From AutoEvolution:
Most Users Want Android Auto and CarPlay as Standard, Not Willing to Pay ExtraQuoteAndroid Auto and CarPlay have become must-have equipment in most cars, and more data backs this claim. Apple's figures claim nearly eight in ten new-car buyers in the United States wouldn't even consider a vehicle without CarPlay.
FULL ARTICLE HERE (https://markholtz.info/2sb)
Hmmm... when I was purchasing a year-old vehicle in 2006, one of the must-have things was a CD player. Flash forward to 2014, and after my vehicle was totaled after being rear-ended, one of the must-have things was Bluetooth integration... the CD player is practically unused, and I was a model year or two away from Android Auto being rolled out. Now, in addition to Bluetooth, Android Auto integration is a must have for the audio media playback and the maps on the main screen instead of being in a holder. Alas, purchasing a new car is at least six years away.
Eight in ten new-car buyers? Geez, I don't even know what CarPlay is.
Quote from: kphoger on September 22, 2023, 09:54:00 AMGeez, I don't even know what CarPlay is.
At a high level overview, Android Auto and Apple Carplay allows you to utilize your car display as a second screen for your mobile phone. There are restrictions in how you design and use your apps in the Android Auto/Carplay configuration, including the size of the buttons and how the UI is designed with a high emphasis on minimal driver distraction. This means that video apps are disallowed while in a drive mode, while messenger apps are extremely restricted. This is possible because of the screens that are being used as part of backup camera systems.
Ah, OK, gotcha. Yeah, for me, cell phones in the car are for (1) phone calls and (2) for me to ask my wife to look something up on Google Maps from the passenger seat.
What's interesting is that you have a survey like that one, yet then you have the popularity of Tesla, which supports neither.
I don't want Android CarPlay.
I'm an Apple user.
And I don't even want Apple's version of CarPlay. I prefer a dedicated music player with an AUX or Bluetooth connection.
Quote from: hbelkins on September 22, 2023, 11:41:20 AM
I don't want Android CarPlay.
I'm an Apple user.
And I don't even want Apple's version of CarPlay. I prefer a dedicated music player with an AUX or Bluetooth connection.
I have neither because my car pre-dates either service. I can see the potential usefulness in being able to mirror the mapping software on the phone if that software integrates with the phone's contact list, thus making it potentially easier to get a route to a particular person's address without having to retype all the information into the car's sat-nav. But I don't like the idea of a screen in the dashboard that can play video or display text messages and I have no use for either of those features.
Apple CarPlay is awesome! My wife uses it all the time in her 2022 Traverse, and keeps it on Google Maps most of the time. Whenever I have to rent a car for work, I usually end up with something that has Apple CarPlay. The last rental car I had was a Ford Edge, and not only did it have wireless Apple CarPlay, but it had a larger screen than most of the cars I had rented before, so the display for Waze was much much bigger than the standard display screens or my phone display.
I think I heard last year that GM was going to phase out Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto in favor of some proprietary interface. They are playing suicide if they follow through with those plans!
I barely use the tech functions in my decade-old car now. I don't want CarPlay/AA. I wish cars still offered CD players.
Quote from: wriddle082 on September 22, 2023, 11:59:32 AMI think I heard last year that GM was going to phase out Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto in favor of some proprietary interface. They are playing suicide if they follow through with those plans!
GM is pushing ahead with Android Automotive (hello confusing names) which is a in-vehicle implementation of Android OS in their electric vehicles. While Android Automotive can support Android Auto and Apple Car play, GM wants to exclusively use Android Automotive and figure out new ways to monetize the user.
Good luck with that!Quote from: Takumi on September 22, 2023, 12:36:39 PMI wish cars still offered CD players.
While I am a fan of physical media, the main reason for the removal of CD and tape players in vehicles has everything to do with weight and dashboard space. The CD/tape player was essential five pounds of parts and rubber that has to survive harsh environmental extremes. This includes the shake-and-bake weather of the Arizona/California/Texas summer, or the icy chill of the Minnesota winters. Replace that was two ounces of Bluetooth circuitry that is far more reliable and weather resistant.
