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A Third Of New Cellular Customers Last Quarter Were Cars (recode.net)

Posted by msmash on from the connected-things dept.

Ina Fried, reporting for Recode: With the U.S. smartphone market saturated, most of the growth in the cellular industry is actually coming from other kinds of devices including tablets, machine-to-machine connections and lots and lots of cars. In the first quarter, for example, the major carriers actually added more connected cars (Editor's note: amounting to a 32 percent capture) as new accounts than they did phones.

65 comments

  1. Don't use a cellphone while driving by penguinoid · · Score: 3, Funny

    Don't those engineers know anything?

    --
    Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
    1. Re:Don't use a cellphone while driving by The+New+Guy+2.0 · · Score: 2

      This is something I wanted for a while... a dedicated device number that maps to my car and not something I carry with me. If people want to reach me and think I'm driving, the car can ring and I don't have to set up Bluetooth. If somebody wants me to do something on the way home without bothering me during the workday, my car can carry the message when I get there.

    2. Re:Don't use a cellphone while driving by The+New+Guy+2.0 · · Score: 0

      Cell phone is safe when moved to the car radio position... you can't hand dial while driving, but you can voice dial without taking your hands of the wheel. Ideally, most of the car's controls should now be at the steering wheel, and the remainder within reach of your girlfriend.

    3. Re: Don't use a cellphone while driving by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1988 called, they want their car phone back!

    4. Re:Don't use a cellphone while driving by cashman73 · · Score: 3, Funny
      and the remainder within reach of your girlfriend.

      I think you are forgetting that this is Slashdot you're posting at.

    5. Re:Don't use a cellphone while driving by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      OK, so boyfriend?

    6. Re: Don't use a cellphone while driving by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      car's controls should now be at the steering wheel, and the remainder within reach of your girlfriend.

      That's great if your girl has good musical taste, but a recipe for yet another gas-station argument if not.

    7. Re:Don't use a cellphone while driving by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Rosie can be a boys name, if that's what works for you.

    8. Re:Don't use a cellphone while driving by The+New+Guy+2.0 · · Score: 1

      You seem to have forgotten the Slashdot that isn't in range of the search feature... my exes got together and designed an iPhone app compatible with car systems that are about ready to come out now.

    9. Re:Don't use a cellphone while driving by grub · · Score: 1

      RealDoll.

      --
      Trolling is a art,
    10. Re:Don't use a cellphone while driving by The+New+Guy+2.0 · · Score: 1

      Slashdot isn't gay... it's just having trouble attracting women.

    11. Re:Don't use a cellphone while driving by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

      This is something I wanted for a while... a dedicated device number that maps to my car and not something I carry with me. If people want to reach me and think I'm driving, the car can ring and I don't have to set up Bluetooth.

      That is not what these phones are for. You don't talk over them. They are for transmitting map info, traffic info, and software updates.

    12. Re:Don't use a cellphone while driving by The+New+Guy+2.0 · · Score: 1

      That's not a phone, that's a data connection. I've had a FM-connected traffic-displaying GPS for years now. It could change my route to avoid blockage, then I could tell the boss about who got stuck in the morning commute.

    13. Re: Don't use a cellphone while driving by The+New+Guy+2.0 · · Score: 1

      The analog cell phones of the 80s were power messes. Too much transmission, too little battery life. Today's GSM/LTE phones can do so much more with less.

    14. Re: Don't use a cellphone while driving by The+New+Guy+2.0 · · Score: 1

      FIrst, I listen to pop music... and that's a real girlfriend-getter. Second, if she's really your girlfriend she'll turn on the baseball game at your request.

    15. Re:Don't use a cellphone while driving by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

      That's not a phone, that's a data connection.

      It is a device that connects to the cellular network, and transmits and receives data. This is also what a cell phone is.

    16. Re:Don't use a cellphone while driving by DarkTempes · · Score: 1

      Contrary to popular anime plots, girlfriends don't magically appear in basements.

    17. Re:Don't use a cellphone while driving by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      That's not supported by any studies. To the contrary, studies have found that cells phone reduce driving ability, hands free or not. Just like a couple/few beers. Mythbusters did a show on this. Cell phone cause thousands of deaths per year. Recognize that if you are on a cell phone you are putting your own and other lives in danger.

