Apple Carplay and Android Auto for 2015

Dr Who

Dr Who

Dr Who

Soldato
Joined
11 Nov 2004
Posts
8,183
Location
Couvains, France
So both Apple and Android have confirmed OS's for vehicles for 2015 and many manufacturers are onboard with Android and Volvo & Mercedes with Android and Apple options (sensible with the attitudes of most Android/Apple users ;)).

Seems like a sensible idea, Google voice will clearly trump Siri in a vehicular application and it appears the Apple option will be more complex to retrofit and requires some bespoke hardware to support the iphone connection, but I like the idea and there are many apps that could take advantage of the system connecting to the OBD2 port.

Thoughts?
 
Porshe have decided to go with Apple CarPlay for their 2017 model as Google apparently want lots of unnecessary diagnostics data from the car as part of their data collection policy.

http://www.macrumors.com/2015/10/06/porsche-chooses-carplay-over-android-auto/

There's no technological reason the 991/2 doesn't have Android Auto playing through its massively upgraded PCM system. But there is an ethical one. As part of the agreement an automaker would have to enter with Google, certain pieces of data must be collected and mailed back to Mountain View, California. Stuff like vehicle speed, throttle position, coolant and oil temp, engine revs—basically Google wants a complete OBD2 dump whenever someone activates Android Auto. Not kosher, says Porsche.
Click to expand...
 
VW use both via app-connect which you have to pay for. My Passat has it but because it's through a family scheme I wasn't able to pay for the access.
 
LiE said:
VW use both via app-connect which you have to pay for. My Passat has it but because it's through a family scheme I wasn't able to pay for the access.
Click to expand...

Any dealer can activate it, they are suppose to charge £100 but some are doing it for free. The main issue seems to be with some dealers not knowing it is possible to activate the function on a car that was not ordered with it. It should be possible to do it with VCDS once someone has figured out the coding on the new MIB II media systems

I have a courtesy Golf with Discovery Pro which has both enabled as standard and the system is excellent
 
Last edited:
The Insignia I ordered a month or so ago will come with CarPlay. I should get it end of the year or beginning of next year. Looking forward to trying it out.

I think Android Auto will be rolled out slightly after, so perhaps my next one will have that.
 
The OBD2 dump seems logical, the future of the road car is headed toward self driving, or at the very least, self aware cars that can use the collected data to handle situations on the road.

Plus the fact that the Android system has the potential to tag ito the car's systems and app developers can create apps that the user can then control whatever modules in the car. Much like how we currently can by plugging dongles and laptops and tablets/phones in and code/diagnose away. Android Auto makes that access much easier. Perhaps that is what Porsche don't want, people tinkering.
 
No reason why it shouldn't, the bulk of everything on display is being streamed from the phone anyway, so whatever apps etc you have are hosted from the phone. Think of it as Android Wear, but on a bigger screen and in your car.
 
Sheesh, only open the car door?

How about turn the car on remotely, turn the air conditioning on, and then beep at you and flash your hue lights in the house when the optimum temp is reached? :p

 
Dr Who said:
Thoughts?
Click to expand...

My thought is that it won't catch on for as long as its behind a paywall of additional options.

So many of the driving population that buy new cars, buy them on finance where adding options is frowned upon as you don't get the value of the options back come the end of the agreement (be it lease, PCP etc..)

Look in the brochure for Skoda at the moment, and they list both smart gate (to allow apps to work on your car) and mirror link to let your phone display on the car. However precisely zero cars on autotrader have these at the minute, even the ex demonstrator models where the dealers threw on leather, sat nav, bluetooth, keyless access, rear parking camera etc..

The Smart Gate option is only £100, but nobody takes it because I bet 99.9% of Joe public has no idea what it is.

until it starts getting bundled in as part of the bundle on premium trim levels, it won't catch on.
 
CarPlay looks awesome, it's just a shame that currently you can only get a double DIN version. I don't necessarily want the map to show up or to even have a touchscreen, but to have your phone connected to your stereo in a useful way. I suppose this can be achieved through Bluetooth, but Bluetooth lacks information about tracks and probably won't display who's calling you etc.
 
UberTiger said:
Sheesh, only open the car door?

How about turn the car on remotely, turn the air conditioning on, and then beep at you and flash your hue lights in the house when the optimum temp is reached? :p

Click to expand...

Wow. I had a remote start on a GTR that enabled startup/lock/unlock etc but due to the changes made on the MY14 above, the product was not feasible to put into production.

That is good though, what clever people design and build the hardware and software for these apps etc ;)
 
dirtychinchilla said:
I suppose this can be achieved through Bluetooth, but Bluetooth lacks information about tracks and probably won't display who's calling you etc.
Click to expand...

Bluetooth does exactly that. My head unit supports CarPlay but because of how well Bluetooth works (with displaying track names, allowing track skip from wheel controls etc as well as phone calls) I just don't bother using it anymore.
 
Fr0dders said:
My thought is that it won't catch on for as long as its behind a paywall of additional options.

Look in the brochure for Skoda at the moment, and they list both smart gate (to allow apps to work on your car) and mirror link to let your phone display on the car. However precisely zero cars on autotrader have these at the minute, even the ex demonstrator models where the dealers threw on leather, sat nav, bluetooth, keyless access, rear parking camera etc..

The Smart Gate option is only £100, but nobody takes it because I bet 99.9% of Joe public has no idea what it is.

until it starts getting bundled in as part of the bundle on premium trim levels, it won't catch on.
Click to expand...

It is standard with the Pro Nav option, any car with the MIB II system can have the function activated via the dealer, so you can buy a second hand without it then get it activated.
 
Ricochet J said:
I have no idea what Android wear is.

But from what you said is it a bit like Chromcast? But instead of casting media, you're casting apps etc?
Click to expand...

Same principle yea.

dirtychinchilla said:
CarPlay looks awesome, it's just a shame that currently you can only get a double DIN version. I don't necessarily want the map to show up or to even have a touchscreen, but to have your phone connected to your stereo in a useful way. I suppose this can be achieved through Bluetooth, but Bluetooth lacks information about tracks and probably won't display who's calling you etc.
Click to expand...

Yes it does, even my Android head unit running ancient version of Android does exactly that, and more.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom