Can anyone in Tesla Nation point to a study or test (not done by a phone company) that confirms a substantial speed or refresh upgrade going from 3G to 4G/LTE? Is it meaningful and going to be worth the $500 charge to do it? I am particularly wondering about the Google maps refresh rate with all the add ons like destination chargers.
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4G/LTE Upgrade worth it?
- Thread starter SMF
- Start date
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- Model S User Interface
See this thread: LTE upgrade is on the way
Consensus so far is that Slacker songs & map tiles load faster (2x is my experience), although the value is questionable there; that the browser is largely unaffected; and that the real benefit is the better overall coverage and reception in dead spots.
Consensus so far is that Slacker songs & map tiles load faster (2x is my experience), although the value is questionable there; that the browser is largely unaffected; and that the real benefit is the better overall coverage and reception in dead spots.
mikeash
Active Member
Go into Settings on the iPhone and enable Personal Hotspot. (You may not have this available, depending on what kind of plan you have with your carrier.) Then on the car end, go into the WiFi settings and have the car connect to the network your phone creates.
There is large improvement in the browser. My measured download after LTE has been between 9.6 and 10.2 Mbps. Prior to LTE I could not consistently complete the speed test. The browser is still afflicted with the same restricted functions and still will has restricted downloads, but the search usability is now decent.
After some question it is also confirmed that the wiring harness upgrade also has upgraded connections with the sound system, thus some people find higher fidelity sound reproduction from sources not dependent on the cellular signal.
Perhaps it's a function of coverage for you, then, or something in the network where you're looking. I live just over half a mile from the tower, 5 bars 3G / 5 bars LTE - while the "speed test" in the browser shows different results, the actual performance / experience whlie browsing (say, loading Facebook or Yahoo or Google) is the same whether 3G, Wi-Fi, or LTE with a good network -- it sucks.
mikeash
Active Member
4G is LTE. AT&T would like you to believe that their highest-speed 3G is actually "4G," but that's just a marketing lie.
vdiv
Chief Grump
LTE appears to have stronger signal and also appears to be more reliable than the 3G comm. module. The network on my MCU used to lock up where it would show some phantom signal bars, but not the 3G or E, and it would not connect to either cellular nor Wi-Fi. That hasn't happened after the LTE upgrade. From this perspective it is worth it.
Father Bill
Member
I got my upgrade last Tuesday and have found it to be on the whole much better than the old 3g system. I have quicker Slacker song callup, better connectivity ( More LTE bars in more places.) and all around faster access to maps. I also have quicker response to the mobile app. Whereas it used to take up to a minute to access the car, now it takes under 30 seconds to get status updates.
I am very pleased with the LTE upgrade and if you have the extra $ to acquire it, the upgrade is well worth it. Was it essential? No, but definitely an improvement.
Peace,
Father Bill
I am very pleased with the LTE upgrade and if you have the extra $ to acquire it, the upgrade is well worth it. Was it essential? No, but definitely an improvement.
Peace,
Father Bill
Asciidv
Member
Can anyone comment whether there will be a 4G upgrade for the cars here in the U.K.?
Is the hardware there already for 4G reception?
Is the hardware there already for 4G reception?
