So… the biggest problem with CarPlay is apparently that a third-party developer made a sub-par app.
This is apparently Apple’s fault because they haven’t somehow forced the third-party developer to make improvements to its app.
The other problems noted are that car manufacturers have been slow to adopt CarPlay features like wireless control, and multi-screen displays.
This is apparently Apple’s fault because they haven’t somehow forced the third-party Car makers to adopt these features.
All this from a staff writer for an Apple-centric site.
If nothing else, this serves as a great example why Apple tightly controls most of what it produces. Whenever they venture into an area where someone else controls the quality of the user’s experience, people will nonetheless blame Apple for the others’ failures and shortcomings, even when they’re in a professional position to know the difference between what Apple controls and does not control.
It’s always Apple’s fault. Get with the program, especially on AppleInsider, MacRumors, and iMore. Apple is the bad guy, the cause of all problems and failures.
I don't have CarPlay in my car, but the other day I plugged my phone into a friend's 2018 Honda Accord and the CarPlay screen popped up (I was the passenger). I selected Maps and went on our way. One thing I noticed is that while navigating with Maps, it was not possible to turn the nav audio volume all the way down using the car volume control, even while Siri was speaking. Is this how it works in other cars, or is it just Honda?
Also, it is not clear to me how (or if) it's possible to listen to the car radio while CarPlay is active. I didn't have a chance to experiment in the Accord. In my car (2016 Audi A3), my phone connects with BT. I have to select "Media" if I want to play music from my phone. Of course, Maps can be run at the same time and voice nav audio ducks music audio in this situation. However, even if I am listening to the car radio, if I am using Maps for navigation with my phone, the radio audio is ducked when the Siri voice kicks in (similar to how BT phone calls mute the car radio). Next time I'm in the Accord, I'll try to see how CarPlay/Maps interacts with the car radio, but I'm wondering if anyone out there can share their experience with this.
I also have a gripe which should be a third "pain point" in this article. Issue is with people who bought first gen carplay vehicles when the technology was introduced. I have a Honda Accord 2016 and carplay was fine for the first few years.... My car has had ZERO software updates from Honda. I've been through a few iPhones and several iOS updates since owning the car. In the last 3-4 years I've had nothing but problems. Android OS crashes, carplay freezing, carplay disconnecting, etc. I've opened cases with Honda (while under warranty), and the issues can't be duplicated at the dealership. I've provided screenshots and videos from my experience. Honda blames Apple, Apple blames Honda. There are literally hundreds of forum posts about this and in the end, the customer loses out. Overall, its been a very underwhelming experience. Sometimes when carplay freezes it messes up my entire infotainment system. I have to pull over and turn off car and turn back on.
Your problem is highlighted above. It’s the same problem as the built-in nav systems. Automakers aren’t accustomed to the business model of voluntarily providing free, high quality, feature-adding updates to gear they’ve already sold. Their entire business model is predicated on selling whole cars if you want new features and updates.
(Historical note: It’s only with iOS and iPhone that Apple introduced the concept of providing free (in reality, pre-paid) updates to old gear that actually adds new features. Security patches were a thing before that, but OS updates were a non-trivial fee-based prospect before that. Updates seem like a given on so many things now, but that only became a thing fifteen years ago.)
You still got several years of updates via Apple, but eventually those exceed the capacity of the dumb-terminal software shell written for the OEM hardware.
I have a pre-CarPlay car that came with a CD/radio. I replaced the OEM head with a Kenwood screen that supports wireless CarPlay. It works quite well, and Kenwood still issues software updates. Honda makes great cars that last forever with proper scheduled maintenance, so if you’re under 300,000 miles on your odometer, I’d recommend shopping for an aftermarket audio system replacement.
