Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I know what the word 'explain' means but i didn't see any sort of actual explanation. He barely even Techsplained it with buzzwords.

Odd move here. Why put this message out there at all? Sounds like a response to many many many potential customers clamoring 'Where is Carplay???' and not 'I'm sure Rivian has a great reason for not using it!!!'. Because we sure as hell didnt get one.

And if their UI/experience was superior, this wouldnt be a conversation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jml12286
Physical buttons will always be better than any screen. It is glass, no matter how they design it you still have to take your eyes off of the road. We need less distracted drivers, not more because of your infatuation with touchscreens in cars.
A well designed screen OR voice commands is easier than buttons. With the exception of turning a radio on or off, before Tesla I had to look briefly at the dashboard. Now I look briefly at the screen or use voice commands.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Premium1
  • Haha
Reactions: Premium1
Two years old general article. They need to test specific scenarios in 2024 and include voice. I personally have learned how to use the voice commands so I really don’t have to touch the screen while driving. And one of the benefits of the speedometer in the screen is I can actually see it.
Ah yes, completely skip over how a touchscreen WILL NEVER be better than physical controls. Voice control has 0 to do with the screens so using that as your argument does nothing to help your claim of screens being better than knobs.
 
Click phone click favorite contact on my car display.

I want to see maps and current playing music one click.

I'm sitting at a redlight and want to swap playlists? Click the new playlist.

I want to stream music from my Plex Server at home I click Plexamp and play music from home.

I want to play music from any streaming service regardless if Elon likes it or not? Click.

And it's all done without a subscription.

A Telsa driver sitting at a red light wanting to change their playlist on any app they are forced to use Bluetooth is eventually going to get a ticket.

When Tesla uses the money they milk out of you to support all apps you might want to use then you can talk about it being superior. That sounds unreasonable? Well you know they wouldn't have to spend any time getting Amazon Music or Plex or anything else working if they just supported CarPlay which has all the work already done.

Enjoy your subscription and make sure you only use apps that Telsa supports. Or use Bluetooth for a lesser experience. Telsa isn't a car company it's a software subscription company that moves as the pace of an out of touch company. They still don't support the top four music streaming services and if you think that isn't a priority (probably shouldn't be) then maybe they should step aside and just allow CarPlay that supports everything big or small today.

If you're using Bluetooth and can't fully control the app or switch it, you have a lesser experience than CarPlay. Plain and simple. If you don't use Bluetooth great you use what Tesla allows you to use. Fine. But don't sit there and act like its somehow superior.

I will not let my car dictate what services I use and make me pay for it to boot.

You can say Bluetooth a thousand times. I get it Bluetooth is an option. Now compare Bluetooth to CarPlay and tell me Bluetooth is better. Can I switch from Amazon Music to Plex over Bluetooth? If Bluetooth gives me full control to interact with ANY music app I have on my phone through the car controls without voice commands, I'll concede.
On my Tesla I have Apple Music and Spotify. All of which can be controlled via voice. Your music can also go in a usb drive which is handily accessible. There are multiple ways to skim that cat and still be within the law.

And of course when the car is stopped at a red light one can navigate the screen.

Some of the posts in this thread are spoken from a pulpit of misinformation.
 
Ah yes, completely skip over how a touchscreen WILL NEVER be better than physical controls. Voice control has 0 to do with the screens so using that as your argument does nothing to help your claim of screens being better than knobs.
I think you’ve convinced yourself your opinion is right. There’s nothing wrong with that. But voice control is 100% better than teaching.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Premium1
I think you’ve convinced yourself your opinion is right. There’s nothing wrong with that. But voice control is 100% better than teaching.
I never said voice control isn't the best option. You claimed (in your own previous posts) that all touchscreens>> physical controls on a screen. Now you are doing an about-face and shifting to "well voice control is the best."
 
  • Haha
Reactions: I7guy
I never said voice control isn't the best option. You claimed (in your own previous posts) that all touchscreens>> physical controls on a screen. Now you are doing an about-face and shifting to "well voice control is the best."
What I claimed is not what you claim I claimed. Now you are moving the goalposts.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Premium1
I see.

Yeah, I only get a new car every 20-25 years, so I went straight from a car with no Bluetooth or auxiliary inputs, to a car with CarPlay. Never had to use Bluetooth before.

