Trying out CarPlay (1 Viewer)

[Nelson Au]

Hey guys, my 23 year old BMW with an aftermarket head unit with car play is in the shop for a regular service so I have a brand new X3 loaner car. It of course has CarPlay built-in and I could not resist trying it out. I had just updated my iPhone to iOS 17.4.1 too.

The car connected wirelessly and I was playing my music and using maps. What surprised me was how good it works with a car that has a factory infotainment system. As I said, my old car has a new aftermarket head unit. I connect the iPhone to the head unit with a cable. The part that I was impressed with was while playing music, and Siri tells me to turn right in 200 feet, the audio on the music slightly lowers. But on my aftermarket unit, when Siri tells me to turn right, there is an abrupt muting of the music and the music comes back abruptly. I wondered if it was due to the new iOS adding improvements or it’s the head unit I have. Maybe when I get my car back, I can test that how the head unit works with iOS 17.4.1 on the iPhone.

Anyway, its been great to experience CarPlay in a car with a factory infotainment system.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Happy to read you finally discovered how great CarPlay is. I love the way it's going to completely take over vehicle dash and infotainment systems (such as in the new Lincoln Navigator)

 

[Clinton McClure]

Hi Nelson. The behavior of your aftermarket head unit is different from mine. My aftermarket CarPlay head unit is a Sony XAV-AX100 and I also have to connect my iPhone via usb cable. When using Maps, music playing will lower in volume while Siri is telling me to turn like you’re seeing with the factory X3 head unit. Mine will only abruptly pause and unpause for turning instructions if I’m listening to a podcast using the Overcast app. This behavior has been the same since I first installed the head unit in 2019 (I think) and has stayed the same through at least two models of iPhone and every version of iOS.

 

[John Dirk]

Carplay is the ONLY reason I continue to use an iPhone. As in many other cases, Google seems to have abandoned Android Auto where future development is concerned. I'm in no hurry but am looking forward to the new Carplay experience whenever I do replace my 2018 Mercedes.

 

[Nelson Au]

Thanks for the replies!

Ron, yeah, I had a good sense how good CarPlay is from my aftermarket unit. But obviously the factory infotainment system will be better integrated. It works great! I think there is a wireless charger on the console too! I’ll play with it some more today.

Clinton, when I installed the Dynavin aftermarket head unit, I did a preliminary set-up. When I get my car back, I’ll see if I can dial-in some of the volume levels. The other option is I’ve been eyeing is a new unit from Dynavin that has wireless Apple CarPlay built-in. Part of me is tempted to upgrade to that. And I can add the Apple Wireless charger puck or aftermarket one.

John, I’m surprised to hear that Android Auto development has been abandoned. I’d think its users would be pretty unhappy about that. As I’m not an android user, I wasn’t aware.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Carplay is the ONLY reason I continue to use an iPhone. As in many other cases, Google seems to have abandoned Android Auto where future development is concerned. I'm in no hurry but am looking forward to the new Carplay experience whenever I do replace my 2018 Mercedes.

I still see reports of updates to Android Auto with new features. Where have you seen that Google has abandoned it? I really only use it for navigation, so I do not pay close attention to updates.

 

[John Dirk]

I still see reports of updates to Android Auto with new features. Where have you seen that Google has abandoned it? I really only use it for navigation, so I do not pay close attention to updates.

Fair point. I've seen nothing in print [which is why I said "seems to have abandoned"] but my wife has an Android phone. When I connect it to my car it utilizes only the left 2/3's of my screen, leaving a useless Android Auto logo covering the remainder. In her [Lexus] car the right portion is used in a way similar to what Carplay does, so this may indeed be model specific behavior.

I've tried AA in various [brand new] rentals, however, and the interface is boringly stale. Apple's "next-generation" Carplay interface appears to be a game changer. I've heard of nothing even rivaling it coming from the Android world which is particularly frustrating considering it's open-source underpinnings.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Fair point. I've seen nothing in print [which is why I said "seems to have abandoned"] but my wife has an Android phone. When I connect it to my car it utilizes only the left 2/3's of my screen, leaving a useless Android Auto logo covering the remainder. In her [Lexus] car the right portion is used in a way similar to what Carplay does, so this may indeed be model specific behavior.

I've tried AA in various [brand new] rentals, however, and the interface is boringly stale. Apple's "next-generation" Carplay interface appears to be a game changer. I've heard of nothing even rivaling it coming from the Android world which is particularly frustrating considering it's open-source underpinnings.

