothy Nathan]

I have Audi Connect. I have not seen an eMail or calendar function.

It is nice to be able to do a Google search and for it to use the result as a Nav destination. So, for example, on Sunday we were invited to the Chelsea Arts Club; I didn't have to Google it and then put in the postcode, I just entered the name into the system and it navigated me there. I have done the same for railway stations and restaurants (you can put in "Italian restaurant near here", see distances and reviews, then be taken there.) Nice, but not worth a fortune.

You can also look places up and get pictures and tourist descriptions. Not my scene, so I cannot really comment. Similarly with Weather and maybe some other features.

What Audi lie and cheat about is the ability to enter addresses on your computer and save them as MyDestinations. It simply doesn't work, and my dealer has promised to get an answer out of Audi, but I have heard no more. Audi have also promised to get back to me but they haven't. How they managed to get the reputation for good service, heaven only knows.

[robbyg]

Plus 1 re with tims comments above.

I haven't tried saving destinations though so cant comment on that. Certainly i dont find the sat nav very user friendly, but i didnt buy the car for the sat nav.

I have the advanced tech pack. I dont think you can view emails etc, if you could, i wouldnt anyway, dont really see the need when they are in my blackberry anyway.

[pitch3110]

Thanks guys for the comments.

I have read the posts, but to confirm, to enjoy google maps, I will need cloned SIM to enable it to work and receive calls.???
I know it has been covered beyond belief and apologies

Ta
Pitch

[Timothy Nathan]

It depends what phone you have.

If you have an oldish Nokia or Samsung, or some types of Blackberry, everything will be hunky dory. If you have an iPhone, a new Samsung, the latest Nokia or some Blackberries you have a range of choices, all with shortcomings:



Change contract to Orange Business and get a duplicate SIM.
Illegally get a SIM clone, but that will almost certainly fail.
Get a second SIM and forward your calls to it when in the car. Outgoing calls will bear the wrong Caller ID, or "Blocked" if you block it.
Every time you get in and out of the car move the SIM to the dashboard slot, using a SIM carrier if it's a micro SIM.
Buy an old Nokia and transfer the SIM to that when you get in the car, with the advantage that if you just pop out of the car, you can grab a working phone.
Don't use data services, just use the phone on hands free Bluetooth.
Get a BMW


Also, even if you fix these problems, you will find Google Maps very flaky on Vodafone.

[pitch3110]

Many thanks TN and as I suspected.

Anoying and option 7 is looking more likely for me.
Having said this I spec'd a 44k car and have been offered 9k discount. Our friends at BMW will not get close to that.

Ummmmm

Pitch

[Timothy Nathan]

Yer pays yer money and yer takes yer choice.

BTW, some people on these forums are not "gents" and may feel a little excluded.

[pitch3110]

Cheers Guv

[BrianWM]

I thought most MMI issues related to iPhone. Tim N, you're mentioning issues with new Samsung & Nokia: don't both these support rSAP and therefore should be ok. I guess "ok" is a relative term, I mean that the phone should work and also internet based things like google maps ; address books etc, I wouldn't be so sure about. As I understand it, rSAP is just a way of the car "taking over" the SIM in the phone without having to physically swap it; it doesn't imply any specific interchange of data between the car & the phone, does it ?

I'm getting closer to ordering an Allroad and would hope my HTC (Android) would be "ok" at least insofar as the phone & internet as it does support rSAP. It's about time the iPhone had this as well.

A side issue, it being topical for me at present, pitch3110, would you mind just indicating how much of the £7k is based on finance or pt ex and how much is discount ?

[Timothy Nathan]

Caveat Emptor, but it seems that the latest Samsungs and Nokias have deprecated rSAP. So long as it says rSAP on the specification you should be ok.

I know nothing about HTCs except that they seem to be not quite as good as the iPhone.

People do occasionally try to shift the blame for this fiasco onto Apple. You only have to count the total number of iPhone users compared to Audi users, or the market penetration of iPhones compared to Audis to make that assertion seem laughable.

No, Audi should sort this mess out or they will have a lot of disgruntled top-end customers. They show every sign that they don't give a toss about us, hence option 7.

I am certainly not recommending Audis to anyone (and I move very much in Audi buying circles) because Audi UK are being so rude and uncaring on the issue.

[pitch3110]

I thought most MMI issues related to iPhone. Tim N, you're mentioning issues with new Samsung & Nokia: don't both these support rSAP and therefore should be ok. I guess "ok" is a relative term, I mean that the phone should work and also internet based things like google maps ; address books etc, I wouldn't be so sure about. As I understand it, rSAP is just a way of the car "taking over" the SIM in the phone without having to physically swap it; it doesn't imply any specific interchange of data between the car & the phone, does it ?

I'm getting closer to ordering an Allroad and would hope my HTC (Android) would be "ok" at least insofar as the phone & internet as it does support rSAP. It's about time the iPhone had this as well.

A side issue, it being topical for me at present, pitch3110, would you mind just indicating how much of the £7k is based on finance or pt ex and how much is discount ?

Not sure matey it was interneted based broker quote. Spec'd up it came to £44k and with the finiance offer it came to £33,500.00.