I’m not a Tesla owner and only rode in one for a week while visiting family. I have to say I was impressed with the car and interface but the car is not for me. Also, I am nearing retirement and stuck trying to decide if I should buy a car or make do with what I have.
 
Couldn't care less about the music app being there or not. I use Carplay for other things, and I use it constantly. Tried Tesla for a week and then returned it as there's just no point driving a car that doesn't do what it needs to easily enough. I'm thankful for Rivian for letting me know I don't need to even test drive theirs. It doesn't matter how much and how well they do some things, if it's not Carplay it's useless.

Not to mention I can use Finnish with Siri. I doubt Rivian undesrstands a word of it, and I'm not going to start speaking Murican to the car. Good luck trying to pronounce Finnish people or street names. Show me how you navigate to Mörkö Ängeslevä living at Äteritsiputeritsipuolilautatsijänkhä.
 
On my Tesla I have Apple Music and Spotify. All of which can be controlled via voice. Your music can also go in a usb drive which is handily accessible. There are multiple ways to skim that cat and still be within the law.

And of course when the car is stopped at a red light one can navigate the screen.

Some of the posts in this thread are spoken from a pulpit of misinformation.
I give up.

Super cool you use services Tesla has blessed. I don’t. The fact that you act like Bluetooth or making flash drives with media like I’m back in my 2011 Hyundai and saying Tesla is progressive is insane.

I know a million ways I could rig a Tesla to do what I want. It all takes time and effort like my 2011 Hyundai.

I get in my car and I have CarPlay. Any music app I have on my phone works. Any map app works and I pay nothing to do it.

Can I use Apple Maps and Amazon Music from my phone in a Tesla? Can I switch from Amazon Music to Plex without touching my phone? The answer is no and it makes Tesla a weaker option. It’s pretty black and white. Tesla chooses to make it difficult for iPhone users and chooses to charge people while they slowly add support for apps. Bluetooth streaming is not the same thing as a interactive app.

It all works on CarPlay today. No flash drives no making decisions before I get in my car no touching my phone. And it costs nothing.

Tesla could easily make a AppStore and people would push services to make apps. Tesla won’t do this. They make apps you have zero idea what telemetry and data they gather and they make good money from said data too on top of what you pay to provide them said data.

CarPlay is free any company refusing to support it is doing so out of greed. Apple pulls the same thing.

If I’m going to be really frank, Tesla should make a AppStore and fire all those slow developers. Hire some QA and car Design folks to maybe build a better car. Get those trim panels lined up properly off the assembly line, don't chain parts like speakers together so if one fails they all fail, and maybe the cherry on top would be some waterproofing. Then maybe the premium price and subscription would be an easier pill to swallow.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: jefish
Isn't it kind of irrelevant how great the Rivian interface is? Why can't Rivian let users decide when to use CarPlay? Rivian will never be able to address every customer's use case with its stack.
That’s like saying Apple should allow alternate app stores with a minimum of fuss and if their offering is compelling no one will even try the other stuff.
 
I give up.

Super cool you use services Tesla has blessed. I don’t. The fact that you act like Bluetooth or making flash drives with media like I’m back in my 2011 Hyundai and saying Tesla is progressive is insane.

I know a million ways I could rig a Tesla to do what I want. It all takes time and effort like my 2011 Hyundai.

I get in my car and I have CarPlay. Any music app I have on my phone works. Any map app works and I pay nothing to do it.

Can I use Apple Maps and Amazon Music from my phone in a Tesla? Can I switch from Amazon Music to Plex without touching my phone? The answer is no and it makes Tesla a weaker option. It’s pretty black and white. Tesla chooses to make it difficult for iPhone users and chooses to charge people while they slowly add support for apps. Bluetooth streaming is not the same thing as a interactive app.

It all works on CarPlay today. No flash drives no making decisions before I get in my car no touching my phone. And it costs nothing.

Tesla could easily make a AppStore and people would push services to make apps. Tesla won’t do this. They make apps you have zero idea what telemetry and data they gather and they make good money from said data too on top of what you pay to provide them said data.

CarPlay is free any company refusing to support it is doing so out of greed. Apple pulls the same thing.

