Car hotspot

[mcdermottm]

I’m looking to possibly cancel my Sirius XM subscription and just go with the streaming SXM app when I get my Taycan and using CarPlay. I’m looking for feedback on the benefits of paying for the hotspot built-in to the car. It seems like I can just stream from my phone with my monthly unlimited data instead of paying for the hotspot. Thoughts?

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[Torv]

There is no advantage whatsoever to activating the hotspot subscription in terms of accessing Apple CarPlay, Apple Music or Spotify. Bottom line, the hotspot subscription is a complete waste of $20/mo.

 

[masmole]

Agree that hotspot is a waste of money, especially if you already have unlimited data for your iPhone and CarPlay in the Taycan.

What you describe is exactly what I’ve been doing in both our Audis for the last year now. I didn’t renew SXM on both cars and instead just pay the $6/mo for SXM streaming and listen on the SXM app on the iPhone via wireless CarPlay using my iPhone’s unlimited data plan. Works well, except for the occasional freezing/crashing of the SXM app on my iPhone, which is easily remedied by quitting and relaunching the app on the iPhone. Taycan ownership for me doesn’t begin until this Thursday, but I suspect SXM via CarPlay will work just as it did in the Audis. The only downside I’ve encountered was during a roadtrip to a remote part of the country last year, my iPhone did not have a network signal and therefore no SXM, but that was a rare occasion. The upside is, at least in our Audis, the streaming SXM app via CarPlay actually sounded better sonically than the SXM radio built-into the Audis. Not sure why that was the case, since it’s wireless CarPlay.

 

[W1NGE]

I’m looking to possibly cancel my Sirius XM subscription and just go with the streaming SXM app when I get my Taycan and using CarPlay. I’m looking for feedback on the benefits of paying for the hotspot built-in to the car. It seems like I can just stream from my phone with my monthly unlimited data instead of paying for the hotspot. Thoughts?

The WiFi hotspot is separate to the additional data subscription - 2 separate things.

The WiFi hotspot can be used to connect your phone to the PCM to sync your calendar (for example).

For internet access that is to be shared within the car you need the subscription otherwise the PCM's dedicated data service which you get for free should serve your needs for anything run directly on the PCM.

Generally no need therefore to pay extra. Use your phone's data package for whatever including sharing as its own hotspot.

 

[mcdermottm]

Thanks for the feedback. It confirmed what I assumed. I just couldn’t figure out why people pay for it so I was wondering if there was something magic about it that I was unaware of.

 

[McgR]

I activated it this summer. Belgium is a small country and we don’t have unlimited data at a reasonable price. And we stayed in Switzerland for a couple of days and this ment data roaming for 4 phones at 5 euro a day. So that made sense for that specific scenario. I cancelled it after a month but I still get 7 GB a month without being billed for it. Something weird about my account same with FoD.
Like mentioned by others Apple Music and podcast are directly with PCM. If you connect with Apple CarPlay you will need your own data.

 

[W1NGE]

Thanks for the feedback. It confirmed what I assumed. I just couldn’t figure out why people pay for it so I was wondering if there was something magic about it that I was unaware of.

Data charges vary wildly across the world and some folk don't like using their phone as a hotspot.

If you have kids that need entertainment whilst on the move then it can be a consideration to subscribe (monthly commitment).

For UK folk where unlimited data can be the norm for a mobile phone then that is the way to go.

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