Premium Connectivity cost $9.99/month for many Model 3 versions

[Wampa]

The 6 "extra" speakers unfortunately cannot be enabled through software. Although they are physically present, the wiring does not connect them to the system. In order to activate them you will need an amplifier, something I will be attempting this week.

Now as for the premium features, my SR+ had streaming audio and displayed satellite maps for about a week before they became disabled. The hardware and software is there, just let us use it!

 

[willow_hiller]

The 6 "extra" speakers unfortunately cannot be enabled through software. Although they are physically present, the wiring does not connect them to the system. In order to activate them you will need an amplifier, something I will be attempting this week.

Now as for the premium features, my SR+ had streaming audio and displayed satellite maps for about a week before they became disabled. The hardware and software is there, just let us use it!

That's why I think an upgrade package would have to involve a mobile tech. The piece of plastic in the trunk seems designed to be easily removed to drop in an amp and a sub.

 

[Wampa]

That's why I think an upgrade package would have to involve a mobile tech. The piece of plastic in the trunk seems designed to be easily removed to drop in an amp and a sub.

I purchased a factory subwoofer this week, I'll look around to see if there is any extra wiring in there when I install it. Regardless I will be doing custom wiring due to the aftermarket amplifier.

 

[raptor5244]

I could see a $1,000 upgrade package if it also came with enabling the disabled speakers, ambient lights, rear heated seats, and installing a sub-woofer in the empty space in the trunk.

Agreed. They are not going to get many takers shelling out a $1000 for a partially working web browser that is awkward to use when you already have your phone/laptop or tablet. Streaming music is nice but not for that kind of money when your phone is sitting right next to you. The satellite maps, nice touch but again not necessary to get to your destination as the standard maps work fine for that. Live Traffic is ok but not worth that much money when Waze is free. More frequent updates over cellular? That just seems wrong as we get them by being on WiFi. And why are they more frequent?

$100 a year is all Premium Connectivity is really worth.

 

[JulienW]

....$100 a year is all Premium Connectivity is really worth.

...but the main question is. Why would Tesla offer it for free and then subsidize the cell data rate for $100 a year? Doesn't make any sense for Tesla to "pay" people with the SR+ to get Premium Features.

And don't say the cell data cost less than $8 a month. That is 100% totally NOT possible and IF would still leave Tesla in the red for admen cost.

 

[darth_vad3r]

...but the main question is. Why would Tesla offer it for free and then subsidize the cell data rate for $100 a year? Doesn't make any sense for Tesla to "pay" people with the SR+ to get Premium Features.

And don't say the cell data cost less than $8 a month. That is 100% totally NOT possible and IF would still leave Tesla in the red for admen cost.

Consumer prices for data are on par with $8/mo for the amount of data an average Model 3 would use. Tesla isn’t paying consumer rates. Wholesale rates are way cheaper.

How many GB of data do you think the cars are going to use max, on average, median? It’s not going to cost them more than they charge It won’t be a subsidy, if it costs $100/yr they will make money.

Looks like AT&T charges about $10 incrementally for an extra 1 or 2 GB in the 2GB to 10GB range.

The model 3 already has a “plan” with basic connectivity, so adding 1 GB would cost $10 to a /consumer/ of AT&T. Do you think Tesla is paying consumer rates for its fleet of 100’s of thousands of vehicles?

No, they have a wholesale “share” data plan for a massive “family” and probably pay way less

AT&T Individual Data Plans & Mobile Share Data Plans from AT&T

A consumer can pay $7.50/mo x 50 people and share 50GB with 1GB each on average. $375 for 50GB.
Tesla’s getting a better deal than that.

 

[raptor5244]

No, they have a wholesale “share” data plan for a massive “family” and probably pay way less

AT&T Individual Data Plans & Mobile Share Data Plans from AT&T

A consumer can pay $7.50/mo x 50 people and share 50GB with 1GB each on average. $375 for 50GB.
Tesla’s getting a better deal than that.

Exactly. The SR+ already has ATT LTE connectivity it just isn't streaming the music, satellite maps or live traffic data. The pooling and data sharing is what large companies do all the time. Statistically, this works in their favor. As they keep adding more and more cars to the fleet, the price per gigabyte goes down and the shared pool gets larger. So, if they have 200,000 cars on the road and we all start paying $100 a year for premium connectivity service there is the $20M a year. ATT LTE has to cost less than that per year with a shared data plan.

 

[Naftaturbo]

Hrrmmm. AT&T. Is that why my iPhone SE often has better reception than our Aug-2018 M3 (and yes, paid for the premium interior)? Sometimes when the car has none? I've been in many locations where the car's navigation goes wonkers but I can rely on my iPhone (using either Google Maps or Waize); of course that makes Navigate on Auto Pilot useless :-(.

 

[jimminy]

You pay less than $100/yr for unlimited data use by free apps?

Got a link to that plan we can all sign up for?

