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smacky

The thing is, the "features" being removed isn't really hardware related. They're not removing a turbo or a steering wheel or a tire. It's sort of a gray area when it comes to "the cloud" and internet-connected services like Google Maps. It's one thing if the maps are stored on the car and all the information is downloaded and kept on the car's hard drive. But instead, the car has an internet connection and it gets live update son weather, traffic, etc., in order to work.

So while you will still have the hardware to do so, if there's "connection" with the service that provides this information, I'm not sure it's illegal to stop support, so long as they are no longer charging for it. Is it wrong? Yeah, but this doesn't sound like 100% Audi's fault, if both sides can't come to an agreement on usage and pricing.

People deserve to have a choice and they do when it comes to either purchasing an Audi post-2020 after the service ends, or even purchasing the Connect service. As more and more features in the things we own becomes more fragmented over time, expect these subscription type services to really take off. It happened with cable/satellite services which now have standalone channel services and it happens with computer software, like a yearly fee for Microsoft Office and PhotoShop.

Doc H

Understood all, and I'm just expressing frustration I'm sure a lot of current Audi owners feel. As a point of reference though, VW Group (probably one of the largest if not the largest auto manufacturers globally), had sales revenues of almost $265 B in FY17. Google's parent company Alphabet, not Google alone, realized slightly under $111 B for the same period. VW could buy Google outright if it thought it was important enough to its bottom line and business model. Audi doesn't have to post disclaimers and speculate whether X connectivity will be available - it can create its own future for the next 50 years, as I'm sure it's well aware. There's something disingenuous and frankly fishy about the whole connectivity service kerfluffle with Audi, including their pricing, and based on history I think folks are rightly wary, and me among them now.

smacky

Whether it's the right move or not, most companies, especially successful ones, would rather use their own proprietary things than pay another company, who may do it better. It's why Samsung was exploring dropping Android and using its own OS for its phones. Not sure where they stand on Tizen now, but they're still with Google 7+ years after trying to go their own way. I feel that the older generation buying German luxury cars may not care too much about the features Google provides in Audi cars. And if they did, they'd gladly pay Audi or VAG's fee to use VAG's proprietary maps and traffic information instead, so long as it worked. Audi knows this and that's why they're bold enough to state an end-date for Google support in its cars in 2020 and move on to something else.

I get why people would be upset about this but at the same time, at least they've left Android Auto as an option. It may be a decade, or so, before we start to see a threat to phone connectivity to our cars, but until then AA and Car are viable alternatives to the Connect feature.

Maybe my view is skewed because our vehicle is on a lease and 2020 would be the period in which I would have to decide to keep the car or not, and therefore, I have an option to bail. But the Google services was not a big selling point for me for getting an Audi, so while it would suck to see the feature go, I wouldn't feel duped for losing the feature after a few years.

Its $400ish for 18 months of Connect, right? That is most certainly a rip-off but there has to be an adequate number of people buying it at that price that Audi has not made any changes to pricing to attract more customers and also flippantly throw a deadline for when the services will stop working as intended (using Google information) and switching to Audi's own system.

naplesam

I am in the shopping stage right now and the Q7 is the current #1 choice for my next ride. If selected, the car would be bought in the late fall, thus probably a 2019. I have used forums such as this one as I research cars to learn as much as I can about the car(s) I am considering and find it a very valuable tool.

Given the background above, I have a couple questions:
1 - will something else be on a 2019 to replace Google Maps? Or would I run the risk of only have Google maps for a year?
2 - do you still have navigation maps on the display if you don't have Google maps?
3 - just what is it I will not have should Google Maps go away?

