bluetooth

[pagpc]

am i correct that bluetooth is still not standard nor available in 2007?

pagpc

[donjumpsuit]

sorry,
GM has ONSTAR. Which requires you to have a verizon contracted phone. Once you are linked to verizon you can "share minutes" with the onstar calling and your other phone. There are phone book options, but you have two different numbers, one is your car number, the other is you cell phone number, making it so someone would have to have clarivoiance to call you when they know your in the car, on your car phone number.
Oh, in order to have the ONSTAR phone, you have to have ONSTAR service, which for 49.95 a month, automatically opens your doors if you lock your keys in your car (service provided by the free 24hr roadside cadillac assistance), tells THEM where your car is in the event that it is stolen (what company out there isn't informing the police if they have the technology to do so, when your car is stolen?) AND lets the police know your airbags deployed in the event of a crash, or carjacking (see the previous statement).

SO for 50 extra dollars you can have all this!

And you want a system that automatically detects your cell phone when you enter and exit the car seamlessly? Seems a little greedy.

; )

[billjesnen]

Just a point of clarification concerning onstar charges. when my "free" onstar service in my SLS ended, I signed up for the safe and sound onstar service, $17/mo, no long term contract. Given the amount of driving that I do, and how onstar helped me when I was rear ended in '04, it was not a bad deal for me.

To the original question of bluetooth connectivity, but the cnet bluetooth "wizard" did not even list Cadillac on its summary of car to phone bluetooth connections.

[TSS]

1. basic onstar service is down to 12.95/month .

2. No clarvoyance needed. Just forward calls from your cell to the car when you are in the car. Very simple. I have the forward feature on speed dial on my cell phone. On your Verizon cell phone, dial *71 then your car phone number - voila, it is forwarded to your car!

[dcarr66]

Yes, but if the car had bluetooth you wouldn't need to do this every time you get into the car (and undo every time you exit). Bluetooth doesn't cost $12.95/month either Actually, you need the Directions and Connections package for the phone feature, which is more like $35/mo.

I saw the "hands-free" logo on the steering wheel button during the test drive and assumed the car had bluetooth. Quite a disappointment.

I'm not crazy about the performance of the phone either. In a few of the test calls I made the other party couldn't hear me. I also wish it had incoming caller ID instead just saying "Phone" on the display.

[ewill3rd]

OnStar personal calling does not require you to have verizon, but the minutes are more expensive if you purchase them through OnStar.

You do have to have digital hardware to link to your Verizon account but Directions and Connections is not required, you can use the basic package and still link it to your verizon account for whatever Verizon's add a line fee is.(I think it is 10 bucks)

The '07 SRX has a Gen 7 hardware package so you should be good to go for the Verizon deal, or any feature that OnStar currently offers.

No SRX does not have bluetooth compatibility yet.

Hope this clears up some misconceptions.
For further details on OnStar features check out the OnStar website www.onstar.com

Frankly, I wouldn't push too hard for bluetooth compatibility yet. I would say within a few years most carmakers will adopt it for hands free calling but right now I see too many "glitches" for it to work smoothly.

[TSS]

Originally Posted by dcarr66

Actually, you need the Directions and Connections package for the phone feature, which is more like $35/mo.

I pay 12.95 month on my wife's SLS and am able to make Verizon calls using the built in phone - admittedly paying a bundle per minute because I purchase minutes from Onstar/Verizon on that car. I can't imagine it is any different (able to use phone with the 12.95 package) for the SRX when my complimentary Onstar expires - but I guess I will have to check.

I agree that true bluetooth would be better, but the system I use now is really not a big deal and does everything I want.

UPDATE: I JUST SPOKE W/ ONSTAR/VERIZON (1/29/07) BECAUSE WHAT DCARR66 SAID CONCERNED ME. HE WAS MIS-INFORMED. YOU CAN USE THE VERIZON FAMILY PLAN WITH ONSTAR WITH THE MOST BASIC, CHEAPEST ONSTAR SERVISE (12.95/MO). YOU DO NOT NEED THE DIRECTIONS ETC PACKAGE.

[c5 rv]

Originally Posted by dcarr66

...I'm not crazy about the performance of the phone either. In a few of the test calls I made the other party couldn't hear me. I also wish it had incoming caller ID instead just saying "Phone" on the display.

Amen! I dropped the phone service from my Denali and will probably drop it from the SRX after the first year because of the poor sound quality. People on the other end almost always complain.

[dcarr66]

Originally Posted by TSS

UPDATE: I JUST SPOKE W/ ONSTAR/VERIZON (1/29/07) BECAUSE WHAT DCARR66 SAID CONCERNED ME. HE WAS MIS-INFORMED. YOU CAN USE THE VERIZON FAMILY PLAN WITH ONSTAR WITH THE MOST BASIC, CHEAPEST ONSTAR SERVISE (12.95/MO). YOU DO NOT NEED THE DIRECTIONS ETC PACKAGE.

Thanks for clearing that up, and sorry for spreading confusion!