All those car engineers are not working on an apple car but CarPlay integration?? Infotainment integration
If aftermarket CarPlay can come down in price and integrate better with steering wheel controls I think the market could push more manufacturers to do this Maybe apple can spend some $$$ lowering engineering costs to manufacturers and become a subcontractor for dash design etc Is CarPlay following Apple TV?? Because Apple becomes dependent on outside interests Sounds like apple needs an end run I'd like love apple doing more integration support for after market Get it down to $400 and easy steering wheel control integration contract with best buy to install and I'd be buying for my new Subaru Outback Maybe Toyota looking for more $$$ from apple
Car play is designed in such a way that it doesn't need to replace the whole infotainment system, seems silly not to support it. it does kinda make more sense why apple would be working on a car, because if driver-less cars are the future, apples software could be locked out
Also of interest is the fact that the younger generation has less interest in buying cars. They'd rather take a cab/Uber than pay for the car and insurance, all of which suggest they would be quite accepting of driverless vehicles they'd rent.
And this is why I beleive the car project at Apple is real. On the last Verge podcast they mentioned asking auto execs at CES if they would be partnering with tech companies like Apple and Google for the dash and they flat out said no way, not happening. And think about it: Apple's goal would be a consistent user experience no matter what you're driving (something that doesn't exist now with CarPlay). But what auto company is going to want their dash looking just like their competitiors? So then you'd end up with Apple perhaps being nothing more than a QNX competitor which IMO does nothing to disrupt the auto industry.
On This Week in Tech Leo Laporte's guests (Ben Thompson, Christina Warren and someone from Business Insider) all agreed these car leaks were controlled leaks from Apple. Leo's theory being Apple wants to divert attention away from ?Watch because they're expecting it to be a bust. That's the dumbest thing ever because if Apple really believed that, the watch would never have seen the light of day,
And this is why I beleive the car project at Apple is real. On the last Verge podcast they mentioned asking auto execs at CES if they would be partnering with tech companies like Apple and Google for the dash and they flat out said no way, not happening. And think about it: Apple's goal would be a consistent user experience no matter what you're driving (something that doesn't exist now with CarPlay). But what auto company is going to want their dash looking just like their competitiors? So then you'd end up with Apple perhaps being nothing more than a QNX competitor which IMO does nothing to disrupt the auto industry.
On This Week in Tech Leo Laporte's guests (Ben Thompson, Christina Warren and someone from Business Insider) all agreed these car leaks were controlled leaks from Apple. Leo's theory being Apple wants to divert attention away from ?Watch because they're expecting it to be a bust. That's the dumbest thing ever because if Apple really believed that, the watch would never have seen the light of day,
What if Apple made only rental cars? That would be a total stealth move and one consistent with their focused market segment philosophy. Rental cars today, driverless cars tomorrow?
This feels like a response from the car manufacturers - Toyota, vw - to last week's ? car rumours?
Or perhaps Toyota got offended by the comments Jony Ive made in the New Yorker interview?
So this New York Times story was pulled together after the New Yorker piece went public and Toyota suddenly decided not to support CarPlay because Jony Ive criticized the design of a car Toyota no longer makes? Seems unlikely. Also doesn't explain why they're not supporting Android Auto either.
This is seriously big bummer. I am Toyota fan and obviously customer for the last 25 years. I was hoping that 2015/2016 year models will incorporate CarPlay( & AndroidPlay) so my iphone map, contacts(phone functions) work seamlessly when I am inside car. Now, I have to buy other manufacturer's car because remember we can not change car every couple of years. I still have 1992 toyota camry. So, TOYOTA if you don't keep up with the mobile phone connectivity, than risk of loosing many,many customers. I think this is suicidal decision on Toyota's part or any car manufacturer's who don't implement CarPlay or similar in their upcoming automobiles..
What if Apple made only rental cars? That would be a total stealth move and one consistent with their focused market segment philosophy. Rental cars today, driverless cars tomorrow.
Hmm...interesting thought. MG Siegler wrote a post about how he thought it would be strange if Apple wasn't working on a car. He was looking at it from a revenue perspective saying there are very few industries generating the revenues Apple does and of the ones that do, automotive and perhaps banking would be the two sectors Apple would be most likely to enter. And then pointed out that Apple's $182B in revenues is right in line with the revenues of GM, Ford, Toyota and VW.