    18. Re: Don't use a cellphone while driving by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bullshit. There are dozens of other things that also distract drivers and none of these 'cellphones cause unspeakable carnage' hysteric studies ever bother to compare cell phone use with any of those things.

      BTW, go check the history books and old newspapers. People like you were saying the same things about car radios when they were first introduced.

    19. Re:Don't use a cellphone while driving by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not a phone if it doesn't do voice calls.

      Telephone (devised by Sudré in 1828), from French téléphone (c.1830), from télé- "far" + phone "sound"

  2. Well by liqu1d · · Score: 1

    At least the article was short.

  3. How can a car be a customer? by LichtSpektren · · Score: 0

    Unless the cars themselves are sapient, the headline should read "A Third Of New Cellular Connections Last Quarter Were Cars".

  4. Every Parents' Worse Nightmare by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 4, Funny

    They were allowed to drive themselves. Now they have cellphones. Won't be long before they're at the drive in, making out and having babies.

    1. Re:Every Parents' Worse Nightmare by jeffb+(2.718) · · Score: 2

      I bought my car new 17 years ago. I think it's about time for it to start producing grand-cars.

  5. Why? by cashman73 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    My car automatically connects to my phone via Bluetooth every time I get in. I can listen to mp3 music over the car stereo, talk to someone via hands free, or even listen to pandora over the phone's LTE connection (though I have enough mp3s that I don't have to). I can even use the phone's GPS to tell me where I am and give me instructions through the car stereo on where I need to go. I don't need an extra monthly bill so that the car has its own connection. But capitalists love connected cars because the auto manufacturers can advertise the next generation "connected automobile" and the wireless companies get another monthly revenue stream. They're also hopeful on marketing this to parents so that they can have an internet connection available for their kids to watch Netflix or play games on long family trips instead of actually having to ***gasp*** socialize and interact with them.

    1. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      So the car can send telemetry data back to the manufacturers to let them know what you're doing to the car so they can reject warranty claims. (See the story about the Tesla that auto-drove into a truck.)

      I mean, to enable exciting new features like live updated maps and traffic in the in-car navigation system and things like in-car wifi! Totally not to constantly spy on you and everything you do!

    2. Re:Why? by NatasRevol · · Score: 2

      If I had a Tesla that could update itself (ludicrous speed!) over its data connection, I'd think that's awesome.

      --
      There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
    3. Re:Why? by tlhIngan · · Score: 2

      They're also hopeful on marketing this to parents so that they can have an internet connection available for their kids to watch Netflix or play games on long family trips instead of actually having to ***gasp*** socialize and interact with them.

      Basically this. Look at any ad that shows a car having WiFi - it's all about your passengers updating their facebook or playing games while on the move, and kinds playing games or other entertainment/distraction for the family road trip.

    4. Re:Why? by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      Requiring their own SIMs is the least of the reasons not to buy a brand new car.

      Until the car makers get their act together and build firmware to aviation standards, I will stick with brake peddle attached to master cylinder, throttle cable, stick shift, thanks. Comes from growing up in 'car cancer' country and now living in CA. The old cars are great here, hack a cradle into the dash and I'm good to go.

      Those aviation standards will also likely set back 'automatic cars' a little. But so be it. It will help in the long run.

      If reading about the Toyota engine controller doesn't scare you. I don't know what to say. Multithreaded, no protected memory, untrapped exceptions killing threads, threads known to corrupt memory they didn't own. If your Toyota ever 'acted haunted' and went back to normal after a power cycle, you weren't crazy.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    5. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's just like those cable television commercials boasting "Fastest in-home Wi-Fi!" People will pay thousands of dollars a year extra for a feature if the marketing is slick enough.

    6. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Can you re-explain this using a car analogy?

    7. Re:Why? by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      People are stupid. The key to success in life is separating stupid people from their money. Hopefully without breaking any laws, but at least, without getting caught.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    8. Re:Why? by sims+2 · · Score: 1

      Have you seen the ads for TV free-way?

      It's like some weird parallel universe where no one's ever seen a tv antenna before and somehow they were able to do the whole commercial without ever using the word "antenna".

