Other Need tech info on CarPlay DPI

[Leon1das]

iOS 16.6 iPhone 12
Car (RAV4 2023 XSE) has a large (10.5in) multimedia screen with high resolution - but CarPlay (wired and wireless) show in weird DPI where everything is zoomed in.
Imagine iPad size with 8 gigantic icons sitting on homescreen.

Tech info I need - apart from screen resolution - does anyone know what controls the DPI output that iPhone sends to CarPlay screen?

Is it screen res or some aditional identificators provided by the attached multimedia screen?

Really bugged to get to the bottom of this.

 

[chabig]

I think Toyota is to blame. Toyota pushed back against CarPlay support for years. As I understand it, CarPlay communicates with the display system to negotiate things like resolution. If you're getting a crazy low resolution, then the car is probably telling the phone to use that. All I can suggest, based on some web searching is:

1) In the Toyota settings, try turning off CarPlay and then turning it back on.
2) If that doesn't work, try resetting the infotainment system to its factory settings.

 

[hg.wells]

Any chance you can get a photo?

CarPlay in most cars does normally show 8 icons.

 

[Leon1das]

Attached - one with 10 icons from the ad, and one with how it actually looks in practice (8 icons).

On 10.5 screen - 8 icons, and all app fonts look terribly zoomed. Just huge.

10 icons is advertised in the car ad, and they should be provided.

 

[chabig]

Try a different USB port?

 

[hg.wells]

It’s zoomed for ease of use while driving and so you don’t loose focus.

I wonder if the picture on their website is marketing mockup.

 

[Leon1das]

Try a different USB port?

Actually new RAV4 has wireless CarPlay and single USB-A for cable connection.
Both give me the same 8 icons looks

 

[Leon1das]

I tried with wife's iPhone 13Pro too - same thing...

 

[Leon1das]

It’s zoomed for ease of use while driving and so you don’t loose focus.

Well... that statement sounds as an ad too...

As you mentioned - most CarPlay screens show 8 icons and thats true. And most of them are in 7-8in size range.

However car manufacturers are bumping these screens in sizes and resolutions - and having gigantic fonts and images looks just plain stupid, and I am sure Apple would vote against it being used that way.

For the reference - Skoda Enyaq (EV) has screen of similar size and bumps 5 icons in a row with no issues. I test drove it - and was pleasantly surprised how CarPlay DPI looked.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I think you’re gonna have to take that one up with Toyota. I agree, it looks odd but typically the user has no control over resolution negotiation between the car & the phone.