GM's OnStar has been around for almost two decades. But recently, OnStar has redoubled its efforts to infiltrate every part of the car, instead of just being an emergency-only and voice-navigation system. Back in January, GM announced that it will begin equipping its cars with OnStar 4G LTE connectivity, and as the year progresses, it's beginning to happen in earnest.
"We're redefining what OnStar means and what it does for our customers," said John McFarland, director of global marketing and innovation for GM's Global Connected Consumer, in an interview with PCMag.
At a GM press event today, held at the Classic Car Club in downtown Manhattan, we had a chance to look at the new 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe, a striking BMW 4 Series competitor based on the ATS sedan. The ATS Coupe starts at $38,000 and is available with either a turbocharged 2.0-liter four cylinder or a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine.
OnStar 4G LTE has several main purposes. First and foremost, it turns the car into a roving cellular hotspot, with AT&T 4G LTE connectivity for up to seven devices in a 50-foot range. I connected my iPhone 5s via Wi-Fi to the car's hotspot with no issue, and was able to pull down 5Mbps, with 1Mbps upload speeds, inside the building. McFarland said they usually see 10Mbps to 15Mbps down when out and about in Manhattan, and based on our continuing cell phone reviews, I have no reason to doubt that.
Pricing and Features Revealed
When I first wrote about OnStar 4G LTE, I mentioned that the biggest question would be price—but it turns out that it's not so bad. A $5-per-month plan gets you 250MB of data, which means you can get your feet wet with it. Plans go up to $50 per month for 10GB if you become a heavy user (or know you'll become one). You can also hook the car into an existing AT&T Mobile Share plan for $9.99 per month.
Perhaps more significant is OnStar's new Basic plan; it's the first time OnStar has ever offered a free service. It lets you connect the car to the free OnStar RemoteLink app, which allows you to lock and unlock the vehicle, start it, find it, and other tasks from your iPhone or Android phone.
RemoteLink runs faster and more reliably now that the car has integrated 4G LTE; we tested it by looking up a destination on the phone and sending it to the car. It took less than 10 seconds to do so. A 4G LTE stream of a 720p YouTube video also looked sharp and clear on the iPhone.
The system supports Siri Eyes Free and Text to Voice; it will pass through any Apple Siri connection or Google Now voice prompts and play them through the car's stereo system. (My biggest problem during my brief test was trying to turn it off; you have to press a button on the steering wheel, or otherwise the iPhone will keep saying "Pardon?" until you throw it out the window.)
Anyone who wants to opt out of RemoteLink can do so automatically; you have to accept the terms and conditions before the car is connected to the GM mothership in any way. So if that bothers you, you don't have to activate it.
As before, as extra-cost services, OnStar Emergency Crash Response is available for $19.95 per month or $199.95 per year, while voice-enabled turn-by-turn directions (for cars without navigation, but with OnStar) cost $29.95 per month or $299.95 per year.
But Do You Need OnStar 4G LTE?
So if you already have a mobile hotspot, why do you need another one? McFarland himself pointed out that phone companies are beginning to integrate hotspot services as part of their plans, which further clouds the picture. "When you think about the mobile hotspot itself, there are a few advantages we believe are very important," McFarland said. "Our cars offer a stronger signal, and a more reliable connection—that's thanks to a fin on top of a piece of metal on the back of the car. It offers broader coverage."
It also enables services you wouldn't have otherwise, such as on-board vehicle diagnostics and maintenance schedules even after you leave the vehicle, and the ability to locate the car from further away. However, it doesn't let you use built-in services already in the car, such as Pandora, which is a bit surprising—to use the Pandora link on the main menu, you still have to connect your smartphone. And there's no way to use the 4G LTE connection to download software updates to the vehicle, although GM says it is working on adding features in the future.
"If we add value for our customers, they'll consider paying for it, and I'll believe the 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot provides that value," McFarland said. "Hopefully we've architected packages that are right for them. We have big plans for power users that [want a lot of data], but if a customer wants occasional use for their kid, having that $5 entry level is so important."
By the end of this year, 33 separate GM models from the Chevy Sonic on up will have OnStar 4G LTE connectivity available, McFarland said. The jury is still out as to whether a car needs its own data connection; most people would say no. And I'm not quite sure OnStar is there yet; I'd like to see more integration throughout the infotainment system, and not just have it grafted on to certain aspects of it, the way it is now.
But I'm a technology optimist. And I feel like with the right pricing and feature set, it could potentially enhance the driving and car ownership experience, and not just be another way to get a roving mobile spot. Soon we'll know for sure; stay tuned for a full PCMag review of a car equipped with OnStar 4G LTE.