How's life without Premium Connectivity?

[Noflash]

My year-long subscription expires this weekend. I'm on the fence about paying for it. It seems like pretty pictures without much content. My kids will miss the satellite view in navigation (seems silly to withhold a free Google feature). The Spotify app is kind of nice, but it's almost as easy to use my phone. I don't use video streaming, the browser, or Caraoke. I would kinda miss the live Sentry video. Honestly, Sentry video and alerts have been 100% false positives. That and I may just turn off Sentry mode to save battery.

It does have me looking for better phone mounts. I haven't found the "perfect" one yet.

Thoughts?

 

[exxxviii]

If you don’t care about remote car access (turning on climate, for example), integrated music streaming, satellite nav, etc., then drop it.

 

[Hank42]

This is where Android Auto (Or Apple Car play) would be great to have - that great big screen using you existing phone connection.

I had the opportunity to drive an entry level Chevy Trax of all things and it has Android Auto as part of it's base. It gave me nearly the same "Tesla" like maps experience and audio controls (albeit on a much smaller screen). But I got used to it REALLY fast. What's more, I wound up using Waze and liked it better than the Tesla native maps. So... Tesla needs to get with the program here... Yeah, I know, most of us are like, just pay the cost for Premium.... I can se Noflash's point - why pay TWICE?

 

[Noflash]

If you don’t care about remote car access (turning on climate, for example), integrated music streaming, satellite nav, etc., then drop it.

I won't be able to heat my car up remotely?! That might be a deal-breaker...

 

[Noflash]

This is where Android Auto (Or Apple Car play) would be great to have - that great big screen using you existing phone connection.

I had the opportunity to drive an entry level Chevy Trax of all things and it has Android Auto as part of it's base. It gave me nearly the same "Tesla" like maps experience and audio controls (albeit on a much smaller screen). But I got used to it REALLY fast. What's more, I wound up using Waze and liked it better than the Tesla native maps. So... Tesla needs to get with the program here... Yeah, I know, most of us are like, just pay the cost for Premium.... I can se Noflash's point - why pay TWICE?

I would love to have Android Auto. We have it in out Honda Pilot and it works well, but it's still wired. Wireless AA on a big screen would be ideal. Like in Polestars.

 

[saj070]

Agree heat car in winter or turn AC on in summer
That alone pays for premium connectivity

That is a must for me. Well worth the$100 per Year

 

[steeeez]

I let mine expire and went about a year without it. The remote access for turning on climate + lock/unlock still works without premium. Recently re-purchased premium and main things I like over not having it are:

• Saving the effort finding a playlist on my phone every time I get in the car, and having to hit play, compared to Spotify or Apple Music just playing what was on before automatically when I get in.
• Viewing in cabin camera when dog mode is on
• Having the ability to check live cameras as needed although I don't use it often
• Showing the traffic visualizations, although without premium it seems like the nav does take traffic into account on time estimates and routes, it just doesn't show the traffic on the screen

 

[CFinVancouver]

Read the manual guys, premium connectivity is not required for remote app access to the climate control.
Nav works fine without it, no satellite view, but routing is done with traffic in mind, you just don't see it visually.
Kinda waste of money unless you like the Disney channel or watching your sentry live. You won't really miss it.

 

[E90alex]

If you don’t care about remote car access (turning on climate, for example), integrated music streaming, satellite nav, etc., then drop it.

Remote app access still works with standard connectivity. You just lose remote live sentry mode camera view but everything else works.

I mostly just listen to FM radio and I hate satellite maps anyways. I have no issues with the standard connectivity. If you rely on the built in music streaming apps then it might be worth the convenience to have premium.

Alternatively you can tether to your phone for data if your phone plan has hotspot. The Tesla music streaming app still won’t work but everything else will on wifi.

 

[rwiegand]

I couldn’t find anything useful it provided so let it drop after the free trial. The live traffic view would be nice, but routing seems to be traffic aware anyway. I trust Waze and google more anyway. I have weird taste in music so the streaming sites are not interesting to me, plus I can get them through my phone if I want. I just don’t see any value to it.

