Totally confused by Connect+ rollout

[SPITmadFIRE]

What would the downsides be?

For one, not every cell plan provides unlimited or high speed tethering data. Those that do cost more, by about the same margin as an annual connect+ subscription. Also, there's no priority updates if you go the tethering route or gear guard OTA once that gets implemented.

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[Kylechoffman]

Sorry to ask more questions on this. Am I reading correctly that if you do not pay for Connect+, the in vehicle apps like Apple Music, Spotify and Tune In will not work because there is no data connection. So basically a bunch of useless apps on the interface.

 

[godfodder0901]

Sorry to ask more questions on this. Am I reading correctly that if you do not pay for Connect+, the in vehicle apps like Apple Music, Spotify and Tune In will not work because there is no data connection. So basically a bunch of useless apps on the interface.

No. They will work if you tether your phone and use it's data.

 

[dradam]

For one, not every cell plan provides unlimited or high speed tethering data. Those that do cost more, by about the same margin as an annual connect+ subscription. Also, there's no priority updates if you go the tethering route or gear guard OTA once that gets implemented.

I am ambivalent about c+ subscribing. My verizon cell service often seams stronger than At&t, and I do already have an unlimited plan.

Streaming from my phone has been fine. For add free music I would need monthly plans with apple or Tunin beyond the C+ fees.

I don't really understand what the difference between priority updates vs regular will be. Later time frame? slower updates ? only on wifi? any one know?

So I am left with OTA gear guard missing......

 

[Sonoma]

What vehicle software are you running? It's possible the older versions before the Connect+ trial started are dumb and have a hardcoded date to end service if your vehicle is out of date.

Current version: 2024.27.01

 

[SPITmadFIRE]

Thanks for willingness to help. Current version: 2024.27.01

Current version: 2024.27.01

I don't have anything new for you compared to two days ago

 

[R1Thor]

My verizon cell service often seams stronger than At&t, and I do already have an unlimited plan.

While in *theory* coverage may differ between providers, bear in mind that your vehicle is using a lot more power to achieve connectivity than your phone. It's one of the reasons that the safety systems in vehicles (OnStar, On Call, etc) can still make contact when you're in a 'cell phone dead zone.'

I am having trouble finding exact numbers, but I know awhile back I had a friend using GM hotspot and I asked him why he bothered when he had unlimited data with his cell phone. His response was that his vehicle was using Watts of Power (he had the numbers; I don't recall exactly what they were, but it was a few orders of magnitude greater than his phone for this datapoint anyway), while his cell phone was using only a few milliwatts.

Bear in mind, I'm a mechanical guy and the data about what type of amplifier, antenna and signal strength Rivian is sending isn't easily search-able, but my personal experience (where my TMobile connection is typically superior to friends/family members' cell phones on other networks) seems like not a good comparative in a few areas I'd think it would be when I am otherwise watching the connectivity bars in the truck. At the very least the fact that your phone has an internal antenna and the vehicle has a sharkfin on the top makes it at least moderately better, all other things being equal.

All of that is moot if you're constantly and always in regions that have great cell reception with your current provider.

 

[dradam]

While in *theory* coverage may differ between providers, bear in mind that your vehicle is using a lot more power to achieve connectivity than your phone. It's one of the reasons that the safety systems in vehicles (OnStar, On Call, etc) can still make contact when you're in a 'cell phone dead zone.'

I am having trouble finding exact numbers, but I know awhile back I had a friend using GM hotspot and I asked him why he bothered when he had unlimited data with his cell phone. His response was that his vehicle was using Watts of Power (he had the numbers; I don't recall exactly what they were, but it was a few orders of magnitude greater than his phone for this datapoint anyway), while his cell phone was using only a few milliwatts.

Bear in mind, I'm a mechanical guy and the data about what type of amplifier, antenna and signal strength Rivian is sending isn't easily search-able, but my personal experience (where my TMobile connection is typically superior to friends/family members' cell phones on other networks) seems like not a good comparative in a few areas I'd think it would be when I am otherwise watching the connectivity bars in the truck. At the very least the fact that your phone has an internal antenna and the vehicle has a sharkfin on the top makes it at least moderately better, all other things being equal.

All of that is moot if you're constantly and always in regions that have great cell reception with your current provider.

Thank you for your

While in *theory* coverage may differ between providers, bear in mind that your vehicle is using a lot more power to achieve connectivity than your phone. It's one of the reasons that the safety systems in vehicles (OnStar, On Call, etc) can still make contact when you're in a 'cell phone dead zone.'

I am having trouble finding exact numbers, but I know awhile back I had a friend using GM hotspot and I asked him why he bothered when he had unlimited data with his cell phone. His response was that his vehicle was using Watts of Power (he had the numbers; I don't recall exactly what they were, but it was a few orders of magnitude greater than his phone for this datapoint anyway), while his cell phone was using only a few milliwatts.

Bear in mind, I'm a mechanical guy and the data about what type of amplifier, antenna and signal strength Rivian is sending isn't easily search-able, but my personal experience (where my TMobile connection is typically superior to friends/family members' cell phones on other networks) seems like not a good comparative in a few areas I'd think it would be when I am otherwise watching the connectivity bars in the truck. At the very least the fact that your phone has an internal antenna and the vehicle has a sharkfin on the top makes it at least moderately better, all other things being equal.

All of that is moot if you're constantly and always in regions that have great cell reception with your current provider.

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I guess as I consider connect plus -power of transmission is certainly something to take into account. It makes it even more surprising to me though that my Verizon iPhone has connected better than the vehicle on a number of occasions.
So location and coverage are still a factor too.
I Will probably see how it goes for a while without C+. I can always add it if needed.

