[DravitPlay]

Does anyone have this and can say how well it works (if at all) with a PAYG SIM card? I currently leave a mobile phone in the car so the dash cam can connect to the cloud via hotspot, but if the SIM card reader works I could do away with the phone and power bank that keeps it charged for two weeks.

Any help appreciated…preferably before I go out and spend money on something that turns out to be as useful as a chocolate fireguard. 🙏

[paulockenden]

What do you mean by SIM card reader? Older BMWs have an embedded SIM for telematics, and newer models have an optional eSIM.

[DravitPlay]

Originally Posted by paulockenden

What do you mean by SIM card reader? Older BMWs have an embedded SIM for telematics, and newer models have an optional eSIM.

eSIM’s only work on contract phones and I’m not sure they allow two instances of the same SIM card to operate at the same time! You can buy a card reader if your operator has not enabled the eSIM facility. Plus, it’s not for telematics, it’s for personal passenger use and dash cam. I’d rather not be contracting two different numbers if at all possible (I already have a separate work phone).

[alFR]

I'd check a couple of things out before spending my hard-earned:

• What's the battery life on the SIM reader if it's in constant use? Depending on its lifespan you might be no better off than with your current setup in that regard.
• Does the car maintain its connection to the cellular network when the ignition is off? If not, it's not going to help for what you need it to do.

[DravitPlay]

Originally Posted by alFR

I'd check a couple of things out before spending my hard-earned:

What's the battery life on the SIM reader if it's in constant use? Depending on its lifespan you might be no better off than with your current setup in that regard.
Does the car maintain its connection to the cellular network when the ignition is off? If not, it's not going to help for what you need it to do.

BMW don’t make it easy to find out its capabilities so I thought I’d ask here first. Thanks for taking the time to reply though. 👍

[alFR]

Originally Posted by DravitPlay

BMW don’t make it easy to find out its capabilities so I thought I’d ask here first. Thanks for taking the time to reply though. 👍

They’re actually distressingly vague about a lot of technical stuff… It surprised me that it was a standalone unit, not a SIM slot built into the car like my old Audi had (it was in the glove compartment). The infotainment manual has a bit of info on the reader but I suspect you’ve already read that!