S3Sportback
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Audi's LTE S3 Sportback at European dealers now, 4G A3 hits US next spring
We knew Audi's 4G-enabled rides were coming, but not exactly when. That changes now, as the company has announced that the S3 Sportback is hitting dealer lots in Europe starting today. Us Yanks will have to wait until next spring to use long term evolution speeds with the Audi Connect infotainment system, and even then it'll be in the A3 sedan, not its sportier cousin. According to GigaOM, Europeans can access LTE from any carrier they choose, whereas domestic options remain ambiguous. The German automaker said that stateside, 4G connectivity will most likely be tied to a specific operator, similar to how smartphones are optimized for each carrier. Negotiations as to which "carrier or carriers" will supply mobile broadband are still up in the air too, with an announcement promised for a later date. We'd like to have pricing info then, too.
Audi S3 Sportback gets built-in LTE, available in other models this fall
Audi was late to the party with an in-car hotspot, but it may have beaten the competition to built-in LTE. High-speed mobile broadband is now a feature available to S3 Sportbacks from July (you'll need to provide your own SIM), with other A3 variants catching up in November. The company's Audi Connect infotainment system benefits from this boost, and that LTE connection can be shared with passengers looking to stay under their data caps. No matter what kind of speed freak you are, you've now got a data connection to match the car's quarter-mile prowess.