 

[101kgb]

I'm livid with Rivian. I'm on my second vehicle from them (R1T early on then switched to R1S) so I've had years of just having these "features" as a given. At no point in either purchase was there talk that "hey, I know this is a $100k vehicle but at some point we are going to retroactively downgrade your experience if you don't pay for it". Guarantee this isn't the last downgrade they will try. Tell people upfront like any other manufacturer. I know this isn't a novel idea but certainly feels underhanded. Android auto/Apple are offered on pretty much every other vehicle for free and you get the same functionality. Yes, I understand wifi in vehicle requires a service but many people don't need it.

I've loved the cars but I'm out. Not coming back after this lease.

 

[godfodder0901]

I'm livid with Rivian. I'm on my second vehicle from them (R1T early on then switched to R1S) so I've had years of just having these "features" as a given. At no point in either purchase was there talk that "hey, I know this is a $100k vehicle but at some point we are going to retroactively downgrade your experience if you don't pay for it". Guarantee this isn't the last downgrade they will try. Tell people upfront like any other manufacturer. I know this isn't a novel idea but certainly feels underhanded. Android auto/Apple are offered on pretty much every other vehicle for free and you get the same functionality. Yes, I understand wifi in vehicle requires a service but many people don't need it.

I've loved the cars but I'm out. Not coming back after this lease.

 

[emoore]

I'm livid with Rivian. I'm on my second vehicle from them (R1T early on then switched to R1S) so I've had years of just having these "features" as a given. At no point in either purchase was there talk that "hey, I know this is a $100k vehicle but at some point we are going to retroactively downgrade your experience if you don't pay for it". Guarantee this isn't the last downgrade they will try. Tell people upfront like any other manufacturer. I know this isn't a novel idea but certainly feels underhanded. Android auto/Apple are offered on pretty much every other vehicle for free and you get the same functionality. Yes, I understand wifi in vehicle requires a service but many people don't need it.

I've loved the cars but I'm out. Not coming back after this lease.

You are paying for a data plan and that’s not free on other vehicles either.

 

[Scottm]

I'm livid with Rivian. I'm on my second vehicle from them (R1T early on then switched to R1S) so I've had years of just having these "features" as a given. At no point in either purchase was there talk that "hey, I know this is a $100k vehicle but at some point we are going to retroactively downgrade your experience if you don't pay for it". Guarantee this isn't the last downgrade they will try. Tell people upfront like any other manufacturer. I know this isn't a novel idea but certainly feels underhanded. Android auto/Apple are offered on pretty much every other vehicle for free and you get the same functionality. Yes, I understand wifi in vehicle requires a service but many people don't need it.

I've loved the cars but I'm out. Not coming back after this lease.

You should have read the manual. It’s always stated that cellular connectivity requires a subscription even before they announced Connect+. We just didn’t know how long it would be included for free until a few months ago.

 

[VSG]

I'm livid with Rivian. I'm on my second vehicle from them (R1T early on then switched to R1S) so I've had years of just having these "features" as a given. At no point in either purchase was there talk that "hey, I know this is a $100k vehicle but at some point we are going to retroactively downgrade your experience if you don't pay for it". Guarantee this isn't the last downgrade they will try. Tell people upfront like any other manufacturer. I know this isn't a novel idea but certainly feels underhanded. Android auto/Apple are offered on pretty much every other vehicle for free and you get the same functionality. Yes, I understand wifi in vehicle requires a service but many people don't need it.

I've loved the cars but I'm out. Not coming back after this lease.

Wow. You sound like a spoiled brat. Rivian has said from day 1 that connectivity was going to be a paid service but would be provided for free for a period of time. And although the end date for the free period kept being pushed back, we all should have been paying for this a long time ago if they had strictly adhered what they promised. It took them a LOT longer than they anticipated to get their shit together and get the infrastructure in place for paid services, so you got a lot more for free than you should have expected. And now you're so mad about paying $12/mo for an additional line of cell service that you're going to ditch your "$100k vehicle"? Oh, and also, exaggerate much? As a price-protected pre-order, you paid about $75k, and you also got a $7,500 tax credit, so it cost you less than $70k net.

Rivian DID tell you before you bought your vehicle that the services were free only for a period of time and after that they would be charging you for them. They are simply doing what they said they would do, they are NOT changing the deal after the fact.

BTW, here's just one place which lists some of the terms and conditions you agreed to back in 2021 when you placed your pre-order (according to your signature). This is just one of the many documents spelling out Rivian's gift of "membership" for a limited time and their notification to you that these services would be converted to paid services in the future.
http://web.archive.org/web/20211025164441/https://rivian.com/support/membership, and especially
http://web.archive.org/web/20211025172405/https://rivian.com/legal/membership
If you were unaware of this, that's on you - you signed the purchase agreement where this was all spelled out.

Up until now Rivian was losing maybe $1 million a month providing free data service. Now they're not losing money any more. I doubt they're making any money off of this - it is simply stopping the loss. This is something they should have done a long time ago.

 

[tinsriv]

So Connect+ provides the pipes and app install for these applicatons (tune-in, spotify, etc) but I also need a separate subscription to each of these services?

What I don’t understand is that I’ve had my car for 1.5 years. I could ALWAYS connect my Spotify account to the suv and play it through my infotainment system. Way before connect us was even a thing-but now they’ve taken that away?? After 1.5 years?

 

[tinsriv]

You should have read the manual. It’s always stated that cellular connectivity requires a subscription even before they announced Connect+. We just didn’t know how long it would be included for free until a few months ago.

Yes agree!! I’ve had my suv for 1.5 years and was connecting my Spotify with no problems, and now they’re taking that away. What doesn’t make sense is this was a function that worked way before connect plus was even introduced. I can’t stand it

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