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T-Mobile's New SyncUP DRIVE is a 4G LTE Hotspot and Vehicle Monitor

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T-Mobile has launched the SyncUP DRIVE, an all-in-one solution for in-vehicle 4G LTE connectivity, driving analysis, vehicle tracking, and maintenance monitoring.

tmobile-syncup-drive.jpg

The accessory plugs into the on-board diagnostic port, standard on most vehicles manufactured in 1996 or later. The OBD-II port is typically located underneath the driver's side dashboard, often within close proximity of the steering wheel. It is the same port used by mechanics to diagnose vehicle and engine problems.

The plug-in device can create a Wi-Fi hotspot that allows up to five devices to use 4G LTE cellular data. Meanwhile, the companion app uses GPS to track the vehicle's location, and it can provide maintenance reminders, recall info, speed limit warnings, and car trouble notifications with Diagnostic Trouble Codes.

SyncUP DRIVE is similar to the Automatic Pro, which also plugs into the OBD-II port and provides trip logging, business expensing, engine light diagnostics, fill-up logging, crash alerts, parking tracking, and more through a companion iPhone app. Automatic Pro costs $129.95 and includes unlimited 3G syncing for five years.

SyncUP DRIVE will be available on November 18 for $149.99. For a limited time, customers purchasing the device on a 24-month installment plan with at least 2GB of data per month will get the accessory for free after 24 monthly bill credits. The device is not compatible with electric, hybrid, or diesel vehicles.

The companion SyncUp DRIVE app for iPhone, developed by Mojio, will be available for free on the App Store.

Article Link: T-Mobile's New SyncUP DRIVE is a 4G LTE Hotspot and Vehicle Monitor
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/07/tmobile-syncup-drive/
Just logging any data they can get...

where are you, at what time, going where with whom (anyone connected to the hotspot), probably even using ads/cookies/affiliates, when do you get your car checked, how do you drive...

Orwellian Nightmare
 
I just want an app and odb dongle that gives me real-time visual feedback on the cars sensors and data. My car, and most cars these days, already has built in MPG data available, really don't need yet another odb dongle that advertises this as a feature. A $50 ODB reader from AutoZone gives me more useful information than pretty much all of these. And speed limit data? Are people really so clueless they need an app to tell them they're driving too fast? Jeez.
 
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kwikdeth said:
And speed limit data? Are people really so clueless they need an app to tell them they're driving too fast? Jeez.
Click to expand...

I just wanted to mention that I love that Waze always displays the speed limit in the lower left corner of the screen.

I know when I'm driving physically too fast, but speed limits are just arbitrary laws that random states and towns pass so that they can tell you you did something wrong and fine you. They'll hide the signs so that you can't see them*. But Waze will reliably tell you what the speed limit is.

* I know you can challenge it in court, but that takes time and effort. It's much easier to just know what the speed limit is and not worry about seeing the sign or not and whether where they placed the sign is legal or not.
 
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kwikdeth said:
I just want an app and odb dongle that gives me real-time visual feedback on the cars sensors and data. My car, and most cars these days, already has built in MPG data available, really don't need yet another odb dongle that advertises this as a feature. A $50 ODB reader from AutoZone gives me more useful information than pretty much all of these. And speed limit data? Are people really so clueless they need an app to tell them they're driving too fast? Jeez.
Click to expand...

I use Dash Command and a cheapie WiFi OBD plug I found on Amazon. Works great.
 
kwikdeth said:
A $50 ODB reader from AutoZone gives me more useful information than pretty much all of these.
Click to expand...
Well, you can't get real time GPS tracking via cellular though. For that, $130 Automatic Pro (no recurring cost) seems like far superior value than these subscription based solutions (which I think costs $10/month if you already have qualifying T-Mobile postpaid plan).
 
kwikdeth said:
And speed limit data? Are people really so clueless they need an app to tell them they're driving too fast? Jeez.
Click to expand...
The overwhelming majority of my route to and from work has a speed limit of 40 MPH. The big exception is one section of the road, where the speed limit drops to 35 MPH, but only in one direction. Yes, the other direction on the same stretch of road is 40 MPH. The signs for this are hidden, and the local police run speed traps there.

Depending on how detailed the speed limit information is, this could also be really useful for school zones. I used to drive through one that was nearly a mile long with multiple stoplights in it. They only had the flashing school zone light at the beginning. It was extremely easy to forget that it was still a school zone when you pulled away from a long red light. Especially when right on the other side of the intersection, there was a "Speed Limit 40" sign with no sub-sign for the school zone hours or speed.
 
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you guys make a good point, I had kind of forgotten about speed traps and the like. kind of nice living in a place where the police departments dont have ticket quotas.
 
kwikdeth said:
I just want an app and odb dongle that gives me real-time visual feedback on the cars sensors and data. My car, and most cars these days, already has built in MPG data available, really don't need yet another odb dongle that advertises this as a feature. A $50 ODB reader from AutoZone gives me more useful information than pretty much all of these.
Click to expand...
DashCommand will show all sorts of real-time data from your car, with a customizable display. I use it with a GoPoint BT1. (Many other ODB readers would likely work but I went with one that was approved by both the DashCommand developers and Apple, to avoid any possible future finger-pointing problems.)
 
