BabaGhanoush

Quickly threw this together to compare the costs of the various Audi Connect WiFi packages. I wanted to see the per package price per GB per month and the annual expenditure. It's easy to see that if you plan on using the hotspot at all, the 3GB monthly for $30 is the best value, assuming you use between 1 and 3 GB per month.

I'm still hoping someone finds a SIM resolution by January...

Thanks,

Eppieguy

I will be testing other SIM cards once my 6 month plan is up as I get free data from T-Mobile and they are the same as AT&T when it comes to SIM cards. I have swapped AT&T only SIM cards on IPads and T-Mobile cards work and Verizon does not. Hopefully will be the same with the Q7.

beefcake`

Thanks for putting this together. I'm still confused. If you buy just Audi Connect, you have data - but you can't use it for hotspotting? That's good if you don't have to buy both a data plan and a connect plan to use the car features.

To me, the function of the car (maps, search, remote unlock, etc.) is much more important than hotspot capability. I am a verizon user and have an AT&T work phone. I can say that in the VAST majority of time, I get better connection rates with my Verizon phone and I get pooled data with my family plan that is much cheaper. Given that I can turn on hotspot super easy/fast in the rare times we would use it (road trips), I can't see myself paying for it.

snagitseven

It's not certain that even if they open up the sim slot, it may be for hotspot only and you would still have to subscribe to an Audi Connect plan using the e-sim to get the AC features like online search, Google Earth, etc. Audi seems to want to ensure owners pay through the nose to get all the benefits forced through their closed system. I hope not or I may hang on to my 2013 A6 for longer than planned.

superswiss

Actually, the best value is adding the car's hotspot to your existing AT&T shared data plan for $10/months if you don't use Audi connect. Annual cost $120 and data is whatever you have in your shared pool already.

The hotspot is completely separate from the Audi connect feature now, but each Audi connect plan includes 6GB of hotspot data, so you only have to pay separate for the hotspot if you go over the 6GB before the Audi connect plan comes up for renewal.

An Audi connect plan is required to get a license to use those features, even if the SIM slot is active. A data plan alone doesn't give you access to the Audi connect features anymore. You are now required to pay for a license.

I don't exactly see the point of paying for the hotspot alone. Just turn on the hotspot on your phone if you want your kids/passengers to surf the web while in the car.