      --
      Minimum threshold fixed. Thanks!
    9. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, I've been looking at doing something similar for road trips. My normal phone is project fi so the reception outside of major cities is.. non existant. It would be very convenient to have a Verizon hotspot for road trips.

      Thing is... the 50$ hotspots don't turn off with your car. they aren't purpose built. The ODB2 ones are but may introduce hackability to your car. I'm pretty close to doing it but I want to try it out first to see if it's worth it. Alas the pre-paid hotspot is LTE only and has no 3g support - so it's useless for the task..

      The vin.li is supposed to be secure in that it doesn't have the connection to the CAN bus of your car but it only works with T-mobile.

    10. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have a Hyundai Veloster, and not only is the console computer a really buggy implementation of Windows CE, it also has engine controller problems, some of which are solved by power cycling the car and some of which aren't. It's even gotten itself into a situation where it wouldn't fire a cylinder and almost caused severe damage to itself.

      I miss my Geo Metro.

    11. Re:Why? by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      I'm going to find clean one and make an ElCaMetro. Put a Honda B engine and drivetrain in it. Should fly.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    12. Re:Why? by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

      That still doesn't make that much sense. They can send telemetry back through your Bluetooth-connected phone. Of course, if you never bother to connect a phone by Bluetooth, that would stymie their spying, so I guess building the cellular modem into the car helps prevent that, but then how do they keep people from refusing to pay the monthly cellular bill for it and just getting it disconnected by the carrier?

    13. Re:Why? by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

      So far, I'm really liking my 2015 Mazda3. The "infotainment" computer runs Linux (though the application software on top of it is rather slow as it's all in JavaScript), and mostly works pretty decently and with the "commander knob" on the center console is easy to use and safe while driving (don't have to use the touchscreen). And so far, I haven't seen any kind of problems with the firmware in other parts of the car, nor have I even read about any such problems on the very active mazda3revolution.com forums. Mazdas are generally known to be very reliable.

      Better yet, since the infotainment is Linux-based and easy to hack into (the root password is "jci", stands for Johnson Controls Inc, the supplier), a bunch of people are busy
      making all kinds of mods and improvements to the system.

      This doesn't mean there aren't some hidden problems there somewhere, but these cars have been around since model year 2014 and I haven't read of any serious problems yet.

    14. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      because when you get the 2500 gps system in your car it already includes data connection charges.

    15. Re:Why? by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

      There's carmakers still doing that crap?

      On my Mazda (which I think is now standard across the whole line; the infotainment systems all look identical), the GPS navigation is built into the infotainment which all the cars have, but you have to pay $250 for the SD card with the nav data on it if you didn't buy a model where it's thrown in as part of the trim package. There's no cellular modem, though, and no traffic updates (in the US), so it's not the greatest. It uses HERE navigation, so that part actually works pretty well, the lack of traffic updates and re-routing for traffic is lame though. Anyway, there's no cell modem and thus no telemetry AFAIK unless they send something back through your BT cellphone.

      (Also, in case any Mazda owners are reading and don't want to pay $250 for the nav card, you can download an ISO of the SD card image that someone made available.)

    16. Re:Why? by rtkluttz · · Score: 1

      Many things are awesome in concept and suck in implementation. Many "update" systems for electronics, which now even includes cars, used to honor the concept of ownership, where the manufacturer listed changelogs and information about the updates and then the owner made the decision to update. Sometimes updates break things by accident, sometimes updates cripple things that used to work on purpose. Sometimes updates bring along unwanted "features". The owner should get to choose and also to control what the thing being updated says and does including when and if the "thing" to be updated communicates anything back to the mothership.

      --
      Digital is, by definition, imperfect. Analog is the way to go.
  6. it ain't free, so by jabberw0k · · Score: 2

    How much of that new car will be broken if I do not agree to pay maybe a thousand bucks a year extra for the privilege of being spied on by the friendsy overlords?

    1. Re:it ain't free, so by The-Ixian · · Score: 1

      I know... here, buy this car for thousands of dollars... and, oh hey, bonus, you also get to pay $80/month to keep your car connected to the Internet... lucky you!

