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Lyon

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It’s a bummer. There are places here in Oregon (and many places folks will take these trucks) that have 0 cell service.
I’ll be downloading a lot more music to my phone I guess. Anyone know if the native Spotify App can do local storage/offline listening?
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Tim-in-CA

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Agreed on the bummer-ness. Fortunately, I'm in good cell service and can use BT from my phone for Sirius XM. I wonder with Alexa integration (which I have yet to see a demo of), if it integrates with your Amazon account, then you "should" be able to have in-vehicle Alexa play your SXM station of choice. This assumes you have the internet streaming access (which they now supply with accounts) and you link your SXM account to your Amazon Alexa account. I use this ALL THE TIME to play SXM on my Echos. I need my FirstWave on demand!!! Home automation access would also be great as well via Alexa! We definitely need more info here!
 

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Ioman

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I think it's ridiculous that Rivian is not integrating Android Auto, Car Play, XM Satellite etc. If they truly want to go mass market, they will need to get these into their vehicles. My wife is seriously considering a different car because our RS1 won't have CarPlay, XM Radio (and maybe not even a glove box). Sounds silly to me, but those are important to her (and likely most non-car enthusiasts).

Tesla hype is so much that people are willing to buy one without the creature comforts they were used to (adjusting your windshield wiper speed through a touch screen, are you insane?), just to be a part of the "cool group", but I can tell you that missing these basic things is starting to wear them down, and some are likely are not getting a new Tesla down the road. Let's not make that mistake, we should be pushing Rivian to make the change we know people will want.

As Rivian owners, I think we'd all agree that we want this brand to take off and have lasting power in the market. The cool factor alone won't keep Rivian around once other legacy auto manufacturers catch-up and create stiffer competition. Mass appeal means paying attention to the little things.
 
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DucRider

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I think it's ridiculous that Rivian is not integrating Android Auto, Car Play, XM Satellite etc. If they truly want to go mass market, they will need to get these into their vehicles. My wife is seriously considering a different car because our RS1 won't have CarPlay, XM Radio (and maybe not even a glove box). Sounds silly to me, but those are important to her (and likely most non-car enthusiasts).

Tesla hype is so much that people are willing to buy one without the creature comforts they were used to (adjusting your windshield wiper speed through a touch screen, are you insane?), just to be a part of the "cool group", but I can tell you that missing these basic things is starting to wear them down, and some are likely are not getting a new Tesla down the road. Let's not make that mistake, we should be pushing Rivian to make the change we know people will want.

As Rivian owners, I think we'd all agree that we want this brand to take off and have lasting power in the market. The cool factor alone won't keep Rivian around once other legacy auto manufacturers catch-up and create stiffer competition. Mass appeal means paying attention to the little things.
Everyone has different "hot buttons" and "deal breakers". The R1S may not be the EV offering you are looking for as they have made a conscious decision not to include some features your wife considers "must have" (before even trying what Rivian does offer).
I'm likely perfectly content with what Rivian is bringing to the table, but withholding judgement until I get to experience it for myself. For me, these types of things are so far down on the list of what makes a vehicle attractive they are hardly on my radar. I'm much more concerned about the drivetrain, suspension, handling, ride quality, build quality, charging speed, etc. There are loads of workarounds for music and nav. The actual bones of the vehicle are not user modifiable to any degree worth pursuing.
My wife has her own "must haves" as well - if the seat is not comfortable for her (she's very picky in that department), the vehicle is a "no go".
They can't add everyone's "little things" to their vehicles (some are actually contradictory). At some point everyone has to evaluate what they have chosen to offer and decide whether it it something they want to purchase (or not). The design phase is done, Rivian is working on implementing the software and features they have decided to include (at launch and in the near future). I wouldn't hold out hope that they pivot away from their current vision about the user experience anytime soon.
If a large number of actual owners that have lived with a vehicle for a while, tried the Rivian interface, and still have complaints that Rivian OTA updates cannot address, only then is Rivian likely to consider adding in CP, AA, XM, etc. Think years (not months) before any change is considered.
I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong for wanting what they want. But reality must be faced at some point. Rivian is clear on what they will offer. The ball is in our court. If enough people cancel pre-orders due to a common complaint, it may eventually get their attention (but the numbers would have to be greater than the blowback they likely factored in when making design decisions).
 