If I’m going to be really frank, Tesla should make a AppStore and fire all those slow developers. Hire some QA and car Design folks to maybe build a better car. Get those trim panels lined up properly off the assembly line, don't chain parts like speakers together so if one fails they all fail, and maybe the cherry on top would be some waterproofing. Then maybe the premium price and subscription would be an easier pill to swallow.
It's not black and white. It depends on what you use. I only use maps and Apple Music in my cars with CarPlay and both are available in a Tesla. A Tesla or Rivian car won't work for you. Good thing you have choices. Others like what Tesla and Rivian offer for their choices and the silly arguments trying to come up with issues that don't exist for a lot of users is weak.
 
It's not black and white. It depends on what you use. I only use maps and Apple Music in my cars with CarPlay and both are available in a Tesla. A Tesla or Rivian car won't work for you. Good thing you have choices. Others like what Tesla and Rivian offer for their choices and the silly arguments trying to come up with issues that don't exist for a lot of users is weak.
WHOA. A sensible take on here? Getouttahere lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: richpjr
I give up.

Super cool you use services Tesla has blessed. I don’t. The fact that you act like Bluetooth or making flash drives with media like I’m back in my 2011 Hyundai and saying Tesla is progressive is insane.

I know a million ways I could rig a Tesla to do what I want. It all takes time and effort like my 2011 Hyundai.

I get in my car and I have CarPlay. Any music app I have on my phone works. Any map app works and I pay nothing to do it.
You still have to touch a screen to do something - which you are arguing against. That is the point.
Can I use Apple Maps and Amazon Music from my phone in a Tesla? Can I switch from Amazon Music to Plex without touching my phone? The answer is no and it makes Tesla a weaker option. It’s pretty black and white. Tesla chooses to make it difficult for iPhone users and chooses to charge people while they slowly add support for apps. Bluetooth streaming is not the same thing as an interactive app.
Amazon music app has come to Tesla in the summer update. To switch music apps you still have to touch a screen. On a Tesla I use the scroll wheels or voice commands. CarPlay is great but it’s still screen touching. You may not like teslas but their infotainment is probably the best out there. I have no idea where Tesla is charging people. I can still plug my phone into the data port and control it on screen for music. (Don’t mention wireless CarPlay, because it’s not universal)
It all works on CarPlay today. No flash drives no making decisions before I get in my car no touching my phone. And it costs nothing.

Tesla could easily make a AppStore and people would push services to make apps. Tesla won’t do this. They make apps you have zero idea what telemetry and data they gather and they make good money from said data too on top of what you pay to provide them said data.

CarPlay is free any company refusing to support it is doing so out of greed. Apple pulls the same thing.

If I’m going to be really frank, Tesla should make a AppStore and fire all those slow developers. Hire some QA and car Design folks to maybe build a better car. Get those trim panels lined up properly off the assembly line, don't chain parts like speakers together so if one fails they all fail, and maybe the cherry on top would be some waterproofing. Then maybe the premium price and subscription would be an easier pill to swallow.
Again if you haven’t lived with a Tesla you don’t understand how good it is. If you really want CarPlay you can add multiple third party screens in under an hour for a nominal cost. Your opinion on Tesla build quality is stuck in 2019. And Tesla App Store has been in the rumor mill. As far as navigation Tesla has been working to interconnect its fleet making real time info a probable reality.
 
I see a bunch of arguing on touchscreens vs physical controls.
Inconvenient truth: there’s a load of evidence and countless studies from the auto industry and the computer industry to support the fact that muscle memory when combined with physical controls is less prone to errors and distraction than any touchscreen. It’s cool to have a screen in the car but it’s undeniably and factually not as safe in practice. CarPlay, Tesla, Rivian, all of them suffer from this. I’m not a no CarPlay no buy type, I’m more of a no volume knob, no buy type.
 
Eventually the infotainment system is going to be so dated that they won't release updates for it anymore (Rivian just did this with the Gen2 refresh; many software features aren't supported on 2024 Gen1 vehicles). While CarPlay won't fix that particular issue, it can increase the longevity of the basic usefulness of the vehicle.

Just sticking with streaming and maps as an example here, if you want hardware that can run the newest apps, or get the latest updates to the apps you already love:

Have CarPlay? Buy a new $700 phone.
No CarPlay? Buy a new $70,000 car.

It doesn't matter if the infotainment system gets sluggish or no longer supported, it's just a dumb terminal for CarPlay.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.