I was scanning the web, the other day, as one does, looking for mobile phone news, when this story popped out at me from GSMArena. Basically, Audi have jumped on the “let’s bundle a phone with the car†bandwagon, that was most recently seen in the Renault Twingo Nokia Edition.
But they’ve been cannier than that, oh yes they have. Bundle an existing phone with the Audi A1?
“Naaaaaaaaaaaah, let’s brand our OWN phone!†says Audi. The result is, unsurprisingly, the Audi Phone. And to be frank, it looks the business! Featuring a touchscreen interface, and 3G, it is actually a powerful little phone in its own right. But the cool stuff comes when you use it in conjunction with your car…
Now this is the clever stuff. Basically, the Audi phone becomes kind of… well, I suppose the best way to say it is the “control-chip-brain-device†of things like keyless entry into the car, heating/aircon, audio/video, and navigation. Which is pretty damn cool, no matter how you look at it.
However, it doesn’t stop there, since if your A1 gets nicked, the Audi phone stays wirelessly linked to it at all times. So, with the car’s onboard camera, you can see who’s nicked it, and with the tracking in the car, your phone will tell you where it is, so you can alert the police to go and hit the thieving scumbag with nightsticks, and lock him away forever.
Now, the bad news… since the Audi Phone is going to be bundled with the Audi A1, we won’t be selling it, since I would imagine it’ll be quite hard to post out a car to someone by Royal Mail (savour that image, of the postman trying to get an Audi through your letterbox, I know I am…)
But I’d bet cold hard cash the phone won’t come with a sim. So, if you get one you’re gonna need a sim. Otherwise the Audi Phone will essentially be a pretty doorstop.
But there is a solution, oh yes. Audi Phone, sim free. O2 Simplicity. They could almost have been born for each other!!