As requested:
Cell Phone Plans | Family Plans | Compare Cell Phone Plans | T-Mobile

I pay $70 for unlimited data on my plan.
Waze: Free
Google Maps: Free
Safari, Firefox Browsers: Free
Spotify: $10/month

My math tells me this is less than $100. So no way I would pay anyone $1,000.

Different people here want and expect different things. I don't want anything I haven't paid for. I didn't pay for premium connectivity so I don't expect to use Tesla's data. But if I'm supplying the data, I don't know why they wouldn't allow me to run apps I can get free (see above) or Tesla's versions of the apps (browser, & maps, Slacker can go pound sand).

 

[Knightshade]

As requested:
Cell Phone Plans | Family Plans | Compare Cell Phone Plans | T-Mobile

I pay $70 for unlimited data on my plan.
Waze: Free
Google Maps: Free
Safari, Firefox Browsers: Free
Spotify: $10/month

My math tells me this is less than $100.

You might wish to check your math

$80 per month is, most assuredly, more than $100 per year- which is the amount I cited that you even quoted in your reply.

 

[jimminy]

Oh, I see, my bad. I saw per mo when you did in fact write per year.

However, the point is the same. I'm paying for unlimited data no matter what car I have, and the same for Spotify. I'm paying for these services no matter what so i don't see it as a luxury specific to my car, or being somehow a "part" of the car. There is no expense for Tesla to allow me to use their apps (or fine, I'll buy their apps if they're that cash-strapped) with my own data. Tesplayer isn't even an app, it's a website and seems to somehow play music through the stereo system despite what others have said here to the contrary.

In my previous car I ran what was essentially an android tablet with a power amp attached to it. I paid $10/mo extra for unlimited cell data with a hotspot device that stayed in the car and connected seamlessly via bluetooth. This device ran any app you wanted, most free. My M3 works the same way, but Tesla has hobbled the software so I can't run their browser or have real-time traffic on the M3's screen. So I use my phone, which is in a place so poorly thought out that I can't hit the home button on my iPhone without opening the console cover and requires me to look away from the road. I have to have one of those ridiculous cell phone holder that suction up to the windshield, are in the way and look terrible.

 

[Knightshade]

Oh, I see, my bad. I saw per mo when you did in fact write per year.

However, the point is the same. I'm paying for unlimited data no matter what car I have, and the same for Spotify. I'm paying for these services no matter what so i don't see it as a luxury specific to my car, or being somehow a "part" of the car. There is no expense for Tesla to allow me to use their apps

Of course there is. Any apps run by the car use the cars data- there's no way for the cars built in apps to use your phones data.

When european users use the spotify app on their tesla that's the cars data being used for example.

(or fine, I'll buy their apps if they're that cash-strapped) with my own data. Tesplayer isn't even an app, it's a website and seems to somehow play music through the stereo system despite what others have said here to the contrary.

It doesn't do that at all though.

What it does is control your phone via the browser to play music via bluetooth to the car stereo.

The browser itself can't play audio at all.

In my previous car I ran what was essentially an android tablet with a power amp attached to it. I paid $10/mo extra for unlimited cell data with a hotspot device that stayed in the car and connected seamlessly via bluetooth. This device ran any app you wanted, most free. My M3 works the same way, but Tesla has hobbled the software so I can't run their browser or have real-time traffic on the M3's screen.

Teslas own maps have real time traffic data on the M3 screen.

You can run the browser there too (including the tesla waze site)- you just can't play audio or video (as those are huge data eaters)

So I use my phone, which is in a place so poorly thought out that I can't hit the home button on my iPhone without opening the console cover and requires me to look away from the road. I have to have one of those ridiculous cell phone holder that suction up to the windshield, are in the way and look terrible.

Agreed those look goofy. But running native apps on the tesla system would use tesla data, not yours.

It sounds like what you really want is some variant of carplay where the car display acts as a mirror for your phones screen- which creates issues given how much of the car is entirely controlled by said screen... (someone recently mentioned the newest stuff announced for Carplay might make this less difficult as it will allow much smaller % of the screen to be taken up by it and such).




The browser will let you run teslaw

 

[jimminy]

Any apps run by the car use the cars data- there's no way for the cars built in apps to use your phones data.

Why not?? It downloads updates from a wireless connection, it is bluetooth capable. So there's no doubt the system is able to use my data, it's just not willing to. By design.

What it does is control your phone via the browser to play music via bluetooth to the car stereo.

You may be correct, but this is a distinction without a difference. If I can control it from the M3 screen and it plays music from the service I use, have used for years, that I like and that I am loyal to, I don't care how the sound gets to the speakers. If they wanted to give me Slacker and I didn't need to redundantly pay them for what Spotify does better, fine, I'll use it. Otherwise, no dice.

Teslas own maps have real time traffic data on the M3 screen.
You can run the browser there too (including the tesla waze site)

I'm not sure about your meaning, but I don't have real-time traffic and I don't have a browser.

It sounds like what you really want is some variant of carplay where the car display acts as a mirror for your phones screen

I specifically don't want this. In fact, I could have done this when I got the system I described before and didn't do it for various reasons. I'm not trying to substitute the Tesla interface for an iPhone or Android interface. It's the last thing I want.

