Does anybody have this in a current Porsche? For $220 Im thinking why not since I'm stuck getting PCM/ NAV only to have Sound package plus w/out a wart. I'm wondering if it's frustrating anyone trying to use it or is it actually useful? I don't even have a Facebook account, don't listen to podcasts, and I dont use Twitter. Accessing radio stations in remote parts has been possible with my iPhone but not a very elegant solution. I don't need to do this often at all so I'm wondering if this would be even the slightest bit practical for me?

 

From reading about it in other threads, this sounds a lot like the BMW Apps feature that I have on my M3, except it only works with Aha Radio? Anyway, it sounds like it just provides an interface on the PCM/CDR+ display that allows you to control the Aha app on your smartphone. For example, on BMW Apps, you can do this with Pandora, which means that rather than just being able to skip tracks forward, you can switch to different stations, upvote/downvote tracks, view album art, track info, etc. It's nice, but I practically never use it, mostly because you have to be connected via USB rather than Bluetooth. BMW Apps recently became more useful by supporting MOG and Glympse, and I think a few other services, plus they created a really sweet M Laptimer app similar to the Porsche Track Precision app -- but if Online Services only supports Aha Radio and you don't use that, it sounds useless to me. And even if you do, I'm not sure it's worth $250 even if you're ok having to connect your phone via USB every time, particularly given that Porsche maddeningly moved the USB jack from the sensible center armrest over to the glovebox that will be much harder to reach, particularly with LWBs.

What this option most definitely ISN'T though, despite the name, is a way for your car to get online on its own. It just controls services that your phone accesses online through its own data connection.

 

i had it on a carrera, its pretty lame. you're better off using bluetooth audio. or even better, throw the iphone in the glove box and use the money to buy an apple watch to get siri on your wrist

 

I have it on my GT3 and I think it's GREAT.

Here's the only reason IMO:

You can use it for points of interest searching ON-LINE using your phone's internet connection through the PCM system.

It works GREAT.

I have to admit, the Aha radio thing sucks but the on-line points of interest searching is awesome.

I had something like this on a prior Audi and used it often. So, I ordered it for my GT3 and really like it.

You don't need to deal with the terrible points of interest database internal to the factory nav.

If you plan to use your nav for points of interest searching, it's great - otherwise - skip it.

I did order it on my GT4 as well.

 

Hmm, that does make it a bit more tempting. I didn't see that the first time I read about the option. On my M3, my BMW Assist subscription allows me to send addresses from Google Maps or the BMW Remote smartphone app (which ties into Google Maps) to my car over the air, which is great because not only is the POI database lacking on that car, but even address entry can be painful. I've had times where I entered a street name and it presented several entries for the street name with different ZIP codes for each result. If you selected the wrong ZIP code, when you went to enter the house number, the range you needed wouldn't be available. And out here in Hill Country where cities/towns can change frequently and unintuitively along a road, the same house number range blocking would happen if I chose the wrong city for the segment of street I wanted. On my previous car, it would let me enter a city and street name but then keep the full range of house numbers along the entire length of the street, regardless of whether that bled into another city, and then if the house number I selected was in another city, it would say, "Did you mean this number and street in this other city?" Perfect.

If only Online Services allowed you to use Google Maps directly on the head unit like the Model S. THAT I would pay for in a heartbeat.

 

Just to be clear - you CANNOT use an app or your desktop to send something to your NAV unit in the car (like I could with the Audi - or like it sounds like you could with your BMW)

But, you can use your phone's internet connection to search google for a point of interest and then NAV to that place or save it easily.

You still need to use the PCM screen/controls to do the search.

So, it's not as cool as the Audi or BMW system but at least the POI database wil never be out of date

 

good point! although I live in a city with a lot of traffic and always use Waze for my nav. If I am out of the city I am using Waze again for the police alerts

 

Bummer that it's just POIs. I bet the reason they didn't allow searching simple addresses or intersections was that it seemed redundant to them if PCM can do it, but Google has proven much more lenient about finding results with incorrect cities or street names than in-car nav systems I've used, though I admit my experience does not include PCM. Still, POI search may just be enough to make me spring for this -- have you confirmed that it works with iOS phones? I assume it's dependent on the phone exposing the DUN Bluetooth profile or something. Do you have to have the mobile hotspot feature enabled on the phone before the car will be able to tap its Internet connection? Based on the Online Services press release, it sounds like even this Google POI functionality is managed through the Aha Radio app -- that can't be right, can it? And if so, do I have to start the Aha Radio app on my phone before I can use this feature in the car? Does it continue to work if my phone display is locked or if I switch to another app?

 

I'm on Android so cannot confirm the iOS works.

I have the AHA radio app installed on my phone.

When I start the car, the phone connects via Bluetooth.

I'm not sure if the AHA radio app automatically starts each time - I'm thinking it does.

I have the phone in my pocket with the display locked and can still use on-line services to search.

I think the AHA app stays open in the background.

Anyway, I don't need to do anything with the phone itself - I just get in the car, start it and my phone connects via Bluetooth and I can use online services.

 

Thanks. I know Android is a lot more permissive about letting apps running in the background than iOS, although iOS seems to be relaxing restrictions a bit more since the BMW Connected app on my phone got a recent update that allows it to continue working even when it's not in the foreground. I'll see what I can find out about this option from iOS users.