Sorry if this has been answered, but I didn't find it.
Thanks!

gsobol

It may be too early to panic. Remember Audi was one of the 3 companies that bought HERE mapping company from Nokia back in 2015. They may be working on their own mapping / satellite view solution. Obviously it takes time to develop something like this, they may feel that 5 years is enough time hence 2020 deadline. Since they are not talking and not releasing any real information it's all speculation right now.

superswiss

The only thing going away is Google Earth. myAudi destinations, Google Voice search etc. won't go away. The reason Google Earth is going away is due to a change that Google is making. Supposedly Audi is working on a replacement for MY19. Most people don't seem to be aware that Audi, BMW and Daimler got together a couple of years ago and bought the HERE Maps unit from Nokia. HERE Maps is the former NavTeq company that Nokia acquired and turned into HERE. It now belongs to Audi, BMW and Daimler and few other smaller investors that bought in in the meantime. Chances are that Audi will switch to the HERE platform moving forward and stop using Google services. HERE has their own satellite images and online destinations features. Mercedes is already using it in their cars. Their online services are all backed by HERE. HERE is also available on iOS and Android and its my go-to navigation app for overseas travel due to the vastly superior offline support compared to anything else. It has great potential for in-car navigation to use online maps when there is a connection, but fall back to offline when connection is lost and continuously update the offline maps when there are updates available. We'll see what Audi comes out with for MY19. It's definitely one of the reasons I'm not in a rush to replace my current car.

Doc H

I think therein lies the rub and the concern. MY19 and forward according to Audi is covered by hardware updates. MY18 owners (the year we are currently in, with cars yet undelivered to some) have already been told by Audi that GE will be non-functional in 2020. Audi did NOT say a new platform would be retrofitted, or software would be updated, or new Navigation features would be forthcoming, or hardware would be replaced. To the contrary, right on their site in tiny red letters, they state that connectivity features are not guaranteed past 2021 for MY17-20. That's my concern, and I'm sure many others. You could argue that of course they wouldn't do that, that of course connectivity will still be available, that they wouldn't leave earlier (by that meaning 2018 - or maybe 2020 - and earlier) Audi owners stranded. But that's not what Audi says in their written disclaimer, and I'm inclined to take them at their word. The only thing we DO know for certain is that hardware in Audis up through 2018, according to Audi, apparently will not run whatever version of GE will be available in 2020. 2021 gives me some wiggle room, and like Superswiss I'm perfectly happy owning my cars for two or three years and bailing if Audi doesn't follow through. If they don't, my next cars will certainly not be Audis, regardless of the technology they fit or promise in their post-2020 autos....

superswiss

Correct, existing hardware will unlikely be retrofitted or updated. Audi has been working on an all new MMI based on Android. They've shown it off in the Q8 concept and it looks awfully like the new touch-based system in the new A6, 7 and 8, but I haven't been able to find confirmation yet that this new system is the one based on Android. In the demo you can see that navigation has two choices. HERE Map and Google Maps. Being based on Android, the Google services will be part of it, but augmented with HERE services. That seems to be Audi's direction moving forward. So either with MY19 or the mid-cycle refreshes we might see an all-new MMI for the B9 platform. That's why I'm holding off for now. I feel the cabin tech in the B9 is close to end of life and due to be replaced with a major overhaul.

smacky

I've mentioned Android Auto a few times but something tells me I'm missing something because people are still worried about Google Maps on their Virtual Cockpit (dash). I use Android Auto every time I'm in the car. To make calls, listen to music, and occasionally use Google Maps for navigation. It still has the benefits of Google, it just doesn't show the satellite view on the VC. Instead, it's the terrain map on the center screen. It's different, but not a deal break for me. Voice control, when AA is activated, doesn't even require a button press. You just say "OK, Google" and the phone picks it up and waits for a command. It will follow "complex" commands such as "take me to the nearest gas station" instead of requiring you to state an address or specific brand of gas station.

This is enough for me and it's free and is unaffected by the Connect subscription.

For those don't use Android Auto or Apple Car, you will always have the Audi navigation. I've never used it, but it's there. You're not stuck without a navigation system in your, with or without your phone.

I was not aware of this. We have an MB and I did notice the navigation on there is not too different from Google Earth, in terms of the graphics/layout of the maps. If that indeed is HERE nav, then there's nothing to worry about. It's a good looking system. It's a MY15 S Class so I'm not sure just how recent the HERE acquisition was and when their services were implemented. What sucks is this car isn't Android Auto compatible, but our W213 does. I don't know if they can be retro-fitted, but Android Auto on our Q7 has ruined other cars for me. Android Auto has been incredible, especially when lost in an unfamiliar place and you just need to get gas or food or something. Hands-free and voice activation further eases the stress.

And it doesn't look like that's going away if Audi lets the Google agreement expire.