Can my cell phone supply internet to my car?
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 200
Likes: 12
From: Central New Jersey
2016 S550 4 Matic Sport, 2015 BMW 528xi, 2012 BMW 528xi (gone), 2011 BMW Z4 (Yellow - gone)
Can my cell phone supply internet to my car?
I'm mostly interested with searching for navigation, not sure what else. Even when I subscribed never saw much benefit to benz's bult in internet for the apps, never worked right for me. Thanks!
Member
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 177
Likes: 23
From: Portland, OR
2018 S560; 2021 GLS450
I do not know for sure, but I do not believe so.
I do however have a different issue with this. My cell phones (iPhone X and iPhone XS), both fail to get good reception in the car, in certain cases completely losing it. Regardless of the location, when I exit the car, I get 4 or 5 bars. When I hold the phone next to the cutout on the windshield, I also see some improvement but not as much as what I see when I exit the car. The wireless charging console seems like only sometimes improving the reception, but it could be placebo effect as well (as I am not sure whether iPhones support external antenna through induction).
The only feasible way I found to be able to communicate through my phone in the vehicle is to subscribe to the monthly package MBrace has, and enabling Wi-Fi calling on the phone. I believe my 2018 S560 has the deal going through Verizon, which has a very decent reception across the geographies I roam in... It says the in-vehicle hot spot supports up to 10 devices, and I have these phones, as well as an Amazon HD firetv stick in the back, and they can all be going with no issues with respect to bandwidth.
I do however have a different issue with this. My cell phones (iPhone X and iPhone XS), both fail to get good reception in the car, in certain cases completely losing it. Regardless of the location, when I exit the car, I get 4 or 5 bars. When I hold the phone next to the cutout on the windshield, I also see some improvement but not as much as what I see when I exit the car. The wireless charging console seems like only sometimes improving the reception, but it could be placebo effect as well (as I am not sure whether iPhones support external antenna through induction).
The only feasible way I found to be able to communicate through my phone in the vehicle is to subscribe to the monthly package MBrace has, and enabling Wi-Fi calling on the phone. I believe my 2018 S560 has the deal going through Verizon, which has a very decent reception across the geographies I roam in... It says the in-vehicle hot spot supports up to 10 devices, and I have these phones, as well as an Amazon HD firetv stick in the back, and they can all be going with no issues with respect to bandwidth.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,519
Likes: 391
'25 S63 AMG E Performance, '26 CLE 53 AMG
It seems like in the US that MB is changing things up a bit. My ‘14 and ‘16 S class cars used Verizon Telematics while my ‘19 S63 now is using AT&T of which one has to sign up separately specifically just for the data plan to use the WiFi/apps/Internet radio features.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,938
Likes: 396
From: Iowa
2025 EQS580
In the US the answer is no. I rented a ‘17 S63 in Germany just under 2 years ago and there I used my cell phone data plan (for the internet radio/wi-if)—actually it may have been my IPad data plan but in any event in Germany the phone/iPad data plan was the car data plan. When I took European Delivery of my S63 in November 2018 in Germany, I attempted to use my cell phone while I had my US spec car in Germany. I was not successful.
It seems like in the US that MB is changing things up a bit. My ‘14 and ‘16 S class cars used Verizon Telematics while my ‘19 S63 now is using AT&T of which one has to sign up separately specifically just for the data plan to use the WiFi/apps/Internet radio features.
Member
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 177
Likes: 23
From: Portland, OR
2018 S560; 2021 GLS450
True that 2019 and beyond moved to ATT. Before that it has been Verizon. To be fair, while ATT quality is better, Verizon seems to have better rural coverage. In the end, come 2020, all will be reconsidered again with 5G, as Benz seems to have plans to go big there, starting in the US. The HW is changing (good news for me), and the provider is most likely to be reconsidered. Sadly I have the month to month plan from MBrace due to the reason I mentioned above...
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 706
Likes: 50
From: Scottsdale, AZ
2018 S 650, 2014 SL 550, 2017 911 TTS Cab, '13 F458 Spider
I do not know for sure, but I do not believe so.
I do however have a different issue with this. My cell phones (iPhone X and iPhone XS), both fail to get good reception in the car, in certain cases completely losing it. Regardless of the location, when I exit the car, I get 4 or 5 bars. When I hold the phone next to the cutout on the windshield, I also see some improvement but not as much as what I see when I exit the car. The wireless charging console seems like only sometimes improving the reception, but it could be placebo effect as well (as I am not sure whether iPhones support external antenna through induction).
The only feasible way I found to be able to communicate through my phone in the vehicle is to subscribe to the monthly package MBrace has, and enabling Wi-Fi calling on the phone. I believe my 2018 S560 has the deal going through Verizon, which has a very decent reception across the geographies I roam in... It says the in-vehicle hot spot supports up to 10 devices, and I have these phones, as well as an Amazon HD firetv stick in the back, and they can all be going with no issues with respect to bandwidth.
I do however have a different issue with this. My cell phones (iPhone X and iPhone XS), both fail to get good reception in the car, in certain cases completely losing it. Regardless of the location, when I exit the car, I get 4 or 5 bars. When I hold the phone next to the cutout on the windshield, I also see some improvement but not as much as what I see when I exit the car. The wireless charging console seems like only sometimes improving the reception, but it could be placebo effect as well (as I am not sure whether iPhones support external antenna through induction).
The only feasible way I found to be able to communicate through my phone in the vehicle is to subscribe to the monthly package MBrace has, and enabling Wi-Fi calling on the phone. I believe my 2018 S560 has the deal going through Verizon, which has a very decent reception across the geographies I roam in... It says the in-vehicle hot spot supports up to 10 devices, and I have these phones, as well as an Amazon HD firetv stick in the back, and they can all be going with no issues with respect to bandwidth.
