Data Sim Card v Phone Tethering

[Tartansporran]

Please excuse me if this question has been asked before.....

Currently I am quite happy tethering my phone to my XC40 and using my phone's ample data allowance to listen to music, run Apps etc. Why would I now want to buy a Data Sim Card for the car? What advantages would it give me over my current set up as there will obviously be a slight extra cost of purchasing a Data Sim card?

Many thanks.

[senwar]

None really. At most saving having to activate via your phone when getting in the car. If the phone automatically connects including tethering then nothing.

I personally have a data sim just for ease and convenience. I could tether my iPhone but know I’d need to set it up each time.

[mss911]

I could tether my iPhone but know I’d need to set it up each time.

Really - we never have any issues with reestablishing connections - both iPhone reconnect when we get into the car ???

[Brandyman]

Same with me, Iphone connects automatically

[hdasmith]

Does the tethering always restart automatically each time? My understanding is that the iPhone shuts down tethering after a couple of minutes of not being used to save battery. A Mac or iPad can restart tethering remotely, but didn’t think anything else could.

[senwar]

I could tether my iPhone but know I’d need to set it up each time.

Really - we never have any issues with reestablishing connections - both iPhone reconnect when we get into the car ???

I mean I’d have to set it up on my phone. I switch off the hotspot when not in use. Wouldn’t want it on all the time.

[Tartansporran]

Thanks senwar for a constructive reply to my question prior to the all too often, off topic, thread creep.

[morrishey]

Bluetooth from iPhone always reconnects when getting into the car, I've not tried tethering in the XC40. In my previous A-Class, I always found as hdasmith - the phone turns off the hotspot and I needed to go into the settings every time to turn it back on again. So annoying to have to remember that every time that I just went out and spent the £30 on a sim for the car this time. I've not tried it with the XC40, but as it's an iPhone thing, not from the car end, I can't see it being any different.

Not sure how the tethering works with the iPhone plugged into the USB slot? I always plug it in for CarPlay, so if the car was able to share that data connection over USB as opposed to wifi hotspot then that's a good reason not to have to bother with a car sim. I'll have to go off an do some google searching!

[mss911]

I have the iPhone Personal Hotspot switched on permanently to share my data over Bluetooth with the car automatically whenever I get in. The setting stays active all the time. Also changed the Wi-Fi Password for HotSpot connections on the phone away from the default.

[senwar]

I have the iPhone Personal Hotspot switched on permanently to share my data over Bluetooth with the car automatically whenever I get in. The setting stays active all the time. Also changed the Wi-Fi Password for HotSpot connections on the phone away from the default.

But don't you lose wifi connectivity if you keep the hotspot on all the time? So you only ever use the data of your provider?