I can't speak to CarPlay since I'm an Android user, but I appreciate having Android Auto in rental cars.
With AA, I can pop up a Google Maps display on screen, have the audio integrated with the car's audio via Bluetooth, avoiding the need to keep the phone accessible. I also appreciate the AA interface with the music/podcast/audiobook apps I use on the phone, but since I don't really want to be looking at the display or manipulating audio controls while driving...that's not really necessary.
AA's integrated ability to read notifications from certain apps is something that sounds nice, until you realize the number of nuisance notifications you might be getting from the phone.
My car predates AA being a common feature, so my phone lives in a vent holder, which is OK...but I'd be happier if I could just feed the display to the SatNav/infotainment screen that I never use anymore.
When shopping for a car, I wouldn't exclude a particular brand/model just because it doesn't have AA...but interoperability with my phone would definitely be a quality-of-life consideration when making a selection.
Last rental car I tried had a weird bug that caused the key fob to not work if CarPlay was still on. So no locking while another person was connected inside.
Android Auto worked great in it, so I guess it must be some Apple proprietary fuckery that was causing it. The display was a bit small and it was annoying having to toggle Bluetooth on and off while leaving the car, though.
I added AA as an aftermarket install for the road trip car. The commuter car does not have it.
For long trips, especially when spending significant time in large cities, its quite nice. Real time navigation with traffic, all with voice commands. Leverages the phone for music, although I also have a thumb drive installed so I don't always have to plug in the phone. On long cruises I often put it on just for alerts and to find the nearest gas station or food when I want without having to actually use a phone.
The biggest cons are the unreliability of certain phones with it and the somewhat limited interface. I have two phones, one works the other does not, and its picky about which cable. I've heard enough horror stories about both AA and Apple to not blame this on my aftermarket setup though. Certain functions which should be there, like the ability to report speed traps or hazards are not, probabally due to lawyers.
I would not want to subscribe to it, but I'm also far from the target demographic buying new cars.
CDs do not belong in cars, their demise with respect to car audio is a major plus.
I have CarPlay in my Impreza. While nice to have it isn't something I would go out my way to get or pay extra for. I still have ways to listen to music via other media formats, all I really care about is charging my phone.
Is anyone concerned about rental vehicles retaining information from your phone when you connect it via Bluetooth or CarPlay?
The Jeep I drive for work sometimes has some sort of phone-vehicle integration, but I don't use it. When I take my music or podcast player along when I'm driving it, I use an AUX cable.
Quote from: hbelkins on September 23, 2023, 11:14:19 PM
Is anyone concerned about rental vehicles retaining information from your phone when you connect it via Bluetooth or CarPlay?
The Jeep I drive for work sometimes has some sort of phone-vehicle integration, but I don't use it. When I take my music or podcast player along when I'm driving it, I use an AUX cable.
Not me.
Quote from: hbelkins on September 23, 2023, 11:14:19 PM
Is anyone concerned about rental vehicles retaining information from your phone when you connect it via Bluetooth or CarPlay?
The Jeep I drive for work sometimes has some sort of phone-vehicle integration, but I don't use it. When I take my music or podcast player along when I'm driving it, I use an AUX cable.
Yes. I would only connect if I can find out the procedure to permanently delete my information, in the manual or elsewhere.
Quote from: ran4sh on September 24, 2023, 12:02:11 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 23, 2023, 11:14:19 PM
Is anyone concerned about rental vehicles retaining information from your phone when you connect it via Bluetooth or CarPlay?
The Jeep I drive for work sometimes has some sort of phone-vehicle integration, but I don't use it. When I take my music or podcast player along when I'm driving it, I use an AUX cable.
Yes. I would only connect if I can find out the procedure to permanently delete my information, in the manual or elsewhere.
Every time I turn a rental car in, right before I get out, I delete the profile for my phone. And whenever I take a new rental car, usually not long after I've gotten used to it, I'll look to see how many phone profiles are saved in it, and delete all but my own. And in your phone, go to Settings, General, and CarPlay, and it will show all of the cars you have connected to, with the option to delete after you go to each one.
