Quote:
RC said:
To my knowledge, Porsche didn't incorporate Bluetooth for three reasons:
1. the manufacturer of the PCM system doesn't offer a perfect solution
2. Bluetooth has some security flaws which could be exploited by people with "vicious minds"
3. radio waves "radiation", there are lots of passionate discussions going on right now in Europe regarding mobile phones, WLan, Bluetooth, etc. emitting radio waves at higher frequencies (900 Mhz, 1800 Mhz, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz).

And I'm not quite sure but I think only BMW actually offers a Bluetooth option and I'm not sure if this option will have a future.

I know that CDMA is available almost everywhere in the US but the US moves towards GSM, even if they use different frequencies like 850 MHz and the more popular 1900 MHz.
Japan is actually the only other country not to use GSM.
GSM is available everywhere else in the world, including Cuba, Iraq, Iran and Syria. I think it is a great achievement for GSM to make it possible to roam almost worldwide, in my opinion CDMA is almost dead in a longterm run. 3G is the next thing (called UMTS in Germany), it is already available in lots of countries (incl. Japan) and I hope they find a standard for roaming, this would be just great.
Not to forget the 3 satellite phone systems Inmarsat, Iridium and Thuraja.



Respectfully, RC, I'd be willing to bet on the first reason with reasons 2 and 3 being just BS excuses.

Both Honda and Toyota have already broadly implemented Bluetooth in their cars. It is the only logical approach to integrating telephones into cars. I would predict that every other car company will follow over time with the Japanese leading.

Reasons for lagging might (I speculate) include: less leverage with the electronics vendor or reliance on a less sophisticated vendor in the case of a lower volume manufacturer like Porsche.

A few observations:

CDMA is not at risk of obsolescence and is the dominant standard in Porsche's largest market - the USA, and a fast growing market: China. Japan uses another non-GSM standard.

GSM service providers will not provide a cloned SIM, thus requiring a second phone number, additional subscriber cost and the need to transcribe phone directories between SIMs.

New G3 transmission standards are evolving and in the USA certainly people are used to changing services between standards (e.g. between CDMA, GSM and iDEN). And if you work for a company (even one you own!) this decision may be outside your direct control.

Bluetooth resolves all these issues. It doesn't matter what standard phone you have. You keep your one number. You instantly have access to your phone directory. You have no additional subscription cost. Anyone can drive the car and their phone is automatically integrated.

It is win-win-win and trying to integrate a GSM phone is lose-lose-lose. Especially when the car may well outlive the GSM standard.

It has nothing to do with security. It has nothing to do with safety. It is all to do with Porsche's electronics vendor - I would strongly suggest.