Scott_F

Hey all. I just received an email saying my Audi Connect subscription expires in 30 days. Renewal options are:

Monthly:$30.00
One year:$324.00($27/month)
Two years:$600.00($25/month)
30 months:$450.00($15/month)

I think the 30 month is a no-brainer, but is it worth it? Other than google earth in the nav (which I love), what else do you lose without Audi Connect?

Anyone else *not* renew, and if so do you notice not having it?

snagitseven

Many threads on this. W/o Audi connect, you lose all the online features including the Google online destinations, Send to Car destinations, wifi hotspot, the built-in apps like gas prices, news, parking lot info, events, weather, etc. and as you noted, the Google Earth overlay with Street View. For me, the dynamically updated online destinations is the primary reason for me to keep it going with the rest being gravy. The car's internal POI database is extremely limited and out of date before it left the factory.

Of course you could use your smartphone for all this but for me, having it integrated into the car with voice command is part of the fun and usefulness of owning the car with all of its toys. I look at it as I already paid for all the hardware so I might as well pay for the service that makes it all work. $15 a month is a meal for two at McDonalds that I can do without and with the unlimited data, I don't have to watch my usage. Or eat that awful McJunk.

feralc

They are actually 15 double cheeseburgers.

snagitseven

You must mean those pitiful, wafer thin bait and switch cheebuggers from the dollar menu.

Jerry_Maguire

When my T-mobile trial expired I tried tru-phone (http://www.truphone.com/us/) as recommended here in this forum. In July 2012 I got the SIM card, put on $25 of credit and started using. It is slower than T-mobile, but still works. 22 months of occasional google maps and reasonably frequent google destination searches and I still have $9 of credit left! My cost about 73 cents per month!

snagitseven

It's interesting that you find the TruPhone slower since they are only a third party broker using the same T-Mobile network.

Tman007

Those dollarburgers are ideal for when you need to scarf something down while steering and paddle-shifting with your other hand...

dalek453

New Member here. I an doing a European Delivery on a 2015 A6 TDI. They do not activate the Audi Connect until I take delivery at my dealer in the USA. My question is, can I purchase a truphone sim card that I can use in Germany and France before I drop the car off for shipping back home? I would love to have internet in the car for two reasons. To use my Google Talk Phone feature on my Smartphone thru the hotspot, and to access Google Maps while driving.

snagitseven

Since the European carriers probably use different frequencies the TruPhone sim (which still uses T-Mobile network in the U.S.) likely wouldn't work. Also, if the car is a U.S. version, you likely will only get the US map software loaded which would mean the Google online search wouldn't work in Europe either. Perhaps one of our Euro Audi brethren can answer that one.

bigdaddyp61

You're pretty much correct snagit. US spec cars are loaded with US maps and are wired a little differently. I called Audi AG in Germany and begged them to swap mine out for an EU version but was told it wouldn't match up with my wiring. There is an after market shop outside Munich that will retrofit mine to match EU spec and load European maps all for the paltry sum of $900. For $500 they'll switch it back when I move back stateside.

For dalek453, as part of the Euro Delivery, Audi will give you a loaner GPS to get you around Europe so no worries there. Enjoy the trip and be careful in France - they seem to target Audi's!