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As some carmakers run from Apple CarPlay, Porsche embraces it
(arstechnica.com)
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this post was submitted on 04 Oct 2023
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Personally I tried Android Auto it with a company car (nothing fancy).
Couldn't care less. Give me bluetooth and a USB port to plugin my smartphone and I will bring my phone holder.
No need for stuff that will get outdated and needs dealer updates (if they are even supplied).
I thought Android Auto and Apple CarPlay both handle updates on the phone side, not the car side?
I don't know anything about the software but there surely is some implementation on both sides as I don't believe it's just a pretty chromecast/apple version of that interface streamed from the phone.
And assuming you keep a car for >5 years and the strides tech does at any point (just look back on phones 10 years ago) and Google/Apple developing the platform further and abandoning older models I don't see a very bright future.
Assuming I am wrong, I am happy to be corrected.
Edit: No need to downvote me to hell. I was wrong and corrected >_>
I think it might literally be a video feed? or similar to an X11 session? I know it doesn't work over bluetooth and it requires a wire or wifi, so it's bandwidth heavy for sure
It is, both use a virtual display device over USB or Wi-Fi and send touch events from the screen to the phone.
It's basically a Display + HID interface from the car to the phone.
That said, the software on the car side should be updatable over time as well, to fix bugs and add new features.
If that's actually the case: Neat
Hope they do not drop support for the APIs to allow access via the interface so cars have a long life.
There have been CarPlay compatible cars on the market for 8 years now and they work fine with newer iPhones. Hell, Apple still supports the iPod USB protocol for even older cars on new iPhones.
It's not much of a concern, in my opinion. And I drive a car with no CarPlay and only built-in infotainment lol
This is specifically why people like CarPlay and Android Auto; they are managed by your phone instead of the car manufacturer. If you bought one of the first CarPlay capable cars in 2014, it still works with the new CarPlay features that just shipped in iOS 17 last week.
CarPlay and Android Auto basically turn your infotainment system into a dumb terminal for your phone. They work by turning it into a second display. All the head unit has to do is relay touch inputs back to the device. It is completely unaware of what actual software is running, it just sees a video signal and your fingers.
This is also probably why Tesla and General Motors don't like it. They want you to pay them for the new features you otherwise get for free with your phone.
If that is so, that's really cool.
But other users said it already and I agree: Not everythibg needs to be smart.
Really had attentiom issues with this whole infotainment system while driving.
So I'd agree: Less is better. More knobs amd keys instead of a large pane of touchscreen. Also the whole infosec about cars is probably still only surface level. Who knows what outdated piece of tech lingers in the depths.
Ah yes, such overly smart features as… your navigation on the screen, your currently playing music app, and maybe a handful of driving specific apps.
It’s literally just the same stuff you would normally expect, but with the ability to install/change/update completely independently of the car.
Also not sure what the age of the parts of the car have to do with anything. Are you concerned your 20 year old tv is suddenly going to be sprouting an autonomous cellular connection and broadcasting your content to the internet?
In the specific case of a car: Less is better.
Just a personal preference.
If the options are a phone in your hand, or a car safe version of the same info on your dash, I think it should be obvious which one is better.