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Nor mine and I only have the cheaper XM package. No ads at all and that is the whole idea to pay for music right? Jeep comes with XM. JB
 
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Ioman

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Everyone has different "hot buttons" and "deal breakers". The R1S may not be the EV offering you are looking for as they have made a conscious decision not to include some features your wife considers "must have" (before even trying what Rivian does offer).
I'm likely perfectly content with what Rivian is bringing to the table, but withholding judgement until I get to experience it for myself. For me, these types of things are so far down on the list of what makes a vehicle attractive they are hardly on my radar. I'm much more concerned about the drivetrain, suspension, handling, ride quality, build quality, charging speed, etc. There are loads of workarounds for music and nav. The actual bones of the vehicle are not user modifiable to any degree worth pursuing.
My wife has her own "must haves" as well - if the seat is not comfortable for her (she's very picky in that department), the vehicle is a "no go".
They can't add everyone's "little things" to their vehicles (some are actually contradictory). At some point everyone has to evaluate what they have chosen to offer and decide whether it it something they want to purchase (or not). The design phase is done, Rivian is working on implementing the software and features they have decided to include (at launch and in the near future). I wouldn't hold out hope that they pivot away from their current vision about the user experience anytime soon.
If a large number of actual owners that have lived with a vehicle for a while, tried the Rivian interface, and still have complaints that Rivian OTA updates cannot address, only then is Rivian likely to consider adding in CP, AA, XM, etc. Think years (not months) before any change is considered.
I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong for wanting what they want. But reality must be faced at some point. Rivian is clear on what they will offer. The ball is in our court. If enough people cancel pre-orders due to a common complaint, it may eventually get their attention (but the numbers would have to be greater than the blowback they likely factored in when making design decisions).

I understand your point. Some things are subjective like seat comfortability, other things are not, if they are missing altogether.

3 out of 4 cars will have XM/Sirius satellite radio. just so there is context here.
 
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Hopper

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This is an “adventure” vehicle. Made to go to remote places. Remote places often do not have cell service or terrestrial radio. XM is not a must have, but I will sorely miss it.
 

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This is an “adventure” vehicle. Made to go to remote places. Remote places often do not have cell service or terrestrial radio. XM is not a must have, but I will sorely miss it.
True on the adventure vehicle part, however most of the time people will be n range to get xm or whatever. I dont know why Rivian wouldn’t create some sort of App Store to provide the SXM app, Apple Music, Amazon music etc.
 

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The sound quality of XM is so horrible, even in ICE vehicles, that I can't imagine how pissed I'd get listening in a really quiet EV. Any vehicle I've had it in in the past is spotty at best, goes in and out any time I'm under trees, on the wrong side of a hill, near buildings, etc. Good riddance.
 

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The sound quality of XM is so horrible, even in ICE vehicles, that I can't imagine how pissed I'd get listening in a really quiet EV.
This argument is hilarious to me. I guess the sound quality of silence is higher right?
 

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True on the adventure vehicle part, however most of the time people will be n range to get xm or whatever. I dont know why Rivian wouldn’t create some sort of App Store to provide the SXM app, Apple Music, Amazon music etc.
I am privileged to live in an extraordinary area. While I do have cell coverage at my home, I am often without.

As for the sound quality mentioned in another post, XM has more than music. I’m an ex trader and often listen to one of the financial news networks.
 

Ioman

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This argument is hilarious to me. I guess the sound quality of silence is higher right?
Excellent point. If you are planning on doing road trips with these vehicles, being able to play music seems pretty important to me. I know it is for my wife and children.
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