CarPlay works well for what it is intended and Apple will keep improving the UI as they do with all their software in a deliberate and secure manner. No one needs to be encouraged to be distracted any more than we already are but to blame apple for 3rd party apps failure is unnecessary news fodder. What the industry needs to do is develop a standard for UI interface on all vehicles with Apple/Google/Android etc so that no one group is left behind, including consumers who now spend big bucks on their devices and their vehicles…
Seems like the author is just ranting more than anything here? Wireless Carplay is actually gaining wider adoption by the automakers, as the piece rightly notes. Apple does not author the SiriusXM app, so it's not their problem to solve? Why not post some side-by-side pics of the Jeep's UX vs CarPlay to demonstrate how the former is better? Automakers not integrating CarPlay into auxiliary displays? so what? I am not sure how any of this is truly a problem for Apple.
The irony here is that their recent (fairly recent) change in editorial attitude trying to garner more attention through negativity is working, but then they turn around and complain about all the new people (lured by their negativity) who are coming here with terrible attitudes and causing problems in the forums. It's like the right hand disavows what the left hand is doing, but then just blames *all* the forum goers and threatens to shut all discussion forums going forward.
I also have a gripe which should be a third "pain point" in this article. Issue is with people who bought first gen carplay vehicles when the technology was introduced. I have a Honda Accord 2016 and carplay was fine for the first few years.... My car has had ZERO software updates from Honda. I've been through a few iPhones and several iOS updates since owning the car. In the last 3-4 years I've had nothing but problems. Android OS crashes, carplay freezing, carplay disconnecting, etc. I've opened cases with Honda (while under warranty), and the issues can't be duplicated at the dealership. I've provided screenshots and videos from my experience. Honda blames Apple, Apple blames Honda. There are literally hundreds of forum posts about this and in the end, the customer loses out. Overall, its been a very underwhelming experience. Sometimes when carplay freezes it messes up my entire infotainment system. I have to pull over and turn off car and turn back on.
That is 100% a Honda problem. Their infotainment systems have sucked since the introduction of Bluetooth. As you mentioned, no updates because the hardware doesn't allow it, combined with complete ignorance from Honda and the dealers. When you buy the car, you are getting something that works at that point in time (maybe).
I agree 100%. They sell you a car with this technology then hardly support it. I gave up trying to argue. Dealerships are severely lacking in the technology department. They give you a Honda Tech phone number to call. Oh well, I know the newer cars have software updates that can be done over wireless.
I also have a gripe which should be a third "pain point" in this article. Issue is with people who bought first gen carplay vehicles when the technology was introduced. I have a Honda Accord 2016 and carplay was fine for the first few years.... My car has had ZERO software updates from Honda. I've been through a few iPhones and several iOS updates since owning the car. In the last 3-4 years I've had nothing but problems. Android OS crashes, carplay freezing, carplay disconnecting, etc. I've opened cases with Honda (while under warranty), and the issues can't be duplicated at the dealership. I've provided screenshots and videos from my experience. Honda blames Apple, Apple blames Honda. There are literally hundreds of forum posts about this and in the end, the customer loses out. Overall, its been a very underwhelming experience. Sometimes when carplay freezes it messes up my entire infotainment system. I have to pull over and turn off car and turn back on.
I know this is a huge PTA, and something that Apple/Honda should be fixing. I understand that and completely sympathize. But TBH as a former IT Tech the fact that you have to fix the issue by “turning it off and turning it back on again”, I find rather amusing.
Yes... I am a current IT Network Engineer and find it amusing that you cannot reboot the operating system while car is on (even in park for example). It could happen again shortly after the reboot. Carplay has been beyond a frustrating experience.
I don't know about this one, Andrew. Yes, car manufacturers were loathe to adopting CarPlay because 1) It was killing/has killed their expensive and highly profitable navigation system option--who wants to pay $$$$ for "dumb" GPS when a free app like Waze navigates you around the traffic in real-time? And 2) I'm sure they didn't want to give Apple control of an OS that drivers would likely use more often than anything else in the car. So it was not in their interest to support CarPlay until demand from buyers forced their hand. I was a loyal Lexus customer for years and I specifically didn't buy one the last time I purchased a car because they still hadn't adopted CarPlay--and I simply wasn't going to buy another car without it.