Of course what's unique with Apple is it has high volume AND high margin products. Can that be translated to the car industry? Apple might be able to make a car that had better margins than the industry average but would it sell in volume? Would it need to? Would Apple owning the dashboard for other car companies be a high margin business? No doubt Apple has been thinking what follows iPhone for a while now. I think it's a facinating discussion.
I recently drove a Lexus GS450h for a weekend away. It has a very large screen and is controlled via a moveable puck.
My passenger and I both noted how poorly organised and counter intuitive the controls were. Each of us had a few attempts at trying to figure out how to add our destination to the maps. It was incredibly confusing. Ultimately we ended up choosing a nearby preset that the owner had used prior, because we simply couldn't find the place to add our own.
The other features are too cumbersome to navigate while driving, despite some useful features being locked away into that interface. The display is cluttered with unhelpful visual noise. E.g. Text almost always runs over (and thus against) a graphic backdrop which makes glancing to the song or other information take longer than necessary.)
I actually recall vocalising that "this car is such a perfect candidate for carplay", it seems the in car systems are built new for every model and don't command much importance, despite being in regular use by the driver.
Car guys really don't do software well. Got a 2014 bmw recently and boy oh boy how suckish is the whole mess of their control, displays, their manual, and the iOS app. It is so antiquated. And please don't even mention the dreadful dealer experience. I have a dream that Apple would one day make and sell cars.
Hmm...interesting thought. MG Siegler wrote a post about how he thought it would be strange if Apple wasn't working on a car. He was looking at it from a revenue perspective saying there are very few industries generating the revenues Apple does and of the ones that do, automotive and perhaps banking would be the two sectors Apple would be most likely to enter. And then pointed out that Apple's $182B in revenues is right in line with the revenues of GM, Ford, Toyota and VW.
Of course what's unique with Apple is it has high volume AND high margin products. Can that be translated to the car industry? Apple might be able to make a car that had better margins than the industry average but would it sell in volume? Would it need to? Would Apple owning the dashboard for other car companies be a high margin business? No doubt Apple has been thinking what follows iPhone for a while now. I think it's a facinating discussion.
Apple works best in emerging, unsettled areas facing rapid technological growth, such as mobile computing, where they can own the entire end-to-end experience to simplify something that is exceedingly complex. Uber is a disruptive force and one which Apple is no doubt paying close attention.
If you knew anything about selling cars you would know the infotainment system is quite an important decision to a lot of people. you typical forum troll.
That's because they THINK they want what the manufacturer builds. I haven't seen it done well to this day. Not knowing that for a fraction of the price that the manufacturer charges, they could get something way better.
I'd much rather have an aftermarket system anyways. Kenwood, Alpine, Pioneer all have CarPlay head units, I have a 4000 NEX in my Toyota Tacoma now, and am fairly happy with it. Did the same thing to my Mitsubishi Evolution MR as well. Not once have I been happy with a manufacturers proprietary navigation / multimedia / standard decks. They are always slow, lacking into features and really poor sound quality.
For about a grand, I replaced all speakers, the deck and put a nice amp in and am quite happy about it. That's a fraction of what the manufacturer charges for sub-standard gear.
The problem arises when they integrate the entire car into the existing head unit, it becomes difficult to replace it. Usually there are work arounds, but some aren't so easy.
EDIT: I've been using CarPlay since the first firmware patch came out for the 4000 NEX that added the capability. I really don't think it's something to not buy a car over. After a few weeks the awesomeness wears off and you're stuck with the same feature sets as before. Controlling with Siri via eyes free. It will be cool if they actually add some more apps, but currently I feel like it's pretty bland and basic. I have found it quite frustrating to work with at times, especially surrounding maps.
This. Toyota makes some of the best cars on the planet. I can add the things they don't include.
No they don't. They may have made some fine cars at one point, but from 2006 on their quality took a huge nosedive. They claim to be working on fixing that now, but time will tell.
That's ok Toyota, I'm not planning on buying one of your cars anytime soon. Maybe you should just focus on making cars that have accelerator pedals that function first.
