# New LTE Announcement for S3 Sportback. Fingers crossed for USA.



## [email protected] (Apr 9, 2004)

Audi made an announcement this morning about LTE connectivity for S3 Sportback. Read it here: 


Audi is the first carmaker to bring the fast LTE data transfer standard to the car with full integration. It can be ordered as an option in the Audi S3 Sportback from July, and in all other model variants of the premium compact from early November. LTE technology is very important for Audi connect, the networking of the car with the driver, the Internet and the environment.

The new LTE (Long Term Evolution) standard takes mobile Internet to a new dimension. LTE enables the exchange of large amounts of data via the Internet, such as music and films in HD quality. Commercial LTE networks already exist in many European countries and in the USA. In Germany, LTE is available in a few large cities, but is primarily active in many rural areas. The standard is expected to be available everywhere by the end of 2014.

To use LTE, a suitable SIM card with a data flat rate simply needs to be inserted into the appropriate slot in the MMI navigation plus unit in the Audi S3 Sportback. When the passengers connect their mobile end devices to the WLAN hotspot integrated into the car, they can surf the web independently of one another. For example, one passenger can participate in a video conference while another watches a video.

The MMI navigation plus uses LTE to deliver the tailored services of Audi connect to the driver – from navigation with Google Earth and Google Street View to Audi music stream web radio and online traffic information. The community services Facebook and Twitter have also been made vehicle-friendly with a text-to-speech function and a text function with prepared text modules. In addition, there are over a dozen Audi connect services, including a text-to-speech function for e-mail and a dictation function for text messages (SMS). And the range of services is expanding rapidly.

LTE technology can be ordered for the Audi S3 Sportback from July, and for all other variants of the A3 family from November. Audi connect is the keyword for the brand’s intensive efforts to continuously develop new networking solutions. New technologies are increasingly making cars with the four rings more of an experiential space. The LTE standard is expected to provide a strong boost to the seamless use of media stored on a server on the Internet (data in the cloud). Audi is also a major driving force behind the networking with other automobiles and the transport infrastructure (car-to-X-communication).


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## Rudy_H (Jul 6, 2012)

I understand that apps will be run through the new MMI. 

Curious if we opt not to go with LTE, whether we will still have the apps, and can use our cell phones whether as wifi hot spots or via BT -> like what Blackberry Bridge did. Not a big fan of paying two data plans, and just the carriers here in Canada are absolute crooks. 

With Google buying out Waze, the new MMI in the A3 is one of the reasons I would actually pay for the service though...


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## Travis Grundke (May 26, 1999)

I'm very interested to hear about long term adoption rates for in-car communications systems that require subscriptions. Everyone that I know with AudiConnect let the service expire at the end of the 6 month trial. The consensus I heard is: it's neat, but not a must-have, especially when you consider all of the other subscription services people already have.


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## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

I won't be subscribing to this, more than likely. Plus, don't they use the TMo network in the US? My only reason for subscribing would be to get a _better_ signal than I have on my phone in the sticks. TMobile isn't going to be it. :laugh:

I have TMo for my mobile phone and am very happy with the service for the price paid. That said, I am almost always in a metropolitan area, so their coverage satisfies my needs. But to pay TMo for a second data subscription for the car, when they black out in the middle of nowhere? No thanks.


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## mike3141 (Feb 16, 1999)

The announcement implies that it uses an owner-supplied SIM. If you insert an AT&T SIM then you're on the AT&T network. I don't think it's locked to T-Mobile.


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## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

That's probably the way to do it, anyway. I think a prior announcement from Audi for this "connected car" stuff had them in a partnership with TMo.


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## Travis Grundke (May 26, 1999)

I'm very interested in what the take rates are for these connectivity services. As someone pointed out in another forum discussion about AudiConnect - when you consider that you have to purchase a 3 year subscription and the first 6 months are free, you end up paying something like $20/month.

Personally, it's not worth it considering how little time you spend in your car relative to using connectivity services. Don't get me wrong - it's a nifty feature if you can afford it, but it adds up quick.


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## elhoberto (May 29, 2013)

Everybody needs to re-read this article- 

The point isn't LTE at all.

The notable thing is that Audi USA says this is coming to the S3 Sportback.


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## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

elhoberto said:


> Everybody needs to re-read this article-
> 
> The point isn't LTE at all.
> 
> The notable thing is that Audi USA says this is coming to the S3 Sportback.


This is an Audi AG press release. An indication, other than the Audi AG tag, is the "from July" in reference to availability in the S3 sportback. We won't have anything "from July" in the A3 lineup in the US this year, so that seems fairly cut-and-dry.

Wishful thinking is one thing, and it's apparently the only thing we have from this Audi AG release.


