Apple Prevented Volkswagen From Exhibiting Wireless CarPlay at CES

[stopthenonsense]

Apple doesn't want anyone stealing their thunder because they will probably give a demo of it at WWDC in June.

I think it's more likely apple doesn't want to be associated with VW. I'm surprised tire manufacturers aren't requiring them to put duct tape on their brand!
[doublepost=1452274119][/doublepost]

Nah, why? Makes absolutely no sense. Why would they take part in a political witch-hunt... would be very cheap.

Far from a witch hunt. They are buying back 100,000+ vehicles... that's not a witch hunt.

 

[critter13]

maybe waiting for wireless charging on the 7 as well?

 

[Rigby]

Someone *cough*Apple*cough* really needs to come up with a modern Bluetooth replacement that is high-bandwidth, easy to connect/pair, easy to switch connections between multiple devices, and reliably holds a connection once paired.

The problem is that high bandwidth also causes more power consumption, which is not really an option for Bluetooth as it has to work efficiently e.g. on earbuds with tiny batteries. Wireless Carplay will probably use Wifi to transmit the actual data and only use Bluetooth to set up the connection (similar to Instant Hotspot or Airdrop).

 

[BruiserB]

maybe waiting for wireless charging on the 7 as well?

It would be sweet if car manufacturers could implement wireless charging and CarPlay at the same time. Have a place in the console to set your phone while you drive and it charges. Would want the solution to be phone brand neutral. I'm all for it working with the Android equivalents. Car choice or infotainment system choice shouldn't be married to the phone brand.

 

[roland.g]

Maybe VW should focus more on emissions and less on CES.

As for CarPlay, VW is a joke. Their flagship and most expensive model in their lineup is the one vehicle they have no plans for introducing CarPlay compatibility: the Touareg. In fact the recent Touaregs have a worse Bluetooth and audio streaming functionality than the compact SUV Tiguan.

 

[bstpierre]

What the hell is this article talking about? My friend has a Toyota Avalon with an aftermarket Pioneer stereo and it has Carplay and connects via bluetooth, not some kind of USB connection. Unless he figured out some way of making it work that Apple is somehow totally unaware of.

Are you sure? I just looked at Pioneer's website and you can connect wirelessly to stream music from your phone but that is different then using CarPlay. Do not have any mention of connecting your phone to CarPlay wirelessly.

 

[2298754]

As for CarPlay, VW is a joke. Their flagship and most expensive model in their lineup is the one vehicle they have no plans for introducing CarPlay compatibility: the Touareg. In fact the recent Touaregs have a worse Bluetooth and audio streaming functionality than the compact SUV Tiguan.

That makes perfect sense... The Touraeg doesn't use the same infotainment system as the rest of the lineup and it is due to be replaced soon. There is no reason for them to spend the money to add CarPlay to the RNS850.

The rest of the models all got CarPlay at the same time because the rest of the VW lineup basically uses the same few infotainment systems, RNS310/510. They've since been upgraded to MIB1/2.
[doublepost=1452274732][/doublepost]I don't even want to know how terrible battery life is going to be with wireless CarPlay...

 

[jwc6160]

Are any of the current wired CarPlay systems supposed to be upgradable to wireless CarPlay with future software updates? Or is a hardware change necessary to enable this?

Maybe Apple wants iOS 10 at WWDC to have a wireless theme. Wireless headphones, wireless charging, wireless CarPlay. Wonder how the invitation will hint at this??

I hope so. We have a 2016 Volvo XC90. I was pumped for the upgrade to CarPlay. Was disappointed when I found out you had to plug in. I use it less than 5% of the time I'm in the car because of this. I'm actually pretty disappointed in it as a whole but that is prob because I never plug my phone in to use it.

 

[Bubba Satori]

Apple Car Confirmed.

 

[AbSoluTc]

That's why I don't want CarPlay in my car. Another walled garden. I tried CarPlay in my car and it is slow and laggy, ended up not using it ever again.

I'm slightly confused by your post. You don't want carplay in your car but you bought a car with carplay? You then say "another walled garden", yet your signature lists all your wonderful apple products. I am getting even more confused now. Huh?

 

[gaximus]

Which system. I just got a 2016 Chevy Silverado and it works great! I don't mind the wired connection. I put it in my console storage box, plus it in and forget about it. Plus, it charges the phone VERY fast.

I'm much more interested in new CarPlay apps. C'mon Waze. That and tweaking Siri to be more robust in the car.

And a night mode, and having it turn on before sunset. Mine changes the map to night mode an hour after sunset. Also it needs a much darker night mode, different set of icons and such.

 

[dewski]

Are you sure? I just looked at Pioneer's website and you can connect wirelessly to stream music from your phone but that is different then using CarPlay. Do not have any mention of connecting your phone to CarPlay wirelessly.

yeah i think maybe that guy assumes that your phone doing anything with the unit via bluetooth is carplay?

with my pioneer i can summon siri from my steering wheel, stream music and phone calls, of course.

 

[bluespark]

Apple doesn't want anyone stealing their thunder because they will probably give a demo of it at WWDC in June.

Yes, and going forward with this would have amounted to giving VW preferential status over other partners. That said, what a stupidly missed opportunity. Apple should have moved their announcement forward and given any automaker that was ready the opportunity to show this off.

 

[Crzyrio]

What the hell is this article talking about? My friend has a Toyota Avalon with an aftermarket Pioneer stereo and it has Carplay and connects via bluetooth, not some kind of USB connection. Unless he figured out some way of making it work that Apple is somehow totally unaware of.