      --
      My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
    2. Re:it ain't free, so by HumanWiki · · Score: 3, Informative

      For my car, a 2016 Camaro SS, there's little that will be broken. The only things you would lose are the ability to make/take call on the car's phone number, you can still pair your BT phone just fine as with most modern cars. If you bought the Nav system, that is independent and will function just fine, but you don't get Directions and Connections from OnStar anymore.

      Your XM channels and traffic are a fully separate thing you can choose to continue or not.

      Honestly outside of the remote diagnostics and the OnStar App functions, you don't lose much. (for me, anways).

    3. Re:it ain't free, so by wile_e_wonka · · Score: 2

      I bought a used car in which the original cell subscription ran out. The only way to continue service was through the car company (which provides the service through T-Mobile) for, I think it was $30 per month or a lump sum of $450 for 3 years. It takes a T-Mobile sim card.

      I tried getting the $10 per month T-Mobile sim card, but it didn't function in the car.

      Since I am not up for paying that kind of money for the services, I didn't subscribe. If I ordered the service it provides:

      Google maps in the navigation interface (though without the cell connection, the navigation interface is fine--it even shows speed limits)
      Makes a mobile hotspot available in the car (which I can do from my phone for free)
      Probably the only useful thing is: the car would be connected to the internet even when I am not in there. So, I could control some things about my car from my phone and also send a Google Maps route to the car from my home computer or my phone.

      It seems to me that some of the features could be made available by better utilizing the bluetooth connection with my phone, but then I wouldn't have as much incentive to pay $30/mo. Which is a rip-off in my mind, since the data connection they want me to buy costs $10 directly from T-Mobile. Anyway, so far so good without paying the subscription. I don't feel like I'm missing out on much.

    4. Re:it ain't free, so by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

      Or you could just use Ting, a T-Mobile reseller, and pay them $6/month (and your actual usage just adds to the rest of your Ting account, which works with both T-Mobile and Sprint devices).

      Of course, if the $10/month T-mo card doesn't work with it, Ting probably won't either. Just pointing out that there's a cheaper option available for T-mo devices.

    5. Re:it ain't free, so by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And pretty clearly, the system is somehow keyed to only accept OnStar-enabled SIMs or cell numbers. That way they can charge you $30/mo for 'safety', while pocketing $25 and paying T-Mob $5 for wholesale services.

  7. About time! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why is the tech industry so fucking slow?

    1. Re:About time! by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      Because they're listening to the marketing folks to tell them what consumers want rather than showing consumers what their need. Steve Jobs was a master at showing.

    2. Re:About time! by known_coward_69 · · Score: 1

      when the dell axim and compaq ipaq were being sold i thought it would be awesome if they could somehow sell a cell phone attachment to it. steve jobs only knew what people wanted

  8. Why? by Frederic54 · · Score: 1

    I don't get it, why do they advertise "wow our car now has wifi onboard!!! Better than competition!!!" in TV and all?!? I mean, I have a 3G MiFi for something like 6 years now that I can take with me in the car for the family to have internet access, and I can even take it while we walk everywhere, and still have our tablet/phones connected to WiFi, all using only one data plan.

    Why having a $49 hotpot in a car became a sale point, is beyond me...

    --
    "Science will win because it works." - Stephen Hawking
  9. How many will last past 1 year? by The+Grim+Reefer · · Score: 1

    My guess is that the connections are primarily for OnStar and other such services. I can't say I've looked, but don't most cars that come equipped with that have the service for free for the first year and then needs to be paid for after that? If so, I'd guess that the majority of these will be canceled after the first year. Or do those stay connected even if the owner does not renew the service?

    1. Re:How many will last past 1 year? by HumanWiki · · Score: 1

      I bought a 2016 Camaro SS earlier in the year, OnStar comes will Cellular minutes as a freebie (intro). I don't use the cell in my car, nor do I really like OnStar all that much. The OnStar module and related data channel may use the same signal back, but you don't have to have cell minutes for it to work. You do have to subscribe to the OnStar packages though for them to continue past your initial trail time.

      I just have my cell phone BT paired to my MyLink and it handles incoming and outgoing calls for me. It even handles sending and receiving texts.

      The car also has built in WiFi that provides local network data, which also rides your 4G LTE via the car.

