OnStar is nothing less than a modern marvel. It can find you if you crash, locate your stolen vehicle or help find the nearest DQ. It's the kind of service previous generations would have written off as far fetched sci-fi. But there's a problem...
Rather than have Bluetooth, GM has elected to offer a feature called Personal Calling which is accessed through OnStar. While Verizon wireless customers can have their phone integrated with the car's system, everyone else must use a separate number for making and receiving calls in the car.
Therefore you have to forward your cell phone calls to the car each time you get in - it's too much of a hassle versus Bluetooth which uses your existing cell number, can access your phone's address book and connect to the car automatically.
Also, reception can be sketchy as your phone and OnStar and the number you're calling (which runs on cellular technology) all need to have a good strong signal. That added step can be enough to result in plenty of "Call Failed" messages. Not cool.
Brian Moody @ 7279 miles
jm33 says:
05:04 PM, 01/25/07
This aproach sounds to me like it takes away features, adds extra complication and makes the ssystem less reliable. Funny enough though the one thing it does accomplish is to favor one cell carrier over any others. It sounds like it is very likely there is a deal here that benefits verizon and it is considered just too bad if it creates more of a problem for the customers. This kind of thing should be very strongly discouraged. If you are not going to be customer oriented you do not deserve the customers' hard earned dollars.
briancam says:
07:01 PM, 01/25/07
JM - you are basically right.
GM deserves SOME credit, however. Verizon is one of, if not the largest single cell provider so that includes A LOT of customers. Also, if you can accept having a separate number for your car it works fine -
B
jerrywimer says:
09:43 AM, 01/26/07
True Brian- if you're willing to treat the OnStar vehicular phone as it's own separate line (number, service and all) it works well. The (OnStar built in) cell reception in the four GM vehicles I've had with OnStar has been better than practically any standalone cell phone I've ever used, and picked up clearly in places my regular phones wouldn't even get one bar.
Having said that, it'd be nice if OnStar added a BlueTooth capability so that the regular phone could be used in hands-free mode without relying on any of the other OnStar cell features.
briancam says:
11:08 AM, 01/26/07
my point exactly