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## elhoberto (May 29, 2013)

Dan Halen said:


> This is an Audi AG press release. An indication, other than the Audi AG tag, is the "from July" in reference to availability in the S3 sportback. We won't have anything "from July" in the A3 lineup in the US this year, so that seems fairly cut-and-dry.
> 
> Wishful thinking is one thing, and it's apparently the only thing we have from this Audi AG release.


Just killing my dreams man.


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## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

No no... keep the dream alive, by all means. I'd still be buying the sedan, anyway, but I know there is a sizable group that is let down by the omission of the two-door and the sportback. Hopefully Audi will move enough volume in the first year or two and will decide to bring it.


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## KnockKnock (Jun 30, 2005)

Best case scenario, the device is unlocked to any LTE carrier and the wireless carriers see it as a $10/mo device on share-everything plans.

There is some precedent for a 3rd year intro of a newly certified platform I believe. In 2006 and 2007 you could only get the A3 in FWD and mostly negative rumors about anything else. Come 2008 they brought over Quattro.

If the Sedan A3 sells as hoped, a number of options may become feasible. It probably has other factors too, like VW plans and other model options from the TT to the Q3. Or better, it starts to compete with A4 numbers.'

Then there's reality


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## mike3141 (Feb 16, 1999)

The 2.0T FWD was first available in the U.S. in May 2005. The 3.2 quattro came out in early 2006.


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## Travis Grundke (May 26, 1999)

Car and Driver has a little bit more information on the 4G LTE program in respect to the industry and NTHSA regulations:

http://blog.caranddriver.com/audi-c...om-4g-lte-service-only-available-for-2015-a3/

I'm having a hard time believing that the take rate on AudiConnect, 4G LTE or not, will be very high on the A3, especially if as C&D says, it comes in at $30/month.


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## KnockKnock (Jun 30, 2005)

mike3141 said:


> The 2.0T FWD was first available in the U.S. in May 2005. The 3.2 quattro came out in early 2006.


True, sloppy me. I meant 2.0T + Quattro.



Travis Grundke said:


> I'm having a hard time believing that the take rate on AudiConnect, 4G LTE or not, will be very high on the A3, especially if as C&D says, it comes in at $30/month.


They were speculating it would be like a smartphone. But there are different prices for tablets ($10) and mifi's ($20) - so we have yet to see how the carriers will classify _in-car_ cellular data.


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## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

KnockKnock said:


> They were speculating it would be like a smartphone. But there are different prices for tablets ($10) and mifi's ($20) - so we have yet to see how the carriers will classify _in-car_ cellular data.


A friend sent me an article about this earlier today, knowing that I'm keeping a close watch on the S3. An idea came to mind as we were discussing it. It would be nice if one could acquire a SIM card and enroll in a pre-paid data plan for this. I'd probably use it if I could buy, say, 5GB of data for $40 or so. That would allow me to have it available for road trips but not have to pay for it day-to-day when it would be another wasteful expense.


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## Travis Grundke (May 26, 1999)

Dan Halen said:


> A friend sent me an article about this earlier today, knowing that I'm keeping a close watch on the S3. An idea came to mind as we were discussing it. It would be nice if one could acquire a SIM card and enroll in a pre-paid data plan for this. I'd probably use it if I could buy, say, 5GB of data for $40 or so. That would allow me to have it available for road trips but not have to pay for it day-to-day when it would be another wasteful expense.


Actually, there's a discussion about this over at Audizine, IIRC. The service is called truphone (http://www.truphone.com/US/Personal/Truphone-SIM/Rate-checker/) and apparently a few guys have been using it successfully.

IMO, a much better alternative than the monthly.


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## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

Am I calculating that correctly? 1GB would be about $154 in the US? :sly:


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## Cyncris (Aug 12, 2012)

The Truphone option is only viable if you don't use google maps. If you use very much data at all, it is not a viable option. I think if you buy like $10 worth that the time expires in a month but if you buy $100 it expires in a year or something close to that.

I think that the service through T-Mobile is $30 a month if you pay by the month. IIRC you have the option to pay for 3 years with unlimited data and it comes out to $15 a month...but you have to pay 3 years in advance.


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## Rudy_H (Jul 6, 2012)

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/08/08/how-to-hack-a-buick-regal-with-carknow/ 

Something to think about... 
I think I am passing on the LTE


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## Cyncris (Aug 12, 2012)

With Audi planning stuff like this.... 



 
The LTE is a part of the reason that I am interested in the S3


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## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

Okay, that's badass.


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## Pretarion (Jun 13, 2003)

The thrill of owning a car like that is actually driving the vehicle. I don't understand the self-park. Maybe the video hit it on the head by showing a female as the driver. They can't park worth crap, that's why they tend to purchase SUV's.


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## cooperrf (Mar 27, 2013)

Pretarion said:


> The thrill of owning a car like that is actually driving the vehicle. I don't understand the self-park. Maybe the video hit it on the head by showing a female as the driver. They can't park worth crap, that's why they tend to purchase SUV's.


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