New Car Buyers Increasingly Interested in Apple CarPlay

[MH01]

Sadly the graph shows that customers are interested in android and iOS . What it fails to show is how many don't care at all

Last cheap car I hired had a unit that supported both. thought that was the norm these days

 

[CarlJ]

Why do car companies think they can do user facing software? They are usually about as talented at software as the companies that make set top boxes for Comcast.

Funny you should mention cable companies - I read an article about smartphones and cars, and they were asking Toyota about the lack of phone integration and their infotainment system and the answer sounded very much like the cable companies that are scared about becoming "dumb pipes": they were talking about the dashboard "experience" being very important to their "branding".

Me, I just want a button on the steering wheel that invokes Siri - I can already converse with her over the car's bluetooth speakerphone system just fine once she's been invoked - I just want the car to provide the same capability that any $15 pair of "iPhone-ready" earphones have, of triggering Siri. But, Toyota has a brand to protect. Sigh.

 

[LincolnsiPod]

I found CarPlay to be pretty basic but it's a necessity if you want maps that are up to date. My car's navigation (Tucson 2016) is pretty good but it costs $169 to update it (including software improvements), $219 if I opt for the SD card instead of the download (which only works on Windows 7 and above), and they do updates twice a year.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

The stupid thing on the Merc,s is that CarPlay will only work on one of the two USB ports in the arm rest and if you want to disable CarPlay and switch back to the Comand system, you hsve to physically disconnect the phone and plug it in to the other USB port.

 

[MrCrowbar]

I got a 2015 model Suzuki and CarPlay comes as standard and it was indeed an important feature to me. The Kia I was fancying had it as well but I didn't enjoy how it drove.
I like how I can listen to FM radio and still have the navigation instructions mute the radio for a second. You can't do that with the AUX jack. There's also independent volume controls for, say a podcast and the navigation; whatever you currently hear can be adjusted with the steering wheel buttons so listening to a very quiet podcast and then getting frightened by way loud "TURN LEFT!!!!" is no linger an issue. I like how you can still use the phone in a cradle and it acts like a second screen for the CarPlay app or use it normally by hitting the home button.

 

[Lancer]

I'd get an Apple CarPlay system tomorrow if it had the features I want, but the fact is my Android based system cost less and has way more features than any of the Apple ones.

 

[Feenician]

The stupid thing on the Merc,s is that CarPlay will only work on one of the two USB ports in the arm rest and if you want to disable CarPlay and switch back to the Comand system, you hsve to physically disconnect the phone and plug it in to the other USB port.

Really? There isn’t an icon in CarPlay to return to the native system? There is my Ford and has been in other CarPlay implementations I’ve had in rentals.

 

[uroshnor]

Having one car with CarPlay (admittedly an Alpine 007), I am now totally sold on it. Not having it in a new car, is now a dealbreaker.

The main things are:

- if you put locations of calendar events in them, they are are picked up as possible navigation destinations - so its often a single tap to set your navigation destination. There's other neat stuff like it remembers you often go certain places at certain times.

- real time adjustment of routes and time to destination based on traffic changes

- Location based reminders appear on the CarPlay screen

- Podcast and Music fully integrated

- iMessage fully integrated

- Siri - pretty good for finding stuff, sending messages and making hands free calls

You can even have someone in the passenger's seat do navigation planning and send the destination location via iMessage , and it gets picked up by the unit connected to CarPlay.

I'd love to see Find My Friends, and some ODB2 car control stuff integrated (ie have the car manufacturer do an App to control car environmental etc)

And if you loan your car to someone, you aren't leaving any personal info laying about in the car's infotainment system, they just plug in their phone and the experience is personalised to them.

Shame on particularly Toyota and Land Rover for sticking their heads in the sand on this. Tesla gets a pass for being one of the very very few car manufacturers who doesn't support CarPlay, AND kind of gets it right with their proprietary system.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

And by getting Such a car getting even more bound to Apple ecosystem

 

[BruceEBonus]

"Increasingly interested". Well they've taken a long time to show it if they are. Old CarPlay has been trundling for years and sadly the date looks confirm it :-(

 

[FoxMcCloud]

CarPlay is good, but it could be so much better.

I'd like, when using maps, to see what music is playing.

I'd like the music to split up artist, album and song name onto 3 lines instead of two and not get (...) for the majority of songs.

When you get a phone call using maps, it should maybe put a toast notification in the corner instead of switching the entire screen over to phone call where you have to manually change back.

Basically, just a bit more information, and more usability aspects. I'd like it if Siri could answer some questions instead of saying she can't while driving. Maybe I want to do a calculation or know what the weather is or know how many miles something is from kilometres etc. She's been nerfed for no reason.

 

[uroshnor]

And by getting Such a car getting even more bound to Apple ecosystem

Not necessarily - most (but not all) stuff that does it from factory supports both CarPlay and Android Auto. Nearly all the after-market stuff does as well.

 

[horrgakx]

I am not a fan of CarPlay. It’s faffy. The phone has to be plugged in, I have to go to the menu to activate it, then in another menu and another one and another one.

It’s far easier to flick the Media switch on the car’s Centre console and it just connects to the phone with Bluetooth.

 

[Reason077]

CarPlay is brilliant. It went from an "interested" to "must have" for me after actually trying it while renting. Any other navigation interface - even Tesla's - is pretty lame by comparison.
[doublepost=1508232512][/doublepost]

I am not a fan of CarPlay. It’s faffy. The phone has to be plugged in, I have to go to the menu to activate it, then in another menu and another one and another one.

