[BMWbiker]

I’m not clear on the following detail: does a smartphone have access to a 2025 M440xi’s cellular antenna?

Or does the cellular antenna work only with an active eSIM, and I need to add the car as another device to my cellphone account?

Also, how much of a difference does the antenna make in reception? I often drive in rural areas. Is it worth adding the car to my account in order to use the antenna?

[ficuswhisperer]

It has its own eSIM and you add it to an existing cellular plan.

It’s like a cellular enabled smart watch. It gets its own phone number, can make calls without you needing your phone, can become a WiFi hotspot, and so on.

Probably not worth it since the car’s 5G is already used for ConnectedDrive features, unless you really want the WiFi hotspot features or plan on not having a phone with you or something.

[BMWbiker]

Originally Posted by ficuswhisperer

It has its own eSIM and you add it to an existing cellular plan.

It’s like a cellular enabled smart watch. It gets its own phone number, can make calls without you needing your phone, can become a WiFi hotspot, and so on.

Probably not worth it since the car’s 5G is already used for ConnectedDrive features, unless you really want the WiFi hotspot features or plan on not having a phone with you or something.

Thanks. The main reason that it would interest me, is if the roof antenna makes a significant difference in reception.

I gather that the phone does not have access to the roof antenna (unlike some cars from a few years ago). Correct?

If the roof antenna makes reception significantly better, especially in rural areas, then I might be interested in adding the car to my cellular plan.