I've never seen an car maker make an intuitive "infotainment" system. Honda's is garbage, Toyota's is garbage, etc. Car makers that realize this isn't their strong point and outsource it to Apple, Android, and others will be rewarded, especially by those that aren't car enthusiasts. These are the majority of customers, and let's be honest, they care a whole lot more about how to operate their car and what features it has than the brand name on it.
And this is why I beleive the car project at Apple is real. On the last Verge podcast they mentioned asking auto execs at CES if they would be partnering with tech companies like Apple and Google for the dash and they flat out said no way, not happening. And think about it: Apple's goal would be a consistent user experience no matter what you're driving (something that doesn't exist now with CarPlay). But what auto company is going to want their dash looking just like their competitiors? So then you'd end up with Apple perhaps being nothing more than a QNX competitor which IMO does nothing to disrupt the auto industry.
On This Week in Tech Leo Laporte's guests (Ben Thompson, Christina Warren and someone from Business Insider) all agreed these car leaks were controlled leaks from Apple. Leo's theory being Apple wants to divert attention away from ?Watch because they're expecting it to be a bust. That's the dumbest thing ever because if Apple really believed that, the watch would never have seen the light of day,
To be frank. I've had it with all the old car manufacturers. This is 2015 and they are still selling cars with tailpipes
I really appreciate Tesla's efforts. They are pioneers. It'd be great if Apple followed suit and joined the new Mobility Revolution with Google, Tesla & Über. It is about time this industry got a complete overhaul.
Some ICE systems are excellent. My Dodge had a great HDD-based navi in 2009, excellent GPS, but by far the best feature was the built-in drive. You fill up a USB stick or cd/dvd with music and playlists, plug it in/insert and tap to copy all the contents onto the internal disk. 30GB of storage (which I upgraded to 256 myself using an SSD), and very fast indexing and cue-ing. Really impressive, possibly best on the market at the time, plus the supplier (to Dodge - it was a third party HU made for Dodge) released monthly firmware fixes for free on their website.
Then, you get the disaster that is Microsoft Sync in current ford cars. My 2012 has this system and it is an unmitigated disaster. Well, at least Sirius works, and I can bluetooth stream from my iPhone via USB.
We know Car Play should be a decent alternative to a terrible ICE like Sync. But is it going to be better than a well-executed OEM system? Maybe not.
From what I understand, the Carplay implementation will be like a mode you can get in, not mandatory, so I guess it will be left up to the user.
But to not offer it at all, even as an option.... i don't see how that's a wise decision. I mean, even if they charge $150 for it, I'm sure MOST iPhone users would instantly spring for it. Instant high margin option, no brainer right?
Also of interest is the fact that the younger generation has less interest in buying cars. They'd rather take a cab/Uber than pay for the car and insurance, all of which suggest they would be quite accepting of driverless vehicles they'd rent.
I don't think this is a fair assessment.
You're forgetting that most millennials have no job and many, if they do, live in cramped urban centers with no financially viable means to support a vehicle.... from plates/reg to exorbitant parking costs (think manhattan) coupled with good enough public transit...
It's not so much they're not interested in personal transportation, it's that it's either impractical, unnecessary or prohibitively expensive/unobtainable.
As for Uber, I personally don't plan to ever use it, and I can't think of any of my friends who ever would either.
The infotainment system is one of many things to consider when purchasing a car. But it's something you interact with every single day.
You don't want to be stuck with a bad system for 5+ years.
I didn't say Toyota will never sell another car because they don't offer CarPlay. But for a customer... it could be the deciding factor between a Toyota and some other car brand.
I don't believe that it affects buying decisions at all... or, at the very least, close to zero. After all, it hasn't really hurt manufacturers who have been selling that crap system from Microsoft all of these years.
Comments
CarPlay integration?? Infotainment integration
If aftermarket CarPlay can come down in price and integrate better with steering wheel controls
I think the market could push more manufacturers to do this
Maybe apple can spend some $$$ lowering engineering costs to manufacturers and become a subcontractor for dash design etc
Is CarPlay following Apple TV?? Because Apple becomes dependent on outside interests
Sounds like apple needs an end run
I'd like love apple doing more integration support for after market
Get it down to $400 and easy steering wheel control integration contract with best buy to install and I'd be buying for my new Subaru Outback
Maybe Toyota looking for more $$$ from apple
Also of interest is the fact that the younger generation has less interest in buying cars. They'd rather take a cab/Uber than pay for the car and insurance, all of which suggest they would be quite accepting of driverless vehicles they'd rent.
