Agreed, though you specifically pointed out taking a Plaid over a Porsche, so I was writing within that context.
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First Vehicles With Next-Generation Apple CarPlay Announced Ahead of 2024 Launch
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One concern I have is many of these new radio head units don't seem to be upgradeable/able to get after market radios. I have a Kenwood DMX957XR in my 2012 Prius, and the Kenwood's UI is way better, IMO, than the OEM head unit's UI. I had to rent a car a few weeks ago, a 2022 Prius. Even the newer OEM head unit was worse than my Kenwood.
Also, in my experience as an IT professional, I like components that are modular and replaceable. If my Kenwood dies, I can buy just a new head unit. It looks like with these newer cars, if one screen goes, I'll have to buy a whole new car. Sure, integration is great, but it often comes at the expense of repairability/upgradeability.
Also, in my experience as an IT professional, I like components that are modular and replaceable. If my Kenwood dies, I can buy just a new head unit. It looks like with these newer cars, if one screen goes, I'll have to buy a whole new car. Sure, integration is great, but it often comes at the expense of repairability/upgradeability.
Correct. It's more attainable than a Porsche Taycan although the base price of those really isn't too bad. But the point of the narrow convo was just a generalized critical opinion with no substance. For a car with "junky, buggy software" the model Y is the best selling car in the world (or maybe 2nd best)
Yup. I was just looking at the price of the Plaid it really isn't too bad considering what it used to be. But yeah, I would take the Plaid first. I did become a fan of Tesla's vehicles.
I don’t think CarPlay on infotainment offers anything over the built-in interface, though. Just a picture of the artwork with the name of the track playing and transport controls. Not using CarPlay is effectively having the same functionality on the infotainment screen without a complete takeover.
It's super-efficient and a lot more comfortable than the 2013 Model S I owned, and pre-owned still-under-warranty units are pretty affordable in many markets. While I did have some software jankiness once in a while it seemed no more or less than I do any any other car that has sophisticated UI. I just couldn't get past the ride quality. If it had the air-suspension like the S or X I'd probably still own it.
It does not operate the car. It's essentially a skin of an interface retrieving data from the car to display.
Which is increasingly a reason to not own a Tesla.
The entire point of Android Auto and CarPlay was to stop people from looking at that little screen in your hand. This disables nearly anything that requires reading, puts anything you do look at (like the map) in the place that was designed to keep you looking at the road while doing so. The opposition to this really isn't thinking of the alternative.
It has a completely standalone Android Automotive OS when not using CarPlay. CarPlay never signs into the car, it doesn't work that way.
Oh right, you'd much rather a custom interface designed by a team of software engineers who work for a car company. This is EXACTLY why CarPlay is popular, and it follows you from car to car no matter who designs the hardware.
Every car that has ever been the best selling car in the world has had even worse software than that - not really a factor, obviously.
Range Rover are going in the right direction regarding the single set of dual knob-dials with displays on them to cycle through multiple functions with minimal physical hardware while retaining that piece of physicality to the interface. I don't think the execution is perfect, but the idea is car dashboard design in a good direction IMO.
Tesla don't do it because they always try to streamline production and save production expense per vehicle sold, but I think they do so sometimes at the expense of making the product worse than it could be. For example, the glass they now used is doubled up for improved soundproofing, which costs more, but it makes the car driving experience much better to be worth it.
Tesla could add two nice weighted dials with display-buttons on them just below the main display (rear of the wireless charing pads) and depending on what current function selected to the main big screen could display corresponding information, such as, if you are using HVAC the display could momentary display the UX to move the direction of the airflow. Update: so then using the dial to change temps and things could be physical and simple, but if you wanted to adjust direction of air (less often) you can use the screen also.
Quick and dirty mockup:
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You’re not supposed to use the screen but use voice controls
I can't stress how shortsighted this is. The offer from CarPlay is a consistent interface, with the same apps and subscriptions, that follows you from car to car, is upgraded without needing to by a new car, and doesn't have janky bluetooth functions to integrate calls and texts.
shrug. My Telsa UI works fine for 95% of the apps. It desperately needs an appstore... and the irony is He bangs on about apple being a closed system, when Tesla is way more locked down. But it does seem to finally be coming together finally as a UI at least. Media player is much better.
I'd prefer Apple CarPlay to be available of course.
Interesting that Aston Martin are first in the line, as they are a really small team, and historically have been quite behind other manufacturers with their infotainment systems. I wonder if, as part of their engine/electrical tie up with Mercedes Benz, they are being used as a guinea pig for the new Mercedes infotainment system. In that it is low volume and not the main brand.
As mentioned above, the Porsche system is likely part of a VW platform, so it will be added to Audi/Bentley/Lamborghini/VW/Skoda/Seat as their infotainment platforms get refreshed. Unless it is so expensive that it can only go into the premium high priced models.
As mentioned above, the Porsche system is likely part of a VW platform, so it will be added to Audi/Bentley/Lamborghini/VW/Skoda/Seat as their infotainment platforms get refreshed. Unless it is so expensive that it can only go into the premium high priced models.
Before I worked in automotive infotainment I was training to be an air traffic controller, and even back then (20 years ago) we were experimenting with the controller selecting an aircraft on their screen, inputting the request and it appearing on the flight deck with just an OK button to press, the plane would then climb/descend to the selected altitude. It only worked on certain aircraft/airlines, but a simplified interface on the flight deck could work.
The problem is these days that the infotainment system is so tied in to the rest of the car, Toyota were actually quite late changing to this style of integrated system, other manufacturers were 3 or for generations ahead of them.
The best selling car in the world is a BEV, which is the point. And while everyone is clearly entitled to their opinion, mine is the Tesla infotainment system is superbly integrated and well engineered. And while I miss CarPlay, because I really like it, reality is the Tesla infotainment system I’d give…(for me)
I’m not at all a fan of all touch controls, but I also don’t think big/multiple screens will necessarily decrease driver attentiveness. It certainly has potential to, but whether it actually does or not depends on how smartly it’s implemented, and how much can be done by voice control or automated. If the layout makes sense and it’s intuitive and only shows necessary information, then it will be quick to learn and even quicker to glance at pertinent information than on a small single screen because the text/graphic is of course bigger and the bigger real estate will enable a consistent/static UI rather than needing to go into submenus on the smaller screen because of limited real estate. I think touch controls are always worse than physical controls in a car, but if manufacturers are going to do touch anyways, then more screen is better because it allows for bigger controls for easier pressing and a more consistent UI (no or less submenus) so you can at least have some more muscle memory.
It should go without saying that just because there is more screen real estate, Apple should not allow people to put up superfluous information like social media feeds. I think showing calendar appointments is even questionable. I hate that I don't even have the option to turn it off (that I know of).
But hey driving is becoming more automated anyway, so who needs to be attentive! 😆 jk
That doesn't address Skyscraperfan's point, though, which was about the aesthetic. I like using Carplay when I need it, and it moving with me, in my configuration, from car to car, is definitely a plus, though that is an exceedingly rare need. But I like the aesthetic of the Porsche display more. It also happens that for the majority of my use-cases, it functions perfectly fine for me, as well, limiting my Carplay use to edge cases where I'm messaging or using a 3rd party nav app.
Tesla needed to double up on that glass because people were complaining of their soundproofing not meeting their competition. They have really had to learn the hard way that people notice things like fit and finish in a nearly $100k car (S and X). Their decision to not use Lidar because it's too expensive is the scariest cost cutting I've ever seen (not that I've seen a lot lol).