Quote from: wriddle082 on September 24, 2023, 02:08:48 AM
Quote from: ran4sh on September 24, 2023, 12:02:11 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 23, 2023, 11:14:19 PM
Is anyone concerned about rental vehicles retaining information from your phone when you connect it via Bluetooth or CarPlay?
The Jeep I drive for work sometimes has some sort of phone-vehicle integration, but I don't use it. When I take my music or podcast player along when I'm driving it, I use an AUX cable.
Yes. I would only connect if I can find out the procedure to permanently delete my information, in the manual or elsewhere.
Every time I turn a rental car in, right before I get out, I delete the profile for my phone. And whenever I take a new rental car, usually not long after I've gotten used to it, I'll look to see how many phone profiles are saved in it, and delete all but my own. And in your phone, go to Settings, General, and CarPlay, and it will show all of the cars you have connected to, with the option to delete after you go to each one.
I don't think I'd trust that deleting the profile on the phone would result in deleting the information off the car. How would the car even know that you deleted it on the phone? Deleting off the car theoretically should, but given the (terrible) track record from the automakers with respect to privacy/security, I'll believe it when someone verifies it.
Quote from: vdeane on September 24, 2023, 08:15:19 AM
Quote from: wriddle082 on September 24, 2023, 02:08:48 AM
Quote from: ran4sh on September 24, 2023, 12:02:11 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 23, 2023, 11:14:19 PM
Is anyone concerned about rental vehicles retaining information from your phone when you connect it via Bluetooth or CarPlay?
The Jeep I drive for work sometimes has some sort of phone-vehicle integration, but I don't use it. When I take my music or podcast player along when I'm driving it, I use an AUX cable.
Yes. I would only connect if I can find out the procedure to permanently delete my information, in the manual or elsewhere.
Every time I turn a rental car in, right before I get out, I delete the profile for my phone. And whenever I take a new rental car, usually not long after I've gotten used to it, I'll look to see how many phone profiles are saved in it, and delete all but my own. And in your phone, go to Settings, General, and CarPlay, and it will show all of the cars you have connected to, with the option to delete after you go to each one.
I don't think I'd trust that deleting the profile on the phone would result in deleting the information off the car. How would the car even know that you deleted it on the phone? Deleting off the car theoretically should, but given the (terrible) track record from the automakers with respect to privacy/security, I'll believe it when someone verifies it.
You are precisely the person I thought of when I made my post about this subject.
Wipe and reload the car before turning it in–it's the only way to be sure.
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 25, 2023, 03:41:46 PM
Wipe and reload the car before turning it in–it's the only way to be sure.
You could always nuke it from orbit.
I'm apparently one of those tech enthusiast types who appreciates having the Android Auto interface, enough so that I replaced the headunit in my last car with one that did it, and specifically sought it out in my current vehicle.
It's my music and podcast interface, my mapping interface, my warning about upcoming road hazards and traffic, and how I interface with my phone. The way laws have gotten (rightfully so) about using phones in vehicles, even a brief moment to pick up my phone and click to skip to the next track would land me with a big fat ticket. If I want to remain legal and not have to pull over EVERY SINGLE TIME I need to quickly interact with my phone, it's necessary.
Yes, I can go back to a so-called simpler time and not have Android Auto. But there's enough utility there to make it worth the cost to have it.
Also, if I can go down to the Best Buy and put a touchscreen in my car for $200 that does Android Auto, you're damn right automakers should just have it for free or very cheap. Consumers know a money grab when they see one, and this subscription nonsense on a vehicle you've spent $40,000+ for rightfully doesn't fly.
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on September 25, 2023, 04:14:53 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 25, 2023, 03:41:46 PM
Wipe and reload the car before turning it in–it's the only way to be sure.
You could always nuke it from orbit.
That tends to violate the rental contract.
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 25, 2023, 07:14:25 PM
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on September 25, 2023, 04:14:53 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 25, 2023, 03:41:46 PM
Wipe and reload the car before turning it in–it's the only way to be sure.