    2. Re:How many will last past 1 year? by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      It's going to cost you a buck or two to get that all removed, but it can be done.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    3. Re:How many will last past 1 year? by HumanWiki · · Score: 1

      It's going to cost you a buck or two to get that all removed, but it can be done.

      I'm not going to remove any of it as it's all tightly integrated in to the control systems of the car. You can easily have it fully disabled by telling OnStar to kill it. The blue light will even turn red and they're very clear that it means 0 crash response and assistance, no remote diagnostics, no auto generated monthly vehicle status emails, etc.

      I've turned it off on my prior Corvettes and Camaros because I simply don't use or need it. I also Road Course and Drag Race, so I don't need it keeping track of vehicle telemetry for me as I will put the car in to very hard G turns on some courses and will brake rapidly and suddenly.

      Most of my cars get modded anyways, so it's not really an issue.

    4. Re:How many will last past 1 year? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Jeez,Corvettes and Camaros.
      A serial bad-decision maker, you sure you don't want OnStar?

    5. Re:How many will last past 1 year? by HumanWiki · · Score: 1

      Jeez,Corvettes and Camaros.
      A serial bad-decision maker, you sure you don't want OnStar?

      Man, you really got me there... I don't know how I'm ever going to survive such an awful anonymous comment...

    6. Re:How many will last past 1 year? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At least you were smart enough to avoid a Chrysler product.
      On the Camaro, what's it like driving a car where window glass isn't available as a factory option? It boggles my mind that they're allowed to sell a car with suck poor visibility. Then again I suppose it's no worse then a box truck.

    7. Re:How many will last past 1 year? by HumanWiki · · Score: 1

      At least you were smart enough to avoid a Chrysler product.
      On the Camaro, what's it like driving a car where window glass isn't available as a factory option? It boggles my mind that they're allowed to sell a car with suck poor visibility. Then again I suppose it's no worse then a box truck.

      I see people complain about that all the time. I don't have any visibility issues. People that tend to have those don't have their side mirrors correctly aligned and such blind themselves. Now, it's not a bubble setup up like a C6 Grand Sport. It's not like I've got 0 visibility.

      Honestly, the C7 Z06 w/ Z07 package had much less rear visibility than my '16 SS.

    8. Re:How many will last past 1 year? by The+Grim+Reefer · · Score: 1

      Jeez,Corvettes and Camaros. A serial bad-decision maker, you sure you don't want OnStar?

      I've own a Vette now and have had Camaro's as well. If you're looking for performance for cheap (relatively) then there's really not a lot of other choices.

    9. Re:How many will last past 1 year? by toddestan · · Score: 1

      To me, it feels like I'm driving a pillbox of cheap plastic. However, it's not really too different than a lot of modern cars where crappy visibility is now the norm. But each to their own.

  10. Car == new, extra device by Dracos · · Score: 1

    Doesn't this make the flatlining mobile sales look even worse?

  11. Who pays? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So new cars have built in celphones, things like onstar. Who pays for this? I assume there is some monthly fee required. The consumer? the auto maker? the dealership?

    I've never had a car with that kind of thing in it. Generally curious.I guess if you pay 20k for a car, they can throw in a cel phone contract for a few years in the purchase price. But maybe its an optional add on?

    1. Re:Who pays? by HumanWiki · · Score: 1

      So new cars have built in celphones, things like onstar. Who pays for this? I assume there is some monthly fee required. The consumer? the auto maker? the dealership?

      I've never had a car with that kind of thing in it. Generally curious.I guess if you pay 20k for a car, they can throw in a cel phone contract for a few years in the purchase price. But maybe its an optional add on?

      It comes with a trial period with OnStar remote assistance, navigation/concierge, diagnostics, cell minutes and data, etc.

      You can opt to continue these various services for a fee depending on which options you purchase.

      I don't continue with any of them because my car has integrated nav, I have a cell w/ BT that pairs easily to the MyLink system, I'm a shade tree mechanic, so I don't see the remote diags, I have friends that work for dealers, so I don't need that service and I have 0 use for the WiFi tethering and have my AP shut off in the OnStar portal.

      The cell plan works just like others. You have monthly talk minutes and in my case, a data plan as well to use with the WiFi tethering it provides.

  12. Now cars? by AndyKron · · Score: 1

    So now even cars have better phones than I do? Flip, flip, flip...