Seriously?
Anyone who bases their buying decision on the availability of CarPlay is a fool.
If you knew anything about selling cars you would know the infotainment system is quite an important decision to a lot of people.
On This Week in Tech Leo Laporte's guests (Ben Thompson, Christina Warren and someone from Business Insider) all agreed these car leaks were controlled leaks from Apple. Leo's theory being Apple wants to divert attention away from ?Watch because they're expecting it to be a bust. That's the dumbest thing ever because if Apple really believed that, the watch would never have seen the light of day,
What if Apple made only rental cars? That would be a total stealth move and one consistent with their focused market segment philosophy. Rental cars today, driverless cars tomorrow?
So this New York Times story was pulled together after the New Yorker piece went public and Toyota suddenly decided not to support CarPlay because Jony Ive criticized the design of a car Toyota no longer makes? Seems unlikely. Also doesn't explain why they're not supporting Android Auto either.
This is seriously big bummer. I am Toyota fan and obviously customer for the last 25 years. I was hoping that 2015/2016 year models will incorporate CarPlay( & AndroidPlay) so my iphone map, contacts(phone functions) work seamlessly when I am inside car. Now, I have to buy other manufacturer's car because remember we can not change car every couple of years. I still have 1992 toyota camry. So, TOYOTA if you don't keep up with the mobile phone connectivity, than risk of loosing many,many customers. I think this is suicidal decision on Toyota's part or any car manufacturer's who don't implement CarPlay or similar in their upcoming automobiles..
Hmm...interesting thought. MG Siegler wrote a post about how he thought it would be strange if Apple wasn't working on a car. He was looking at it from a revenue perspective saying there are very few industries generating the revenues Apple does and of the ones that do, automotive and perhaps banking would be the two sectors Apple would be most likely to enter. And then pointed out that Apple's $182B in revenues is right in line with the revenues of GM, Ford, Toyota and VW.
https://medium.com/five-hundred-words/it-would-be-weird-if-apple-wasn-t-working-on-a-car-52630793cc96
Of course what's unique with Apple is it has high volume AND high margin products. Can that be translated to the car industry? Apple might be able to make a car that had better margins than the industry average but would it sell in volume? Would it need to? Would Apple owning the dashboard for other car companies be a high margin business? No doubt Apple has been thinking what follows iPhone for a while now. I think it's a facinating discussion.
Car guys really don't do software well. Got a 2014 bmw recently and boy oh boy how suckish is the whole mess of their control, displays, their manual, and the iOS app. It is so antiquated. And please don't even mention the dreadful dealer experience. I have a dream that Apple would one day make and sell cars.
Apple works best in emerging, unsettled areas facing rapid technological growth, such as mobile computing, where they can own the entire end-to-end experience to simplify something that is exceedingly complex. Uber is a disruptive force and one which Apple is no doubt paying close attention.
I'm a bit odd like that though, In that I look for a car, when buying a car not a stereo
This. Toyota makes some of the best cars on the planet. I can add the things they don't include.
If you knew anything about selling cars you would know the infotainment system is quite an important decision to a lot of people. you typical forum troll.
That's because they THINK they want what the manufacturer builds. I haven't seen it done well to this day. Not knowing that for a fraction of the price that the manufacturer charges, they could get something way better.
I'd much rather have an aftermarket system anyways. Kenwood, Alpine, Pioneer all have CarPlay head units, I have a 4000 NEX in my Toyota Tacoma now, and am fairly happy with it. Did the same thing to my Mitsubishi Evolution MR as well. Not once have I been happy with a manufacturers proprietary navigation / multimedia / standard decks. They are always slow, lacking into features and really poor sound quality.
For about a grand, I replaced all speakers, the deck and put a nice amp in and am quite happy about it. That's a fraction of what the manufacturer charges for sub-standard gear.