As for apps--you really can't compare apps intended for use while driving to those for iOS. Yes, they are simple and pared down by design for safety reasons. I can't even browse my library in Apple Music beyond a very limited level unless I"m at a full stop. Also, I wonder how many apps people actually use in CarPlay. For me, it's maps, music, messages and phone--I have others on there but I rarely use anything beyond those four.
I really like using wireless Car Play in my BM, especially Maps which is always more up to date than BM OEM navigation. But there seems to be a volume level issue with Car Play and I do not like the cartoonist/Disney-like icons/colors displayed when Car Play is in use. Wish I had more options to change icon sizes, colors and background display. Guess Apply wants Car Play images to really stand out just like their refrigerator white-only Airpods.
Where do you drive where you can notice that Apple's maps are "always more up to date than BMW OEM navigation"?! BMW updates the navigation at least quarterly.
One of the benefits of Apple Maps or Google maps is the updates happens when it is made. No waiting until the end of the quarter, which itself is just about superior to any other car manufacturer. For most manufacturers it could be once a year when it is brought in for a service. Some actually charge for an update.
Yes, Sirius XM's CarPlay app is terrible. At a minimum it needs to have the skip backward/forward buttons (preferably configurable in seconds) when replaying shows like literally every podcast app does. As I recall the rewind button always jumps back to the beginning of the show which is never what I want; this then forces me to manually scrub forward to find the mark I wanted which of course is not very safe while driving.
I don't have CarPlay in my car, but the other day I plugged my phone into a friend's 2018 Honda Accord and the CarPlay screen popped up (I was the passenger). I selected Maps and went on our way. One thing I noticed is that while navigating with Maps, it was not possible to turn the nav audio volume all the way down using the car volume control, even while Siri was speaking. Is this how it works in other cars, or is it just Honda?
Also, it is not clear to me how (or if) it's possible to listen to the car radio while CarPlay is active. I didn't have a chance to experiment in the Accord. In my car (2016 Audi A3), my phone connects with BT. I have to select "Media" if I want to play music from my phone. Of course, Maps can be run at the same time and voice nav audio ducks music audio in this situation. However, even if I am listening to the car radio, if I am using Maps for navigation with my phone, the radio audio is ducked when the Siri voice kicks in (similar to how BT phone calls mute the car radio). Next time I'm in the Accord, I'll try to see how CarPlay/Maps interacts with the car radio, but I'm wondering if anyone out there can share their experience with this.
You should be able to tap the map and select whether you want turn by turn voice directions, alerts only (there is a hazard or speed trap ahead), or no voice alerts at all. It is a feature of the Apple Maps in CarPlay.
You also should be able to listen to the car radio without issue although this might be up to each manufacturer as to how they implement it. I listen to the radio while using Apple Maps all the time in my Ford. It reduces the volume of the music when Siri is providing an alert of any type.
I also have a gripe which should be a third "pain point" in this article. Issue is with people who bought first gen carplay vehicles when the technology was introduced. I have a Honda Accord 2016 and carplay was fine for the first few years.... My car has had ZERO software updates from Honda. I've been through a few iPhones and several iOS updates since owning the car. In the last 3-4 years I've had nothing but problems. Android OS crashes, carplay freezing, carplay disconnecting, etc. I've opened cases with Honda (while under warranty), and the issues can't be duplicated at the dealership. I've provided screenshots and videos from my experience. Honda blames Apple, Apple blames Honda. There are literally hundreds of forum posts about this and in the end, the customer loses out. Overall, its been a very underwhelming experience. Sometimes when carplay freezes it messes up my entire infotainment system. I have to pull over and turn off car and turn back on.
That is 100% a Honda problem. Their infotainment systems have sucked since the introduction of Bluetooth. As you mentioned, no updates because the hardware doesn't allow it, combined with complete ignorance from Honda and the dealers. When you buy the car, you are getting something that works at that point in time (maybe).
I agree 100%. They sell you a car with this technology then hardly support it. I gave up trying to argue. Dealerships are severely lacking in the technology department. They give you a Honda Tech phone number to call. Oh well, I know the newer cars have software updates that can be done over wireless.
