How are phone calls and texts handled?

[AmerikanMatt]

…….let owners buy or subscribe to the skills

you know that reminds me….. I’m like a few days from picking up my R1T and I haven’t heard a peep about the Rivian Membership thingy we were all going to have to be a part of.

I didn’t see anything about this in any of my paperwork and I’m 100% done.

Did this get scrapped?Are we still going to need to shell out $100/month for a Rivian membership to keep our OTA updates coming?

Anyone who has their truck already……. what’s the scoop? Should I add an expected cost to my monthly budget?

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[CommodoreAmiga]

you know that reminds me….. I’m like a few days from picking up my R1T and I haven’t heard a peep about the Rivian Membership thingy we were all going to have to be a part of.

I didn’t see anything about this in any of my paperwork and I’m 100% done.

Did this get scrapped?Are we still going to need to shell out $100/month for a Rivian membership to keep our OTA updates coming?

Anyone who has their truck already……. what’s the scoop? Should I add an expected cost to my monthly budget?

They have not made a public price known, yet.

I'd still expect "membership" to become a paid "thing" at some point. No idea when or what it will cost, however.

 

[Otisbrick]

I'm trying to use Alexa as much as possible and found it to be very uncooperative. I signed into my Amazon account and got it to do one or two things but every time since then it tells me it's not connected to the internet. Anyone else had this issue?

Yes. Had mine for 5 days now and it give me that response just about every time I try it.

 

[bhopkins]

I took delivery Friday and am shocked at how bad the phone integration is. I understand these are "adventure vehicles" but to afford one I imagine most of us have a job and end up doing conference calls and taking texts at least 5 days a week.

My employer specifically prohibits taking work calls or texts while driving. Quite frankly, I don't understand how reading a text on the screen is anywhere close to be safe. There are enough distractions in cars today, we don't need another one. There are active programs to discourage texting and driving.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

My employer specifically prohibits taking work calls or texts while driving. Quite frankly, I don't understand how reading a text on the screen is anywhere close to be safe. There are enough distractions in cars today, we don't need another one. There are active programs to discourage texting and driving.

Other vehicles will read the text messages out loud and will transcribe your verbal response. You don't have to read them like a book.

 

[VHRivian]

My employer specifically prohibits taking work calls or texts while driving. Quite frankly, I don't understand how reading a text on the screen is anywhere close to be safe. There are enough distractions in cars today, we don't need another one. There are active programs to discourage texting and driving.

You are correct to be skeptical, but Apple CarPlay (and I'm sure other systems as well) does a great job of reading incoming text messages in a way that does not cause distraction. It tells you who it's from, reads it aloud, and asks if you want to respond. The dictation is pretty good too.

The phone call ban from your employer seems a little harsh as I have never found that to be a distraction at all. This assumes you have Bluetooth in your car - I haven't held a phone in my hand to make a phone call in the car for more than a decade.

 

[bhopkins]

The phone call ban from your employer seems a little harsh as I have never found that to be a distraction at all. This assumes you have Bluetooth in your car - I haven't held a phone in my hand to make a phone call in the car for more than a decade.

There are studies out there that do show talking on the phone (and probably listening/transcribing a text) is very distracting. I know there have been times when I've been so engaged in a personal phone call that I wasn't paying as much attention to my driving as I should have been. So, I can understand the ban and in general now try not to talk on the phone while driving. I will say with some of the driver assistance software, I'm a bit more comfortable doing it, knowing the vehicle will slow down as traffic slows down and it will mostly stay in the selected lane. But, still, driving is driving and that should get my attention.

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

There are studies out there that do show talking on the phone (and probably listening/transcribing a text) is very distracting. I know there have been times when I've been so engaged in a personal phone call that I wasn't paying as much attention to my driving as I should have been. So, I can understand the ban and in general now try not to talk on the phone while driving. I will say with some of the driver assistance software, I'm a bit more comfortable doing it, knowing the vehicle will slow down as traffic slows down and it will mostly stay in the selected lane. But, still, driving is driving and that should get my attention.

So you never have passengers, I assume? And would support a ban on carrying passengers?

 

[VHRivian]

There are studies out there that do show talking on the phone (and probably listening/transcribing a text) is very distracting. I know there have been times when I've been so engaged in a personal phone call that I wasn't paying as much attention to my driving as I should have been. So, I can understand the ban and in general now try not to talk on the phone while driving. I will say with some of the driver assistance software, I'm a bit more comfortable doing it, knowing the vehicle will slow down as traffic slows down and it will mostly stay in the selected lane. But, still, driving is driving and that should get my attention.

I know you are correct I just haven't ever felt that way personally. I have always felt comfortable with my level of attention on driving first, but maybe I am just as distracted as anyone else and just not fully aware of the level it is affecting my decisions.

I will certainly continue to take/make phone calls while driving, but without a reliable hands-free option for texting from Rivian I will be stuck not communicating that way.

 

[SteveInBend]

So you never have passengers, I assume? And would support a ban on carrying passengers?

Older study, but shows different effects between mobile phone usage and talking to passengers:

Drivers Distracted More By Cell Phones Than By Passengers
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081201081917.htm

 

[zipzag]

I'm quick shocked something like this isn't possible, when there are 6-10 year old econoboxes out there that have this technology. Pretty big miss on Rivian's front. I'm sure it will be fixed at some point, but still.

I expect Rivian will copy how Tesla handles text messages and calls. As an apple user I'm fine with no carplay in Tesla. I do expect to be traumatized by Rivian software. But long term Rivian should be able to implement the best ideas from Tesla and others.

I expect to use apple watch for Siri in a Rivian. In my current Tesla the integrated voice assistant is fine for my needs.

 

[bhopkins]

So you never have passengers, I assume? And would support a ban on carrying passengers?

I hear what you’re saying. I think the difference there is theoretically, the passenger would also be observant of what’s going on and could help warn of a slowdown, etc.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

you know that reminds me….. I’m like a few days from picking up my R1T and I haven’t heard a peep about the Rivian Membership thingy we were all going to have to be a part of.

I didn’t see anything about this in any of my paperwork and I’m 100% done.

Did this get scrapped?Are we still going to need to shell out $100/month for a Rivian membership to keep our OTA updates coming?

Anyone who has their truck already……. what’s the scoop? Should I add an expected cost to my monthly budget?

Shhhh. We’re not getting billed yet so don’t ask. Maybe if we’re lucky, they’ll pull a Tesla and say us early adopters are free (wishful thinking)

 

[Dark-Fx]

So you never have passengers, I assume? And would support a ban on carrying passengers?

Lots of transport jobs don't allow people to carry passengers while working.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

I expect Rivian will copy how Tesla handles text messages and calls. As an apple user I'm fine with no carplay in Tesla. I do expect to be traumatized by Rivian software. But long term Rivian should be able to implement the best ideas from Tesla and others.

I expect to use apple watch for Siri in a Rivian. In my current Tesla the integrated voice assistant is fine for my needs.

I expected the worst. I came from Tesla, went to CarPlay in the F-150L. So when I got the Rivian, I was already in the “Nope” camp, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

Idk if you use Alexa at all, I do at home with Echos, and it has been pretty seamless. In terms of recognition and control, I prefer it over both CarPlay and Tesla. I do miss Waze though..

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