You could always nuke it from orbit.
That tends to violate the rental contract.
Loss/damage waiver?
I got spoiled enough by rental cars with Android Auto, that I got my head unit ("old school" with just text display and physical buttons, though it did have Bluetooth) replaced with an Android Auto/Carplay Wireless capable unit. It's really great. My go to for road trips is the split screen mode with Waze (or Google Maps) and Spotify. I don't usually need directions on road trips, but having traffic alerts and stuff is nice. And once I get to where I'm going, it's useful for local trips in less familiar areas (and again navigation around traffic). Much prefer it over voice instructions over bluetooth, I prefer turning the voice directions off and just looking at the screen. It will definitely be something I consider in my next car.
I did a Google check, and there are now replacement head units for my 2013 and my mother's 2016 vehicles. However, I really don't have the time to install one, and I'm driving so rarely at this time that I can't justify the expensive of getting one installed at this time. :hmmm:
I still listen to CDs in my 2012 Suburu. I still have a lot of purchased CDs that I've never listened to, and am trying to do so. It takes years (plural) to do this, even if I am continuously actively trying to make progress, since I try to listen to each more than once. Listening to them during part of my daily commutes helps me make progress with this, in a small way. I wouldn't make much progress otherwise, since I don't live alone. Sometimes I have time around bedtime.
When this car eventually needs to be replaced. I will learn about all of this technology with which I am not yet familiar (it changes quickly enough that I don't pay much attention to it otherwise). I am also aware that will likely be the end of my listening to CDs while driving. My wife has satellite radio, and we wanted to add it to my car, but this Suburu doesn't have the necessary equipment, said equipment isn't that easy to add, and at my mileage (177 K) it might not be worth the effort depending how long the car lasts.
I have learned from several car rentals done in the last year, that backup cameras today are infinitely better than the one I have in the 2012 car. So I am definitely aware of that limitation.
Quote from: ZLoth on September 29, 2023, 02:13:02 PM
I did a Google check, and there are now replacement head units for my 2013 and my mother's 2016 vehicles. However, I really don't have the time to install one, and I'm driving so rarely at this time :hmmm:that I can't justify the expensive of getting one installed at this time. :hmmm:
Replacement head units have probabally been available for years. Install time varies by vehicle, I did one head unit swap in an hour parked on a city street once, quite easy. The other was several days of work and involved soldering 40+ connections. Really depends on the setup.
Quote from: tmoore952 on September 29, 2023, 02:38:14 PM
I still listen to CDs in my 2012 Suburu. I still have a lot of purchased CDs that I've never listened to, and am trying to do so. It takes years (plural) to do this, even if I am continuously actively trying to make progress, since I try to listen to each more than once. Listening to them during part of my daily commutes helps me make progress with this, in a small way. I wouldn't make much progress otherwise, since I don't live alone. Sometimes I have time around bedtime.
When this car eventually needs to be replaced. I will learn about all of this technology with which I am not yet familiar (it changes quickly enough that I don't pay much attention to it otherwise). I am also aware that will likely be the end of my listening to CDs while driving. My wife has satellite radio, and we wanted to add it to my car, but this Suburu doesn't have the necessary equipment, said equipment isn't that easy to add, and at my mileage (177 K) it might not be worth the effort depending how long the car lasts.
I have learned from several car rentals done in the last year, that backup cameras today are infinitely better than the one I have in the 2012 car. So I am definitely aware of that limitation.
Hate to say this, but with respect to music in the car technology has not really progressed much in the last decade or so. If your CD player dies, or you get tired of swapping them, the best solution is what it was a decade ago. Buy a cheap aftermarket head unit with USB support, rip CD collection USB, play USB. Simple as that.
Android Auto is good for navigation etc. but I would not bother with it simply for audio.
Quote from: tmoore952 on September 29, 2023, 02:38:14 PMI still listen to CDs in my 2012 Suburu. I still have a lot of purchased CDs that I've never listened to, and am trying to do so. It takes years (plural) to do this, even if I am continuously actively trying to make progress, since I try to listen to each more than once. Listening to them during part of my daily commutes helps me make progress with this, in a small way. I wouldn't make much progress otherwise, since I don't live alone. Sometimes I have time around bedtime.
