Thanks for the comments!

My car is a US model with pretty much everything in it (incl. MMI+, Google Maps, etc.)

I tried using an iPhone and a Nexus S and both yielded the same results as far as call quality. I went through the menus to see if there's anything adjustable (my Dad's previous-gen A6 has a "phone mic focus" setting that you can set to "front" or "rear" IIRC) but nothing even remotely relevant showed up on the A7 other than the mic input level, which used to be on the middle setting but turning it all the way up or down doesn't seem to do much for call quality.

I'm having snow tires put on the car so I'll have to take it to the dealer anyway. I'll have them check on the call quality issue and let you guys know if they find anything, but I'm not holding my breath. As much as I like the vehicle from every other aspect, I'm seriously considering trading it in for something else well before it's due for a replacement (maybe the 6 Gran Coupe or the "original" 4-door coupe the CLS); I mostly use the car for commuting which takes me about 90 minutes every day, and I like to get things done on the phone so it's not all lost time. If that's a frustrating experience then it spoils everything else, no matter how great the car is.

Hashluck: this could be due to differences in what Audi sells in the respective markets, but I most certainly can use the dealer-provided data SIM for MMI connectivity simultaneously with my own cellphone for making calls. This goes through the Handsfree profile - I don't think US cars even support SAP, and they definitely don't insist on it. Maybe you can change your car's settings to use Handsfree instead? I know this was possible on one of my Beemers a while back.

-Martona

 

Martona, try turning the mic level all the way down, weird enough it worked for me...I also had the dealer replace the mic (Old mic had 2 microphones, replacement had 3...maybe they knew they had an issue????)

 

Am I understanding this correctly? If you are using google earth nav, you cannot simultaneously use your iphone bluetooth connection?? Do others agree with that?

 

In the UK if you plug a SIM into the car SIM slot this acts as both the data SIM for Google Earth AND the car phone. So correct in that instance you cannot also connect your iPhone (or any phone for that matter) via Bluetooth to use a handsfree (again this is for UK I cannot speak for other territories).

If you use a phone (NOT iPhone) that can connect using Bluetooth SIM Access Profile (SAP) as opposed to simple Bluetooth 'handsfree' profile then that phone can be both a handsfree phone and the data portal for Google Earth (in which case make sure you have a suitable data plan for that phone)

iPhone does not support Bluetooth SAP. Blackberry Bold 9700 does.

 

Thought it worth pointing out that for Bluetooth SAP to work you need this option

Mobile telephone preparation – High with online services.

A Bluetooth-capable mobile phone can be conveniently connected
to the vehicle's internal UMTS module (provided the mobile telephone has a SIM Access Profile. Please note iPhones do not
have SIM access profile and therefore a duplicate SIM card would need to be sourced from your network provider and inserted
directly into dashboard of the A7).

Online services through operation of MMI
Navigation Plus include:
- Point of interest search and navigation with the help of Google Earth images
- Weather information
- WiFi hotspots for convenient internet access using a mobile end device (e.g. laptop)*. Up to eight end devices can be paired
at any one time
Can only be ordered in combination with MMI Navigation Plus (PNQ) or as part of the technology package (WB4/WB7)

 

The Bluetooth connection is 'handsfree'

 

Yes that's correct, when you have a sim card in the dash which will allow you to access Google maps, etc, you CANNOT connect your phone using Bluetooth. The ONLY phone calls you can make (using the cars handsfree phone system) is via the sim card in the dashboard, which means your phone calls made via handsfree will be from a diffferent number (not good for most users and particularly not good for business users).

As mentioned in other posts, you can get round this by using a phone that has a remote Sim Access Profile, which means that you don't have to insert a sim card into the dash as all of the data and phone calls could be made via your own phone.

However, if like me (and many millions of other people) you have an iPhone, which doesnt have rSAP, you must insert a seperate sim card into the dashboard if you want to use Google maps, etc. This means that you will have two different phone numbers and two different phone accounts/bills which is crazy.

I had a long conversation with Audi Tech support UK over this. they too agreed it was not perfect but suggested the following even more crazy and totally impracticle work around; "Sir, what we suggest is that EVERY time you get in your car, you divert you calls to your cars sim card number and when you get out of the car, cancel the diverts from your iPhone" this is ludicrous. All that Audi need to do is update the software so that users can select their handset as the default phone for phone calls and maintain the Bluetooth connection with it, while still using the sim in the dash ONLY for Google and data services.

During my call to Audi Tech support, I asked what would happen if I bought a data only sim card, such as the type that fits into a USB dongle. These sim cards can be bought for data only and can't be used for phone calls. They didn't know if this would work but called me back later to say that after checking with Germany, this should solve the problem. I bought one - it didn't!! When I plugged the data only sim card into the dash, the car responds no different to any other sim, in that it still kicks out my iPhones bluetoooth connection. Now when I try to make a handsfree call from the car, I get a voice message from my network provider saying that I cannot make phone calls from this data plan.

So there you have it, whether your sim card in the dash can be used for phone calls or not, the car will not allow a non rSAP phone to be connected via Bluetooth at the same time. Oh and by the way, I called Audi Tech support back to let them know that their recommended fix doesn't work. I was staggered when they said "oh well, it was worth a try"! The plain truth is that they just dont seem to know how to make this work. When I first started taking this up with Audi they were bemused by this issue and their dealers were still unawre if the problem. They have since updated their website and brochures to highlight this. It seems like they either just don't know or care how to sort this out. I asked them why can't a user choose which phone connection they want their car to default to and they said it just isn't going to happen. So much for Vorsprung Durch Technik (advancement through technology)! We need all of us to campaign hard to Audi to fix this and make it a big issue. Personally I feel like I've been cheated and missold something by Audi.

 

For all Audi owners that have an iPhone/rSAP issue, I've just seen this on a site for apple users. https://discussions.apple.com/thread...art=0&tstart=0 It doesn't help the issue, but may give some of us more background to the problem. It's still a VW/Audi problem though as drivers should be able to choose which phone connection we want to use as the handsfree device.

 

Took my A7 in for the 5K mile service and mentioned poor speakerphone quality (like being in a wind tunnel to the other caller). Audi service mentioned that there is a service bulletin and that my car had a bad connection to look for and that they are ordering a replacement part. Must be a supplier component issue.

 

Wow!! This is a big issue! Why is this just now coming to the surface I wonder? I also suppose this is an issue on this side of the pond too, yet no one has brought this up before?

I had not planned to re-up Google Earth after the six month plan, I guess I will not get to use it at all. Sigh....

Any U.S. iPhone users out there who can "chime in"?