It’s far easier to flick the Media switch on the car’s Centre console and it just connects to the phone with Bluetooth.

CarPlay does a lot more than just media. And much can be controlled via Siri, reducing button-presses greatly compared to most built-in car interfaces.

Agree that wireless would be nice in future. Maybe combined with inductive charging?
[doublepost=1508232889][/doublepost]

I found CarPlay to be pretty basic but it's a necessity if you want maps that are up to date. My car's navigation (Tucson 2016) is pretty good but it costs $169 to update it (including software improvements)

This is a huge advantage of CarPlay. It'll always be up-to-date - not only with maps, but features, technology, apps, UI, etc, every time you update your phone or iOS. Can't say that about many built-in car infotainment systems.

 

[Bacillus]

This kind of distraction has killed soo many people and should be forbidden.
Just as bad people texting while driving.
Nobody's comfort, time, entertainment needs go before safety.
(Aoohps sorry, commercial interests...)

 

[Techaddict]

CarPlay is becoming an increasingly important feature that consumers look for when purchasing a vehicle, according to a new report released today by Strategy Analytics.

In a survey querying future car buyers about their interest in Android Auto, CarPlay, and Baidu CarLife in the United States, Western Europe, and China, Strategy Analytics discovered the majority of consumers are interested in CarPlay.

In the United States, 23 percent of respondents said CarPlay was a "must have" feature, while 56 percent said they were "interested." Just 21 percent were "not interested." In Europe and China, the numbers were even higher. 36 percent of respondents said CarPlay was a must have feature in China, and 29 percent said the same in Europe.

No fewer than 30 percent of consumers surveyed said they were willing to pay more for a smartphone mirroring feature like CarPlay or Android Auto, provided it's offered at a reasonable price point. For existing customers who have access to mirroring systems like CarPlay, they're often used exclusively over the existing in-car infotainment options. From Strategy Analytics' Derek Viita, author of the reportFor the survey, Strategy Analytics queried 1,503 consumers in the United States, 1,607 in Western Europe, and 2,003 in China. To participate, respondents were asked to confirm whether they owned or leased a motor vehicle and a smartphone, and they were only asked about in-car mirroring systems available in their regions and compatible with their smartphones.

Though CarPlay has been available since 2015, car manufacturers didn't begin widely adopting the feature until mid-2016. CarPlay is now included in many new 2016 and 2017 vehicles from a wide range of car makers like Ford, Cadillac, Honda, Kia, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Fiat-Chrysler, and more.

CarPlay in the new Nissan Leaf​

More than 200 vehicles include CarPlay support, with Apple offering an official master list of all the CarPlay vehicles available in the United States on its website. CarPlay is also available in many aftermarket infotainment units from companies like Pioneer and Alpine.

Article Link: New Car Buyers Increasingly Interested in Apple CarPlay

[doublepost=1508233941][/doublepost]My wife's little Suzuki has Carplay and it's great. Works flawlessly.
My Honda CRV doesn't and the entertainment system is sufferable at best.
Next new car MUST have CARPLAY.. No debate.

 

[dannys1]

It'd be great if Tesla could roll it out so that it just uses half of the screen like other apps. Can't see it happening though.

 

[hibby704]

I actually went with Chevy after looking at the Prius. I couldn't justify the markup of a hybrid that didn't have modern tech. Even BMW has realized they can't make a good infotainment UX.

And BMW makes you get HK premium system upgrade at $995 plus an additional $300 for CarPlay. They are shameless!!![/QUOTE]

That depends on the model, and most times dealers will throw it in for free. But BMW is one of the few (or only) with wireless CarPlay, which works flawlessly in my two BMWs. Also, with the new iPhones having wireless Qi charging, I can wirelessly charge my phone and wirelessly use CarPlay—pretty awesome.

 

[lah]

When I bought my 3 series last year it was an option but it had to be factory ordered. None of the cars on the lot had it installed. I think it was a 250 dollar option - I’m shocked it’s something they can’t install later. Overall the latest version of iDrive is ok on my car, but I would have preferred Car Play.

 

[DaveTheRave]

I was into CarPlay, until I tried it. Very limited. Now I don't care.

Agreed. It’s a nice idea, but very few 3rd party apps. Very limited, indeed.

 

[guicane]

poor souls, little do they know how much it sucks... the limitations are pathetic but I guess we came to expect that from Apple

 

[Hater]

I just want "No screen whatsoever, give me tactile buttons" to be an option.

 

[pmhparis]

Dont have a car anymore because I live in a city with good public transport but when renting for trips, CarPlay is one of the conditions on vehicle selection. I've used android auto and automaker solutions but CarPlay is by far my preference.

 

[Ralfi]

Just enable Google Maps/Assistant already & it'll be much less frustrating. In my area, Apple Maps/Siri are hopeless & lack common sense, direction....not good at all when in the car!

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Last time my car was in the shop the loaner I got had CarPlay. It was my first experience with it. It was "OK," but really offered nothing my car didn't already have except a different GUI. Because of the way BMW implements CarPlay I found it easier just to use the cars standard system. I can see how it might be a "must have" on car that actually adds new features to a car thought.

So the question is will I order it with my next car? I guess it depends on the cost at the time. Right now I think it's $300 which, sure, why not. But BMW frequently jumbles up options into packages so they can jack up the price. I think my cut off would be $400 unless it was in a package with something I really wanted. It's not a must have for me and I wouldn't feel terrible if my next car didn't have it because I wouldn't really be missing any features that don't already exist on BMWs.