Yeah, AA acted different in the Hyundai Tucson rental car we had in Hawaii than in my 2018 GMC Acadia, so some of it may be the peculiarities of different car manufacturers. Personally, as long as I can get Google Maps navigation with traffic routing, I am happy. I never use it for music (have a USB thumb drive with all my music) or anything else.

 

[John Dirk]

Yeah, AA acted different in the Hyundai Tucson rental car we had in Hawaii than in my 2018 GMC Acadia, so some of it may be the peculiarities of different car manufacturers. Personally, as long as I can get Google Maps navigation with traffic routing, I am happy. I never use it for music (have a USB thumb drive with all my music) or anything else.

Thankfully Google Maps [Assistant, etc.] work with Carplay so I can still enjoy the Android experience.

 

[Robert Saccone]

I recently rented a Ford F150 truck while away on vacation and it had an excellent implementation of car play. It exceeded what we have in our CRV.

 

[DaveF]

I travel and so rent cars about monthly. CarPlay becoming standard is the best thing to happen for travelers. No matter the car, my navigation and audio-controls interface aer always the same.

I only wish I had CarPlay in my own car.

 

[John Dirk]

I travel and so rent cars about monthly. CarPlay becoming standard is the best thing to happen for travelers. No matter the car, my navigation and audio-controls interface aer always the same.

I only wish I had CarPlay in my own car.

We need you buy one of these new vehicles and figure it out and report back if the new Carplay experience is worth it. You have to do this. For Science. For HTF.

First cars with next-generation CarPlay officially announced - 9to5Mac

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[DaveF]

We need you buy one of these new vehicles and figure it out and report back if the new Carplay experience is worth it. You have to do this. For Science. For HTF.

First cars with next-generation CarPlay officially announced - 9to5Mac

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Oh, I’d like to! But it’s looking like a 2025 or 2026 upgrade.

 

[Clinton McClure]

I think @Ronald Epstein might be the first of us to experience next gen CarPlay firsthand since he’s a Lincoln fan and they seem to be at the top of the list for full dashboard integration.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I think @Ronald Epstein might be the first of us to experience next gen CarPlay firsthand since he’s a Lincoln fan and they seem to be at the top of the list for full dashboard integration.

Thanks for the thoughtful wishes, but sadly, that won't be the case.

I bought a '22 Corsair during the car shortage and have regretted being unable to wait another year for the '23 revision.

However, I own that car, and Lincoln has just rolled out the '24 Navigator with a total vehicle CarPlay integration system. Now being retired, I don't see myself trading in my '22 for any of the new Lincoln vehicles anytime in the next 10 years.
However, I sense by that time, that kind of total vehicle system will be standard in most all vehicles.

 

[DaveF]

Thanks for the thoughtful wishes, but sadly, that won't be the case.

I bought a '22 Corsair during the car shortage and have regretted being unable to wait another year for the '23 revision.

However, I own that car, and Lincoln has just rolled out the '24 Navigator with a total vehicle CarPlay integration system. Now being retired, I don't see myself trading in my '22 for any of the new Lincoln vehicles anytime in the next 10 years.
However, I sense by that time, that kind of total vehicle system will be standard in most all vehicles.

I’ll point out that the system in the 2024 Navigator is an update to use Apple CarPlay from 2019. This isn’t the new 2022-announced next gen CarPlay that’s debuting in 2024 that takes over everything down to the instrument gauges. That’s only appearing to start only in very high end cars. Who knows when if ever that will appear in even upper-end cars like a Nav.

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[Nelson Au]

On my third day with the loaner BMW X3. It’s pretty cool to have wireless CarPlay. I really like that. Jump in the car and it just connects. There’s a wireless charging pad on the console that I place the phone on too.

I have noticed when using Apple Maps, that while the main screen shows me the map and route. On the main gauge cluster in front of me, which is really a large display, there is a small area where the driving directions appear too in text form. Then on the heads-up display, the same text appears with arrows indicating direction to go. Not next generation CarPlay, but pretty good.

 

[Robert Saccone]

Whenever I start shopping for my next car if there’s no CarPlay it doesn’t make the list.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Whenever I start shopping for my next car if there’s no CarPlay it doesn’t make the list.

I feel the same way about Android Auto. The last four cars we have bought (two for me, two for my wife) have been GM vehicles. However, their announcement of abandoning AA & Carplay in their EVs for their own home grown system is a no-go for me. If they do not reverse their position by the time we are ready to dive into an electric vehicle, we will be buying from another manufacturer -- and we have access to GM's retiree discount through family.