The problem arises when they integrate the entire car into the existing head unit, it becomes difficult to replace it. Usually there are work arounds, but some aren't so easy.
EDIT: I've been using CarPlay since the first firmware patch came out for the 4000 NEX that added the capability. I really don't think it's something to not buy a car over. After a few weeks the awesomeness wears off and you're stuck with the same feature sets as before. Controlling with Siri via eyes free. It will be cool if they actually add some more apps, but currently I feel like it's pretty bland and basic. I have found it quite frustrating to work with at times, especially surrounding maps.
No they don't. They may have made some fine cars at one point, but from 2006 on their quality took a huge nosedive. They claim to be working on fixing that now, but time will tell.
And this is why I beleive the car project at Apple is real. On the last Verge podcast they mentioned asking auto execs at CES if they would be partnering with tech companies like Apple and Google for the dash and they flat out said no way, not happening. And think about it: Apple's goal would be a consistent user experience no matter what you're driving (something that doesn't exist now with CarPlay). But what auto company is going to want their dash looking just like their competitiors? So then you'd end up with Apple perhaps being nothing more than a QNX competitor which IMO does nothing to disrupt the auto industry.
On This Week in Tech Leo Laporte's guests (Ben Thompson, Christina Warren and someone from Business Insider) all agreed these car leaks were controlled leaks from Apple. Leo's theory being Apple wants to divert attention away from ?Watch because they're expecting it to be a bust. That's the dumbest thing ever because if Apple really believed that, the watch would never have seen the light of day,
To be frank. I've had it with all the old car manufacturers. This is 2015 and they are still selling cars with tailpipes
I really appreciate Tesla's efforts. They are pioneers. It'd be great if Apple followed suit and joined the new Mobility Revolution with Google, Tesla & Über. It is about time this industry got a complete overhaul.
Some ICE systems are excellent. My Dodge had a great HDD-based navi in 2009, excellent GPS, but by far the best feature was the built-in drive. You fill up a USB stick or cd/dvd with music and playlists, plug it in/insert and tap to copy all the contents onto the internal disk. 30GB of storage (which I upgraded to 256 myself using an SSD), and very fast indexing and cue-ing. Really impressive, possibly best on the market at the time, plus the supplier (to Dodge - it was a third party HU made for Dodge) released monthly firmware fixes for free on their website.
Then, you get the disaster that is Microsoft Sync in current ford cars. My 2012 has this system and it is an unmitigated disaster. Well, at least Sirius works, and I can bluetooth stream from my iPhone via USB.
We know Car Play should be a decent alternative to a terrible ICE like Sync. But is it going to be better than a well-executed OEM system? Maybe not.
From what I understand, the Carplay implementation will be like a mode you can get in, not mandatory, so I guess it will be left up to the user.
But to not offer it at all, even as an option.... i don't see how that's a wise decision. I mean, even if they charge $150 for it, I'm sure MOST iPhone users would instantly spring for it. Instant high margin option, no brainer right?
Also of interest is the fact that the younger generation has less interest in buying cars. They'd rather take a cab/Uber than pay for the car and insurance, all of which suggest they would be quite accepting of driverless vehicles they'd rent.
I don't think this is a fair assessment.
You're forgetting that most millennials have no job and many, if they do, live in cramped urban centers with no financially viable means to support a vehicle.... from plates/reg to exorbitant parking costs (think manhattan) coupled with good enough public transit...
It's not so much they're not interested in personal transportation, it's that it's either impractical, unnecessary or prohibitively expensive/unobtainable.
As for Uber, I personally don't plan to ever use it, and I can't think of any of my friends who ever would either.
http://www.macrumors.com/2015/02/23/apple-hiring-samsung-employees-battery-experts/
The infotainment system is one of many things to consider when purchasing a car. But it's something you interact with every single day.
You don't want to be stuck with a bad system for 5+ years.
I didn't say Toyota will never sell another car because they don't offer CarPlay. But for a customer... it could be the deciding factor between a Toyota and some other car brand.
I don't believe that it affects buying decisions at all... or, at the very least, close to zero. After all, it hasn't really hurt manufacturers who have been selling that crap system from Microsoft all of these years.