I don't think your referring to CarPlay, probably some other functnality.

Bluetooth does not have the bandwidth to support CarPlay, it needs wifi.

 

[bassjunky]

I'm in the market for a new head unit for my F150. I've played around with CarPlay, and it works pretty well, but damn are most after-market head units expensive! I might as well wait a while until the newer versions of wireless Carplay is introduced...I wish these manufacturers would hurry the hell up, or Apple, or whoever to get this wireless connection going. I like the idea of offering both, wired and wireless, and there's no way I'm spending +$500 (or even a lot more) for last year's tech.

 

[neotorque]

I have the Alpine CarPlay stereo in my car. It has Bluetooth and wifi built-in but not enabled, obviously. And I couldn't care less.

1) I want to plug in my phone so it charges, because it would kill the battery over any drive long enough to care about having CarPlay capability

2) If you have your stereo professionally installed (or built in) the cables should be right where you'd rest the phone anyway, so plugging it in is no inconvenience whatsoever

3) I wouldn't want anything that might delay responsiveness, even momentarily, when I'm driving

 

[bluespark]

It would be nice if CarPlay had an option for monochrome icons that match the car's nighttime lighting. For example, many VW's have really pretty red panel lighting at night. CarPlay would be more attractive in those cars if it could display in all red, suitably dimmed for nighttime driving. Other color schemes obviously make more sense for other types of cars. Full color should be an option that the automaker can either make default or not, and which the user can adjust.

 

[Corrode]

I'm guessing something like "There's electricity in the air". People will freak out about the MBA getting updated but it'll be about wireless everything iOS related.

Remember this post come June. I think you nailed it.

 

[dark_knight177]

I'm slightly confused by your post. You don't want carplay in your car but you bought a car with carplay? You then say "another walled garden", yet your signature lists all your wonderful apple products. I am getting even more confused now. Huh?

I didn't buy my car for CarPlay, I bought it because it was the car I wanted, CarPlay just came along with the car and I prefer not to have it at all.

It's POS laggy just like iOS 9. I would rather use the manufacturer's headunit software than CarPlay. It's all about integration and car manufacturer can tweak and optimize the software for the hardware it's running, while CarPlay has to support all those hundreds of vehicles. Any integrated head-unit software will be faster than CarPlay.

 

[omnimoeish]

I'm guessing something like "There's electricity in the air". People will freak out about the MBA getting updated but it'll be about wireless everything iOS related.

LOL, hilarious. I agree. Lately Apple's product announcements feel like they're a parody of themselves. The tagline from the last one "The Only Thing That's Changed is Everything" as they announce the least exciting iPhone improvements to date. I felt like I was watching something produced by the studio that brought us Sharknado. Then they release a Magic Mouse with a charge that prevents you from using it while it's charged because it has to be charged in the table side of the mouse.

I have an iPhone 6 for text integration with my Mac, but honestly iOS devices are the least exciting thing about Apple's product lineup.

I'm slightly confused by your post. You don't want carplay in your car but you bought a car with carplay? You then say "another walled garden", yet your signature lists all your wonderful apple products. I am getting even more confused now. Huh?

You don't think there's a chance he bought it for any other reason than the fact that Car Play happened to be one of the infotainment features whether he wanted it or not? Apple has some nice and useful products it's true, but not all.

 

[Gasu E.]

Apple Car Confirmed.

Apple recently announced that maintenance will no longer be available for 2009 Apple Car models.

 

[wood1208]

Similar kind of complain was launched against Apple for not having Amazon Prime Instant Video App on new or older Apple-TV. Everyone thought Apple don't want Amazon App on Apple-TV but the fact was Apple said "All are Welcome" and than Amazon indirectly said such APP is work in progress and soon will be available. Volkwagan may not have flawlessly working Car-Play wirelesly with their car console.

 

[ctg7w6]

Lol at people thinking this doesn't have to do with the emissions scandal. Really, guys, how often does Apple get involved in liberal political causes. Oh yeah, basically every single time.

 

[Crzyrio]

I didn't buy my car for CarPlay, I bought it because it was the car I wanted, CarPlay just came along with the car and I prefer not to have it at all.

It's POS laggy just like iOS 9. I would rather use the manufacturer's headunit software than CarPlay. It's all about integration and car manufacturer can tweak and optimize the software for the hardware it's running, while CarPlay has to support all those hundreds of vehicles. Any integrated head-unit software will be faster than CarPlay.

Either you think something else is car play, you dont know what car play is or you have an older phone. Which phone do you use with carplay and which car?

Carplay runs completely on the iPhone, there is no hardware to integrate with on the cars. The only hardware used is the touchscreen. So if it is laggy, it is because your of your phone not the car hardware.

 

[wood1208]

Toyota as the only holdout for Carplay? Toyota making lots of serious mistakes these days. Hydrogen cars are their big focus and its a lost cause. Battery electric is where its at and they're ignoring that area. It takes enormous energy to compress and transport hydrogen. Its a horribly inefficient, complex and expensive fuel to use rather than use batteries to store electricity for which there's already infrastructure in everyone's home.

I do agree that lately Toyota has lost their mojo and making numerous mistakes including look of their new cars. front of their corola,lexus,etc look so horrible that loyal Toyota customer like me now looking elsewhere. Instead of leading, Toyota is way behind adopting the most important feature for all new buyer that tight, flawless working Car-Play and android phone connectivity with infotainment.