S_W222

Can someone explain to me the difference between the mobile app in 2018 vs 2019? I understand there was some increased controllability or functionality in 2019, but what are the specific differences. Is there any hardware or software related issues that is lacking in 2018 and does it get the same over the air updates as 2019?

My next S-class will be a 2018 and am just trying to understand the differences. Not a big deal for me, but just curious...

2012 merc amg

I have both. A 2018 S560 and a 2019 E450. The way to look at it is the 2019 is like 2 way communication and the 2018 is one way. You can only lock or unlock the doors in the 2018. In the 2019 you can tell if the doors are locked or unlocked along with a bunch of other things like fuel level, etc. Of course there are other functions with the 2018 like remote start etc. Thing is though after the 5 year period they want $270 dollars at MB for 18 months of app support, kinda not really worth it. The 2019 is much less for app support once the free 3 year period of the app expires. The 2019 is definitely more sophisticated but like you said it should not be a deal breaker. The one advantage to the 2018 is I can use my apple I watch to remote start the car or unlock/lock the doors with the 2019 apple never supported the new app for whatever reason, again no biggie though.

S_W222

Does the 2018 get over the air update the same way as 2019 and 2020? Reading online, looks like Mercedes Me Connect allows you to download new Navigation map updates from the phone os that data transfer is quick, which will the phone later send to the vehicle. Is that also available on 2018 same way as 2019 and 2020?

2012 merc amg

It looks like it is possible as there is a screen under setting that enables automatic updates. Strange thing is my 2018 is now over 5 years old and to my knowledge it hasn’t done even one update and the mbrace has been enabled since the car was new. The gps maps are still the 2018/2019 which came with car as new. The dealer has even told me there are no updates available for the car even if they were to be directly downloaded at the dealer. It’s ok because I regularly use either Apple Maps or google maps this apple car play which works fine in the car.

Quenthel

Interesting. Here in CH I'm paying for GPS (it's a subscription under Services) and about once a year I get a notification for a map update that's available OTA. I can also download these to a USB stick using a Mercedes application in a Windows PC and install then to the car from there.

It's interesting because I once saw a COMAND update available OTA, and a few months after when I had a problem with COMAND not playing music, the dealer did a software upgrade, which I noticed only because the dialog boxes in COMAND changed from dark blue to silver. Could you try with another dealer (or Benzninja) perhaps?

superswiss

Just trying to clarify things a bit here. The main difference between 2018 and 2019 is that 2019 uses a brand new online platform called Mercedes me connect. 2018 and earlier are using an end of life platform called mBrace. Mercedes me connect added things like OTA updates for maps etc., which mBrace doesn't have, among other things. The switchover may have happened at different times in different markets, but in the USA the switchover took place with MY19. Along with Mercedes me connect comes the new mobile app OP is referring to. It's not just that it is a new app, it's an entire new backend. Mercedes me connect is much more stable. mBrace has its issues. Also, you can no longer renew life traffic with mBrace, because TomTom ended the partnership with MB. Mercedes me connect now uses HERE Live Traffic, but with mBrace there's no more live traffic and other services have been discontinued as well. mBrace is pretty much on the way out, because most vehicles that were still on mBrace also used 3G instead of 4G LTE, and with the shutdown of the 3G networks in the USA all these vehicles lost their connected car services.

S_W222

So this is very useful, but with regards to the over the air updates, I am not more confused. I understand that 2018 does not get updates via the phone like the 2019 due to app differences, but does it still receive updates over the air in general?

superswiss

No, 2018 does not receive updates over the air. With one possible exception and that is updates to the communication module. But the COMAND system does not receive updates over the air such as map updates.

S_W222

hmm.. I see.... Am not concerned about Map updates as I don't use them anyway, but would love for the COMMAND system in general and maybe the vehicle ECM/drive assist or any other modules to get any needed updates that this generation had received. In that case, how do you get the software to update then other than a dealer visit? Is their a way to download it to a USB drive from the MB website and do that yourself?

superswiss

While the 2019+ do receive OTA updates, they are not as comprehensive as you might think. The COMAND system itself hasn't seen an OTA firmware update and other modules outside of the Infotainment system can't receive OTA updates. I've had my 2019 C63S Coupe in for its annual service recently and there was an update for COMAND that didn't get pushed out over OTA updates. Other than a couple of updates for the communication module, one to fix a recall for the eCall system, all other updates were just map updates about twice a year. I do use the navigation system, so the map updates are welcome.

For everything else you have to visit a dealership to get updates, but generally they only perform updates if you have a specific complaint. For example they installed the COMAND update because I complained about occasional black screens, and when they hooked it up to their diagnostic system it told the tech to update the software. Since I own the car, they installed a few other updates to the ESP (there was a recall), door module because the auto folding mirrors weren't working right and the AMG Drive Unit (service campaigns), but they all required a dealer visit. Service campaigns are updates that MB wants all cars to receive, but you pretty much only find out about them during a service visit. My car had some coding mistakes from the factory, so the service campaigns took care of them.

S_W222

@superswiss Well it looks like am not missing a lot since even 2019+ vehicles are not getting that much of important or significant updates. I have two BMWs and they both have been receiving a minimum of 3 updates per year, and I have to say, many of those updates for the past 3-4 years of the vehicle life have been really important. For instance, one of them this last year in 2022 released an update on my 2019 BMW for enhanced performance for drive assist! This is huge and great that BMW is still thinking about older vehicles despite they have already started the release of the 2023 Idrive 8. Too bad Mercedes is not doing the same with significant updates for a given generation during it's lifetime, but I guess really the luxury of being in an S-class does worth and compensate for the higher tech in a BMW!.

superswiss

I'm somewhat partial on OTA software updates. I'm a software engineer, but I believe my industry should take the old proverb a bit more to heart. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". OTA updates has lead to some lazy software developers releasing unfinished products, because they can just fix it later. My personal devices get regular updates, and these updates regularly introduce new bugs, that then need yet another update, which then introduces new bugs. It's a viscous cycle, really. Outside of the specific issues I mentioned above, there's nothing that I feel is broken in my car and frankly I don't want anybody to mess with it and potentially introduce frustrating new bugs. MB is expanding the OTA update scope in the new S Class and all newer models. They've pushed out UI updates to the new S Class for example and just now pushed out an update that enables OTA updates for other modules, so they are going in that direction.

I have mixed feelings about it, though. To my point, MBUX has been a buggy mess and required several updates, so to my point above, more and more of these systems are released with glaring bugs and then customers have to wait until they get fixed via an OTA update.