In the Netherlands the F-Type comes with a full infotainment system which costs a bundle in all other models.

I wanted a car with a hotspot as I can link the car to my WiFi then, and who ever comes with me also has much
better reception with the outside antenna then a mobile would ever have in the car.

I have the car since early april. It took me about a month to get the 4G connection to work, different story.
Now I can get into the 'connectivity' part, it turns out that there is NO HOTSPOT !

Now JLR says it is NOT POSSIBLE to retro-activate it. But in the F-Pace [ I found out later],
the Hotspot falls under 'connectivity' and is an option.

So I think its just a FIRMWARE change and all the hardware is there already. But JLR says it cant.

Now all the F-Type brochures say is that it has '4G' . For details on the infotainment system you are
linked through to general sites about 'IN CONTROL'.

It DOES NOT say anywhere that the F-Type HAS NO HOTSPOT...

I seriously think of returning the car and go to another make all together, unless I can get this
hotspot working.

Does anybody on the forum has insight in this 'in control touch pro' technology ?

 

in control is a hotch potch mess compared to infotainment systems on other makes

 

I find the whole collection of brochures and manuals viturally unreadable by the used termonology..
Sofar I only have experience with my D3 , and a cheap chinese system in de FL2 Sport I held on to briefly,
the Alfa system [2011], which I didn't even bother to try to undertand 'windows' ???

Now this. It looks flashy but its not savy. I would expect it would work like google ; plan a route
from A-->B ten adapt by adding waypoints by tapping or dragging a waypoint...
No such luck. YOu have to zoom in, look for the road number, add it as an extra waypoint..

Its a bit better as my 'TomTom 825M Go Live' , as there you have to first look up adresses
to enter into the route as it can only provide 'quick' 'short' or 'eco' or 'no toll/highway' .

Years ago some AA-scenic routes were ready made and could be downloaded. Not anymore.

 

I just purchased a 2018 XE with the InControl Pro package, and on the XE, it includes the hotspot. I have the 4G running (for traffic mostly), but haven't tried the hotspot, as I don't really need it.

On the XE forum, they discussed a major software upgrade to ICT Pro, back in Feb I think. I asked my dealer to be sure it was installed on the XE, but I'm unclear if they did.

 

Hotspot in a car is HUGELY, DISASTROUSLY bad idea. This feature means that your car is connected to the internet. Why would you want that?

 

@SinF.
The car ALWAYS is connected to the internet with 'in secure' : a tracking system. Also all kind of controls go through a DEDICATED simcard...

SECOND simcard, under the central armrest, is required for the SATNAV and the HOTSPOT...

Following the brochure that I recieved with the car "..manual for setting upm incontrol.." , if there is a simholder in the central armrest, a hotspot is present...

But NOT in the F-Type, according to JLR... But its written nowhere. Onlt that the F-Type has "4G" and other cars "3G"...

 

I wonder if you have a hotpspot what happens if you are stopped in the UK as it is now an offence for the driver of a vehicle to use any device connected to the internet whilst driving and this includes being stopped at traffic lights. Technically the vehicle is a device connected to the internet lol

 

The hotspot is not for the driver, although the phone of the driver can be connected to the WiFi-hotspot of the car and the BT of the infotainment...

 

Off an a tangent, just because it is interesting...

The offence is specifically to operate a "held-hand mobile telephone or a hand-held device" while in control of a vehicle (as the driver, teacher, or if you are in charge of a self-driving vehicle). The use of BT, voice or vehicle-mounted controls is allowed, as is the use of two-way radio, and you can still touch a phone to call 999 (our emergency services) if it is unsafe to stop.

A mobile phone or device is to be treated as hand-held if it is, or must be, held at some point during the course of making or receiving a call, or performing any other interactive communication function (even if it is mounted in a dock). Your car wouldn't fall under that definition as a normal-sized person cannot hold a car. However...

A hand-held device is any other device which performs an interactive communication function by transmitting and receiving data, other than a two way radio. Examples are sending or receiving oral or written messages, sending or receiving facsimile documents, sending or receiving still or moving images, and providing access to the internet. Communication with the internet is included - the interaction does not therefore have to with another person. Your car does technically fall under that definition, even though it clearly is not a hand-held device.

Therefore, in law, the moment you start the engine you have committed the offence and have no lawful defence.

That contradiction was spotted after the law was passed, as often happens when lawmakers don't understand technology, so Parliament issued guidance to the CPS that essentially allows our cars to connect to the Internet, make calls, etc:

The first paragraph allows for the scenario where you pull over to make a phone call but leave the engine running, even though technically you are still committing an offence and the police could charge you, the CPS shouldn't prosecute you. It also introduces the clear intent that the offence should only be prosecuted when it is in the public interest (i.e. if you were caught programming your satnav while doing 70mph on the motorway you are going to get charged even if you were not otherwise driving carelessly).

The second paragraph allows for the fact new cars are now all required in law to be connected to cellular networks (SOS ecall) and will have increasing levels of Internet connectivity in the future.

 

thanks for that xdave was curious

 

I've not enabled the hotspot in the XE. But the nav system now uses the Internet for traffic, and it appears to be quite good, based on limited experience. It has a web browser too, but of course, that only works with the car stopped. And it looks like I might be able to install a weather app. The nav system also uses the Internet to give you Street View when you get close to your destination, which is of questionable usefulness, IMO.

The UI is much improved, so it isn't as distracting to do stuff on it. I.e. Swipe, pinch, etc.

 

FWIW, we've been through most of this with our F-Pace. We experimented with using the car as a hotspot during the initial free trial, but didn't find any advantage (in part because, at the time, the F-Pace was only 3G, while the phones were 4G). Going forward, we decided not to pay AT&T for yet another data plan to enable our Verizon phones to piggyback through the car. Instead, we got a FeedomPop Global sim for the car. Their free plan provides enough data to support the car/traffic feeds. The price is right and we've been happy enough with the results.

 

On reading the various threads I often wonder if I am the only person who still remembers what automobiles really are about - because I don't think that an assessment of the quality of a particular car should be based on its internet conductivity. To me, this distracting (and ever-changing-to-the-latest-version) aspect of modern cars is utterly irrelevant to the driving experience, the performance, the safety, the comfort and luxury, the quality of fit and finish, and finally the appearance of a particular automobile.
If I want to talk on the phone, search the internet, or watch a video, I do that in a place and time where and when I will not endanger my life or that of others.
For a driving thrill, I have my F-Type.

 

I also have my F-Type for driving.. .. the hotspot is for the person next to me, bored of staring out of the window after one hour...

And if nobody wants to come along, I wont go anywhere far... .. so whats the fun then...