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kwikdeth said:
you guys make a good point, I had kind of forgotten about speed traps and the like. kind of nice living in a place where the police departments dont have ticket quotas.
Click to expand...
The inconsistency in traffic control signs and devices drives me nuts. Some school busses have a stop sign that deploys when they stop. Others have blinking red lights. Others have a stop sign with blinking red lights on it. In every other context, all three of those mean to come to a complete stop, then go. On a school bus, they mean stop until the stop sign folds away.

One intersection uses a green arrow for protected left or a green dot for an unprotected left, like it says in the TXDOT manual. Another just a few down the road uses both for a protected left, and a green dot with no arrow for unprotected. A little odd, but okay. A few further down, another uses a blinking yellow arrow for unprotected left. When you're about to make your turn, you have to look carefully to see if it's the yellow arrow in the blinking position or the one in the don't-enter-the-intersection position, or you run the risk of running the red light.

The street with different speed limits in each direction is just one more example of weird, inconsistent traffic regulation.
 
Curious on the details of this. Mainly how good with the 4G LTE be… If it's better at picking up LTE than my iPhone is, then it's interesting. Tracking is a concern though.
 
modemthug said:
I'm sure this data won't be sold to your auto insurance company
Click to expand...
Well, I know a young man in the UK, driving a car much too powerful for his age, who got hit by another car. The other driver swore that this young man was driving at excessive speed. Fortunately, he had a black box monitoring the speed, which is used by the insurance company, and that black box showed clearly that he was not over the speed limit of 30mph, therefore no excessive speed.
 
This would be useful to get wifi to my headunit but I'm not gonna pay $20 a month when I can just hotspot my phone.
 
Trying to imagine how this hotspot would be useful since you could use the hotspot on your phone. So I guess it's aimed at people without hotspot on their phones who use their laptop in their cars and have passengers with wifi only tablets.
 
modemthug said:
I'm sure this data won't be sold to your auto insurance company
Click to expand...
There's insurance companies that give partial refunds when you plug in their ODB dongle and share your data. For high-risk customers there are even insurance companies that require such a dongle if you want to be their customer.
 
Can someone explain to me what the benefit of a car-based hotspot is? If everyone in the vehicle has their own cellular connection, why would you need this? Aside from family outings, who would use this?
 
Defthand said:
Can someone explain to me what the benefit of a car-based hotspot is? If everyone in the vehicle has their own cellular connection, why would you need this? Aside from family outings, who would use this?
Click to expand...

I use two iPhones, one private and one for business. When I am in the reach of WiFi, I can take a call from any of them using the beauty of iOS. My car BT accepts only one phone link at a time, so if somebody is calling the phone, which is not linked to the car system, I have to take it manually, which is not legal and not very convenient. Such WiFi hotspot will solve the issue.
I know I can redirect calls from one phone to another, but it is an extra thing to remember about.
 
Defthand said:
Can someone explain to me what the benefit of a car-based hotspot is? If everyone in the vehicle has their own cellular connection, why would you need this? Aside from family outings, who would use this?
Click to expand...
I have had a hotspot in my car for about 10 years. We use company wide pool for voice and data. An extra sim card doesn't cost anything.

On wifi, phone gets less hot and uses less battery.
I used to have an Airport Express connected to the hotspot so I could use Airplay on my car stereo.
Many kids have iPods rather than iPhones, keeps them away from draining daddy's battery.
Great if we pickup international guests from the airport, they immediately have a connection.
Many taxi/buses have wifi.

I understand it's not for everybody, but when you have it, it can be very convenient.
 
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Kajje said:
I have had a hotspot in my car for about 10 years. We use company wide pool for voice and data. An extra sim card doesn't cost anything.

On wifi, phone gets less hot and uses less battery.
I used to have an Airport Express connected to the hotspot so I could use Airplay on my car stereo.
Many kids have iPods rather than iPhones, keeps them away from draining daddy's battery.
Great if we pickup international guests from the airport, they immediately have a connection.
Many taxi/buses have wifi.

I understand it's not for everybody, but when you have it, it can be very convenient.
Click to expand...
Curious to know how you went about getting power for the APe in your car?
 
kwikdeth said:
Curious to know how you went about getting power for the APe in your car?
Click to expand...
It was not pretty I tell you that. But it worked for many years.

I opened the unit, sled out the AC power adaptor and attached a DC cable directly to the unit. The car audio installation company wired it to the battery. I guess they also installed some kind of voltage regulator in between.

I remember that at first, it was attached permanently to the battery but after some power problems it was moved behind the ignition key circuit.

UPDATE: Check http://lifehacker.com/how-to-add-airplay-to-your-car-for-high-quality-wirele-512312902
It's a bit different compared with my original setup, but it looks like a better and safer approach.
 
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