The 2018 Accord can connect to your home WiFi to do updates. Although keeping this feature on can draw down the battery if the car is not used for extended periods of time. This happened to my friend last year. I thought maybe the battery had just crapped out since I read that many late model Honda batteries don't last much longer than two years. I put in a new battery and same thing happened after only a week or two. I disabled the WiFi connection and all is good so far, although the car does get driven more often lately.
I also have a gripe which should be a third "pain point" in this article. Issue is with people who bought first gen carplay vehicles when the technology was introduced. I have a Honda Accord 2016 and carplay was fine for the first few years.... My car has had ZERO software updates from Honda. I've been through a few iPhones and several iOS updates since owning the car. In the last 3-4 years I've had nothing but problems. Android OS crashes, carplay freezing, carplay disconnecting, etc. I've opened cases with Honda (while under warranty), and the issues can't be duplicated at the dealership. I've provided screenshots and videos from my experience. Honda blames Apple, Apple blames Honda. There are literally hundreds of forum posts about this and in the end, the customer loses out. Overall, its been a very underwhelming experience. Sometimes when carplay freezes it messes up my entire infotainment system. I have to pull over and turn off car and turn back on.
I know this is a huge PTA, and something that Apple/Honda should be fixing. I understand that and completely sympathize. But TBH as a former IT Tech the fact that you have to fix the issue by “turning it off and turning it back on again”, I find rather amusing.
Yes... I am a current IT Network Engineer and find it amusing that you cannot reboot the operating system while car is on (even in park for example). It could happen again shortly after the reboot. Carplay has been beyond a frustrating experience.
I used to have Mazda CX5 SUV and when the navigation going nuts (like freeze, blank screen or partial green screen), I had to park somewhere, shut off the engine and restart in order to reboot infotainment. My current car is Mercedes GLC300 and sometimes when the navigation freezes, it reboots itself after 5 min without parking car and shutting off engine. I wonders if the rest of modern cars work the same way.
I also have a gripe which should be a third "pain point" in this article. Issue is with people who bought first gen carplay vehicles when the technology was introduced. I have a Honda Accord 2016 and carplay was fine for the first few years.... My car has had ZERO software updates from Honda. I've been through a few iPhones and several iOS updates since owning the car. In the last 3-4 years I've had nothing but problems. Android OS crashes, carplay freezing, carplay disconnecting, etc. I've opened cases with Honda (while under warranty), and the issues can't be duplicated at the dealership. I've provided screenshots and videos from my experience. Honda blames Apple, Apple blames Honda. There are literally hundreds of forum posts about this and in the end, the customer loses out. Overall, its been a very underwhelming experience. Sometimes when carplay freezes it messes up my entire infotainment system. I have to pull over and turn off car and turn back on.
I know this is a huge PTA, and something that Apple/Honda should be fixing. I understand that and completely sympathize. But TBH as a former IT Tech the fact that you have to fix the issue by “turning it off and turning it back on again”, I find rather amusing.
Yes... I am a current IT Network Engineer and find it amusing that you cannot reboot the operating system while car is on (even in park for example). It could happen again shortly after the reboot. Carplay has been beyond a frustrating experience.
I used to have Mazda CX5 SUV and when the navigation going nuts (like freeze, blank screen or partial green screen), I had to park somewhere, shut off the engine and restart in order to reboot infotainment. My current car is Mercedes GLC300 and sometimes when the navigation freezes, it reboots itself after 5 min without parking car and shutting off engine. I wonders if the rest of modern cars work the same way.
LOL yeah I've had that green screen before. Carplay has been so
unpredictable and unreliable. I can go on a three hour trip and it
works flawlessly then on another where it freezes, or android errors pop
up and my displays start flashing, etc. Such a frustrating experience.
Go and check what a map update costs at your Dealer! $$$$. And don't forget to ask about that traffic subscription. A wireless Carplay & Android Auto dongle cost a lot less, oh and add a magsafe charger and still ahead!