 

[daahlberg]

If you don’t care about remote car access (turning on climate, for example), integrated music streaming, satellite nav, etc., then drop it.

No i don’t pay for premium and still have remote car access. It only doesn’t give you streaming, satellite, traffic nav, and browsing, honestly not worth it in my opinion. I just use my phone for music, works perfect every time.

 

[exxxviii]

Remote app access still works with standard connectivity. You just lose remote live sentry mode camera view but everything else works.

No i don’t pay for premium and still have remote car access.

Great info. That was one of the main reasons I subscribe to Premium. If I fall out of love with Streaming, I might drop.

 

[Noflash]

Thanks everyone for clearing that up. Glad they keep the essentials.

Just thought I'd add that I'm a little frustrated with car companies adopting subscriptions. Stories of BMWs with subscriptions for heated seats has me worried for the future. That and I'm already paying for Netflix, Pandora, Spotify, Amazon Prime, and Disney Plus. It's getting a little nuts.

 

[gx9901]

I'm paying for the premium connectivity for the sentry mode live view (especially now with interior cam for dog mode), Apple Music (previously Tidal) streaming, and video streaming. I guess for video streaming I can just use hotspot from my phone, but I found trying to use hotspot for music streaming to be fairly cumbersome.

At the risk of sounding like a douchebag, I think $100/year should be close to nothing for the vast majority of Model Y buyers. But if you don't use any of the features that needs premium connectivity, then there's no reason to have it.

 

[Max_1]

Great info. Thank you all for responses.
My trail expired and I was debating if I need to subscribe (apparently $100 for a year deal is not available). As of now I do not use streaming or have no need to live sentry camera.
Makes the decision easy.

 

[Noflash]

I'm paying for the premium connectivity for the sentry mode live view (especially now with interior cam for dog mode), Apple Music (previously Tidal) streaming, and video streaming. I guess for video streaming I can just use hotspot from my phone, but I found trying to use hotspot for music streaming to be fairly cumbersome.

At the risk of sounding like a douchebag, I think $100/year should be close to nothing for the vast majority of Model Y buyers. But if you don't use any of the features that needs premium connectivity, then there's no reason to have it.

Yeah, I knew that comment was coming. It's not really the cost, I'm just put off by the "carmaker subscription model". If the car was $500-1000 more expensive and had permanent premium connectivity, I still would've bought it. It might be a generational thing. Do Millennials prefer subscriptions for everything? Luckily, I think I won't miss it. Though if I do, I'll subscribe.

 

[ruby110]

Great info. Thank you all for responses.
My trail expired and I was debating if I need to subscribe (apparently $100 for a year deal is not available). As of now I do not use streaming or have no need to live sentry camera.
Makes the decision easy.

I’m not sure but I think the annual plan is available for purchase from the car.

 

[joe.smith]

My kids will miss the satellite view in navigation (seems silly to withhold a free Google feature)

Just a thought, but serving up satellite imagery requires a lot of bandwidth, and bandwidth = money. If you're not paying for their subscription service, I can see them withholding that feature, specifically.

 

[Mike_TV]

Read the manual guys, premium connectivity is not required for remote app access to the climate control.
Nav works fine without it, no satellite view, but routing is done with traffic in mind, you just don't see it visually.
Kinda waste of money unless you like the Disney channel or watching your sentry live. You won't really miss it.

Yep. Lots of straight up guessing and wrong answers in this thread. Here is a nice chart that shows what's included in Premium Connectivity.

Connectivity | Tesla Support

Connectivity is an important part of all Tesla vehicles, further enhancing the driving experience by providing access to features that require data usage. Find out more about Standard and Premium Connectivity.

www.tesla.com

 

[arbitrage000]

I lasted about 2 weeks

I had setup some shortcuts and automations on iPhone so it would automatically turn on hotspot and connect to the car but it was glitchy and worked flawlessly some of the time but other times forced me to turn Wi-Fi on in the car just o get it to connect to my hotspot. Too annoying so I reluctantly subscribed. This was before Apple Music came to the car. Apple Music would have made me subscribe on its own.