Pitch

[BrianWM]

I hadn't fully realised how much history there was on this subject when I posted a few days ago. I'd like to sum up my views for the record.

rSAP is the "nicest" technical solution; you get a proper car phone with a roof aerial while keeping your normal phone number and without needing a second, data contract; you know all this. Unfortunately, rSAP doesn't seem to be a pathway for the future for phone manufacturers. Not only does Apple not support it, as far as I can see, none of the current crop of Android phones mention it in their specs either and it sounds even less likely on the dual & quad core handsets. I thought my HTC Desire S supported rSAP, it would appear not. Sure, I could root it but I'd prefer not to because that has implications, just like jailbreaking does.

So Audi chose to go rSAP but the phone companies didn't :not Audi's fault.

What Audi could and should do (maybe they even are ?) is make it possible to use a data sim and still use bluetooth for hands free etc. No excuses, I fully agree with other posters on this point. I haven't ordered my car yet and I've made this point to the sales person who (hopefully) might add my small pre-sales voice to others.

What is the future path for this technology ? If it's not rSAP and if phone companies won't supply dual sims in the UK are we to be left with some second rate compromise ? Even if Audi were to allow data + hands free, it's not the best solution. Given the number of customers who have cars with ever increasing gismo count and smartphones you'd think it's be in suppliers interests to get this sorted. Unfortunately, if they do you can be sure our cars will not be upgradeable !

[BrianWM]

Just posted the previous having written it in Word; didn't notice it messed up character spacing; sorry 'bout that.

[Timothy Nathan]

Just posted the previous having written it in Word; didn't notice it messed up character spacing; sorry 'bout that.
You can edit it if you wish.

Where Audi is showing its disdain for its UK customers is that there is a solution in the US, which could be applied in the UK if they cared a jot. They demonstrate that they couldn't give a toss by neither doing anything, nor replying to our communications.

[BrianWM]

Didn't know I could edit after posing...thanks, done.

I have already made the point about the US being given the facility to my sales person. It must be the same hardware so it ought to be such a simple job to fix. As you say it takes so little but even we seem not to be worth the time.

[Timothy Nathan]

Didn't know I could edit after posing.
Nice irony :p

[BrianWM]

Nice irony :p

If only I could come out with gems like that by design rather than accident !

[nealeb]

If BMW don't use rSAP, how does their much-admired system work? Do BMWs have the "built-in phone" like the Audi, or just do everything through the phone, including data? Or is it a completely different data service with a car-mounted data-only SIM?

I've never actually used the data service via my Galaxy and rSAP but I have to say that I haven't yet upgraded the Galaxy to the latest Android version as I understand that it no longer supports rSAP, and I prefer the idea that the car phone and external antenna are used just for quality of connection reasons.

[pitch3110]

If BMW don't use rSAP, how does their much-admired system work? Do BMWs have the "built-in phone" like the Audi, or just do everything through the phone, including data? Or is it a completely different data service with a car-mounted data-only SIM?

I've never actually used the data service via my Galaxy and rSAP but I have to say that I haven't yet upgraded the Galaxy to the latest Android version as I understand that it no longer supports rSAP, and I prefer the idea that the car phone and external antenna are used just for quality of connection reasons.

There is a mouted SIM in the car and for the first 3 years of ownership no charges apply.
The system works extremely well, with all office functions avaialble when the optional media craddle is added.
My beleif is that with the new iOS6 on its way in the Autumn and MAP being included you will not even require the craddle for full intergration.
BMW do seem to have nailed this and this is a big draw for me.....

Ta
Pitch

[Timothy Nathan]

AIUI, BMW use a separate SIM for data.

This is also possible in Audis in the US, but Audi UK despise their premium customers too much to let us have it here, or talk to us about why not.

[johnsimcox]

AIUI, BMW use a separate SIM for data.

This is also possible in Audis in the US, but Audi UK despise their premium customers too much to let us have it here, or talk to us about why not.

In the US the mobile phone module is completely different to the one here as it needs to work with both 3g (AT&T and T-Mobile) and CDMA (Verizon) networks. Additionally, CDMA phones do not have a removable SIM card (hence Apple now make two different iPhones in the USD). For US customers ordering Audi Connect they get a T-Mobile SIM card with the car and after 6 months free service are charged $30. It seems from other Forum's that the SIM reader is locked so it will only accept a T-Mobile SIM meaning you have no choice but to pay, not forgetting the further $12 per month for Sirrus satellite radio. In effect this is the same approach as BMW use for their Connected Drive system, it is just that you do not see the SIM card

I agree that the implementation of the solution in the Audi is not ideal but it is not Audi UK's fault as it is the same for the rest of Europe too (and I presume all other 3g markets where they offer Audi Connect), in Canada Audi Connect is not even an option. Why Audi did not make the in-dash SIM data only and leave voice to the cradle or bluetooth connected phone is the real question here, but I guess they thought they were being "helpful" in allowing customers to use they contract data plans and not worry about a second contract. It may also be the case that in Germany duplicate SIM cards are still available as they used to be here.

I guess ultimately no one in Audi UK wants to tell you they do not know the answer as it would appear bad for customer service, in the same way that the Audi (or any other VAG brand) sales guy at the dealer only gets his sales bonus if you award him the highest ratings in the customer sat survey meaning that the survey becomes pointless because customers are told to give the highest ratings.