 

[Knightshade]

Why not?? It downloads updates from a wireless connection, it is bluetooth capable. So there's no doubt the system is able to use my data, it's just not willing to. By design.

You'd then have to lock out all those apps unless they're on wifi.

Which would lead to a ton of angry and confused customers not understanding why their spotify (or whatever) doesn't "just work"

You may be correct, but this is a distinction without a difference. If I can control it from the M3 screen and it plays music from the service I use, have used for years, that I like and that I am loyal to, I don't care how the sound gets to the speakers.

There's several differences you probably don't care about, but matter from a technical perspective.

I'm not sure about your meaning, but I don't have real-time traffic and I don't have a browser.

I'm confused by you not having a browser though and bringing up Tesplayer....which requires a browser.

I guess you must have an SR model 3 though?

All teslas have realtime traffic- but the SR doesn't show it on the screen (the nav still has it and uses it when routing)

I specifically don't want this. In fact, I could have done this when I got the system I described before and didn't do it for various reasons. I'm not trying to substitute the Tesla interface for an iPhone or Android interface. It's the last thing I want.

Then I'm not sure what you DO want exactly... Tesla would need to write a bunch of "whatever service you really like" apps if you want something running natively on the car....and would also need to lock out using any of them unless on wifi to avoid them eating up Tesla-paid-for data.

That's not a 0 effort thing for them to do.

 

[jimminy]

I'm not sure why it's unclear but there's nothing additional required other than:

1. Letting me download the browser app (which is not installed in my SR+ because I didn't know I needed to buy premium connectivity to get it).
2. Allow the M3 to use my data if they don't want me using theirs. If my cell phone can take (and supply) data from wifi, BT, cell, etc., I doubt it's a really heavy programming lift and I would be shocked to find the Tesla system is somehow not coded to be able to choose various data sources to feed the native Tesla apps. This is not new tech. Like I said, we know it's wifi capable, bluetooth capable, etc.

 

[Knightshade]

I'm not sure why it's unclear but there's nothing additional required other than:

1. Letting me download the browser app (which is not installed in my SR+ because I didn't know I needed to buy premium connectivity to get it).

I expect that is what you'll get once they are set up to "sell" premium connectivity. It doesn't really help other than specifically for Tesplayer though, you'd still be actually running spotify (and anything else) on your phone, not the Tesla screen.

I
2. Allow the M3 to use my data if they don't want me using theirs. If my cell phone can take (and supply) data from wifi, BT, cell, etc., I doubt it's a really heavy programming lift and I would be shocked to find the Tesla system is somehow not coded to be able to choose various data sources to feed the native Tesla apps. This is not new tech. Like I said, we know it's wifi capable, bluetooth capable, etc.

You can hotspot the car to your phone right now and have it use the phones data.

But only for the built in tesla stuff, which apart from nav is just slacker, tune-in and the web browser (which, again doesn't support audio or video at all).

And for those you can just use the cars data since support for those are specifically included in premium connectivity.


You seemed to be asking for tesla to offer native apps that do not currently exist- and would likely use a ton more data than the native apps- THOSE would need to lock out using anything OTHER than wifi, which might well confuse a lot of owners when their apps suddenly don't work most places, or when their NOT unlimited data plans get hit with a ton of overage charges.

 

[jimminy]

You seemed to be asking for tesla to offer native apps that do not currently exist

Oy. No, I'm not. I want to use the Tesla browser, period. In my car, the browser is simply not there.

You can hotspot the car to your phone right now and have it use the phones data.

Then there's nothing more to do on Tesla's end besides let me install the browser.

you'd still be actually running spotify (and anything else) on your phone, not the Tesla screen

Unless the screenshots and video are very deceptive, Spotify is indeed being run from the M3 screen.

TesPlayer brings Spotify access to Tesla Model S, 3, X owners

 

[Knightshade]

Unless the screenshots and video are very deceptive, Spotify is indeed being run from the M3 screen.

TesPlayer brings Spotify access to Tesla Model S, 3, X owners

It's not deceptive, you just don't understand what's actually happening.

Weirdly your own link explains it but you didn't seem to really read it.

TesPlayer is essentially a Spotify remote for Tesla’s in-car web browser. It still utilizes a smartphone’s Bluetooth connection, though it allows owners to browse through tracks and playlists from the Model S, Model X, and Model 3 infotainment screen.

Spotify is absolutely not running on the M3 screen. It's running on your phone. The music is only going from phone to car via BT.

Someone wrote a web app to remote control spotify on your phone via a browser- that's all it's doing, acting as a remote for your phone.

 

[jimminy]

I see your confusion. You are (weirdly) taking me extremely literally. Fine, Spotify is not being "run" from the M3 system. I think I mentioned that I do not care where the app is running. If the interface for Spotify is controlled on the M3 screen it's all the same to me.

But it's moot. Tesla won't let me use their browser. Thanks Tesla.

 

[vickh]

so any ETA from Tesla about purchasing this for SRs?