[amberleigh]

Put down a deposit for an adventure package r1t. I’m not very tech saavy so I’m sure this info is out there but I’m having trouble—

No Apple car play— does that mean I can only stream music (pandora, Apple) from my phone via Bluetooth? And only the Adventure package has Bluetooth capability?

What about pulling up nav from my phone. I’m guessing that’s not possible?

 

[O. horridus]

All the Rivians have Bluetooth. Yes, you can stream from your phone. Rivian also has streaming radio stations built in (TuneIn). Spotify is also supported. Car Play / Android Auto / etc. are not supported initially but may be available in the future via OTA updates. Amazon Alexa integration, which I haven't heard much about lately, will certainly be available at some point, along with all the skills (like Pandora) that you can use with Alexa.

Nav from your phone, probably not anytime soon. But this is a computer on wheels, so in the future I'm hoping Rivian opens up an API for third parties to interface with their console in an appropriate, limited manner.

EDIT: I should also mention that the Rivian is a Wi-Fi hotspot, so streaming from your phone doesn't have to use cell minutes.

 

[scarp292]

EDIT: I should also mention that the Rivian is a Wi-Fi hotspot, so streaming from your phone doesn't have to use cell minutes.

Does that mean we will need a subscription? Who pays for the wifi hotspot?

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

Does that mean we will need a subscription? Who pays for the wifi hotspot?

Rivian hasn't released details about the subscription, afaik. However, in other vehicles the hotspot requires a paid subscription -- often not even through the manufacturer but rather through the carrier, directly.

Maybe if you have several kids it may be cheaper to buy one hotspot subscription so they can use wifi ipads... But for adults who have cell phones, anyway, I don't see the point of the vehicle hotspot. The last several vehicles I've owned have had the feature and I've always accepted the free trial, but I've never felt compelled to renew it.

 

[NY_Rob]

For Tesla at least (and Rivian seems to copy a lot from tesla) the $10/month subscription for connectivity gives you the infotainment feed and real-time traffic data. That would probably be the case for Rivian too, and.. if you wanted true internet connectivity for devices via the vehicle hotspot... maybe another $10/month?

 

[O. horridus]

All this is free initially, but they haven't committed to how long this lasts or what the cost will be in the long term, although there are some hints in the S-1.

What are the benefits of membership?

"At launch, all benefits will be complimentary. In the future, access to certain benefits may require a fee."

There are also links to more details.

 

[amberleigh]

Thanks guys. Hoping for my coveted delivery email soon. Happy new year, cheers.

 

[Wing]

Can you not just tether your phone via wifi? I assume the vehicle has wifi for updates, therefore it can connect to your phones wifi while traveling.

To me this makes the most sense going forward I already pay for a data plan on my phone no need for another.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

Can you not just tether your phone via wifi? I assume the vehicle has wifi for updates, therefore it can connect to your phones wifi while traveling.

To me this makes the most sense going forward I already pay for a data plan on my phone no need for another.

Not ideal, imo.

Can interfere with calling when data is being utilized. Also increased battery drain. And toggling the hotspot on/off can be annoying.

It should work — just not ideal.

 

[Wing]

ppl use their phone for calling? LOL I don't

Battery drain yes but there's a wireless charger, so bonus, easy just drop it in and it's fine. And hotspot can be enabled / disabled automatically when you enter / exit the vehicle, at least with Android so not an issue.

Certainly not as easy as paying another $10 a month but I rather save the money.