First of all, respect for being a physical media owner. :clap:
So, does your 2012 Suburu have a Bluetooth connection? If so, that you can use that to play back media on your car's audio. You can "rip" your CDs to MP3 files, then transfer the files to a storage area of your phone, and then use a player such as PowerAMP to play the audio from your phone without burning up data minutes. This is what I did in the past until I got unlimited data
and set up my media server, thus I can stream my music while I'm traveling or download the albums using PlexAMP.
Android Auto/Apple CarPlay is simply a method to provide a user interface to supported applications on your smartphone. Bluetooth started becoming standard in cars in the late 2000s and can be used to play back audio as well as phone calls, and later versions of the Bluetooth spec has improved the audio quality that was lacking in the early versions.
From autoevolution:
The People Have Spoken: Android Auto and CarPlay Are Great, Car Infotainment Is NotQuoteIf you follow the news in the automotive space and keep an eye on General Motors, Tesla, and Rivian, you probably believe that the end is nigh for Android Auto and CarPlay.
These three carmakers are the biggest names holding out against the Android Auto and CarPlay invasion, sticking with in-house infotainment systems or using quiet approaches for more nefarious plans, such as subscription-based models (I'm looking at you, GM!).
While Tesla has no intention to adopt CarPlay, GM went all-in on Android Automotive and blocked Android Auto and CarPlay, and Rivian started working on bringing the best of CarPlay to its infotainment system, a new study shows that people still enjoy connecting their smartphones to their cars.
The JD Power 2024 US Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study paints a picture that we're all familiar with: drivers love Android Auto and CarPlay and hate native infotainment software that is often clumsy, slow, and a nightmare to interact with.
FULL ARTICLE HERE (https://markholtz.info/2vf)
All I get out of the in-dashboard screens is that they want me to pay up for premium levels of common apps.
I'm good with my personal aux cord in my car, which FWIW is a bit older.
My new Corolla came with CarPlay. Had the guy at the dealership not set it up for my during delivery I probably wouldn't have bothered enabling it (at least for awhile). Either way, the presence of CarPlay played no factor whatsoever in my purchase decision.
Android Auto is not a feature that I would buy a new car for, and because I'm not driving much at the moment, I'm not doing a aftermarket upgrade. But it would be a feature that I want in my next vehicle... which won't be until the end of 2029 at the earliest.
But, look at it this way. In 2006, a feature I wanted was to be able to play CDs. A few years later, smartphones came out and Bluetooth became a needed feature. When my car was re-ended and totaled, I didn't care about the CD player, but Bluetooth was essential.
https://github.com/lamemakes/pilot-drive
This is an interesting open source software project designed to run on a Raspberry Pi. I guess you'd connect the Pi to an existing head unit screen somehow.
My current car has Apple Car Play/Android Auto. My previous one had just a Bluetooth connection for sound. Its no big deal one way or the other. I know how to read a map, and understand that while Google maps and its competitors are fine for finding a particular business after you leave the highway, its main function for inter-regional travel is to get you lost or send you on a circuitous route because its algorithm cannot understand how to read a map, the differences in road quality and thus top speed. and the fact that the congestion or accident it sends you 100 miles out of your way to miss, will be long cleared up by the time you get there, a hundredth as well as a normal human being.
Car Play is nice to be able to pull up podcasts without looking at my phone, which is all I use it for. I certainly wouldn't pay extra for it.
As to all the secret squirrel stuff, I have no illusion that the government already knows how a feal about it, whether they can read my phone details or not, and understand that when/if Constitutional government ends, I am near the top of their list to take out, and proudly so.
Quote from: SP Cook on August 18, 2024, 01:49:49 PMAs to all the secret squirrel stuff, I have no illusion that the government already knows how a feal about it, whether they can read my phone details or not, and understand that when/if Constitutional government ends, I am near the top of their list to take out, and proudly so.
Wut