I also have a gripe which should be a third "pain point" in this article. Issue is with people who bought first gen carplay vehicles when the technology was introduced. I have a Honda Accord 2016 and carplay was fine for the first few years.... My car has had ZERO software updates from Honda. I've been through a few iPhones and several iOS updates since owning the car. In the last 3-4 years I've had nothing but problems. Android OS crashes, carplay freezing, carplay disconnecting, etc. I've opened cases with Honda (while under warranty), and the issues can't be duplicated at the dealership. I've provided screenshots and videos from my experience. Honda blames Apple, Apple blames Honda. There are literally hundreds of forum posts about this and in the end, the customer loses out. Overall, its been a very underwhelming experience. Sometimes when carplay freezes it messes up my entire infotainment system. I have to pull over and turn off car and turn back on.
I know this is a huge PTA, and something that Apple/Honda should be fixing. I understand that and completely sympathize. But TBH as a former IT Tech the fact that you have to fix the issue by “turning it off and turning it back on again”, I find rather amusing.
Yes... I am a current IT Network Engineer and find it amusing that you cannot reboot the operating system while car is on (even in park for example). It could happen again shortly after the reboot. Carplay has been beyond a frustrating experience.
I used to have Mazda CX5 SUV and when the navigation going nuts (like freeze, blank screen or partial green screen), I had to park somewhere, shut off the engine and restart in order to reboot infotainment. My current car is Mercedes GLC300 and sometimes when the navigation freezes, it reboots itself after 5 min without parking car and shutting off engine. I wonders if the rest of modern cars work the same way.
LOL yeah I've had that green screen before. Carplay has been so
unpredictable and unreliable. I can go on a three hour trip and it
works flawlessly then on another where it freezes, or android errors pop
up and my displays start flashing, etc. Such a frustrating experience.
I’m curious why you think the issue is with CarPlay and not with your car’s system. I use CarPlay almost daily and have had the system crash and reboot, but meanwhile my phone is working just fine. Not to mention, the system has crashed and rebooted when I’m not using CarPlay so, clearly in that case CarPlay isn’t the cause of the crash.
Comments
Also, it is not clear to me how (or if) it's possible to listen to the car radio while CarPlay is active. I didn't have a chance to experiment in the Accord. In my car (2016 Audi A3), my phone connects with BT. I have to select "Media" if I want to play music from my phone. Of course, Maps can be run at the same time and voice nav audio ducks music audio in this situation. However, even if I am listening to the car radio, if I am using Maps for navigation with my phone, the radio audio is ducked when the Siri voice kicks in (similar to how BT phone calls mute the car radio). Next time I'm in the Accord, I'll try to see how CarPlay/Maps interacts with the car radio, but I'm wondering if anyone out there can share their experience with this.
I agree 100%. They sell you a car with this technology then hardly support it. I gave up trying to argue. Dealerships are severely lacking in the technology department. They give you a Honda Tech phone number to call. Oh well, I know the newer cars have software updates that can be done over wireless.
Yes... I am a current IT Network Engineer and find it amusing that you cannot reboot the operating system while car is on (even in park for example). It could happen again shortly after the reboot. Carplay has been beyond a frustrating experience.
As for apps--you really can't compare apps intended for use while driving to those for iOS. Yes, they are simple and pared down by design for safety reasons. I can't even browse my library in Apple Music beyond a very limited level unless I"m at a full stop. Also, I wonder how many apps people actually use in CarPlay. For me, it's maps, music, messages and phone--I have others on there but I rarely use anything beyond those four.
You also should be able to listen to the car radio without issue although this might be up to each manufacturer as to how they implement it. I listen to the radio while using Apple Maps all the time in my Ford. It reduces the volume of the music when Siri is providing an alert of any type.
LOL yeah I've had that green screen before. Carplay has been so unpredictable and unreliable. I can go on a three hour trip and it works flawlessly then on another where it freezes, or android errors pop up and my displays start flashing, etc. Such a frustrating experience.