SDL is an open source/open software standard. Not some closed spec that requires to design software *and* hardware to run your dash infotainment system in some specific way in order to satisfy some other company's whims (e.g. Apple or Google).
Car manufacturers have always had full control on all the hardware and software in their cars. And will continue to do so. It's what it makes a car a car. Not whether the screen shows the apps of your phone when you plug it in. That is not defining the car. If users today decide to buy a car based solely on this, car manufacturers will have to adapt. Sure. But when you Apple CarPlay enabled car stops in the middle of nowhere because you put value only on the support of that, rather than the value of the car, which is to transport you reliably and safely from A to B using the least fuel and polluting the least possible, whether it supports this or that on the dash honestly is not that relevant, is it?
Car manufacturers have far more compelling issues to address. Safety, reliability, quality, regulations, production cost. Supporting a mobile phone and a software that will be obsolete after 2-3 years (how many versions of iOS come out during the lifetime of a car), is honestly not important. Moreover cars, and all their electronics and software are developed on a cycle of 4-5 years, not months like an iPhone is. And require thorough testing. An open standard like SDL will allow more flexibility to car manufacturers and more stability of the platform over time. And not trying to chase Apple or google changing their software yearly and probably their specs for car support just as fast.
And one last thing: the electronics in your car need to be reliable and work at temperature ranges your phones can hardly even dream of. The latest and fastest electronics are developed for consumer markets, not for the car industry that demands way tougher quality and certification standards. And need to work for years, up to 10. You change your phone after possibly what? 4 max years?
I will buy another Toyota and possibly another Prius because of its car related features. As long as I can connect a device via bluetooth/usb to it to charge it and stream my music to it, I don't care the least about a fast aging infotainment system that it's much better that it offers the least possible and at the lowest price. I'd rather use the money on safety systems. Because whatever an infotainment system offers today will become obsolete and perceived slow after 1-2 years at most. Moreover, navigation systems integrated in cars are extremely expensive (thousands of euros) and their hardware cannot be updated with any new technology (like HD traffic services relying on cellulAr technology for example). A 200€ euro portable device (or a 50€ app on your latest phone) does and can do it at a fraction of the cost.
Clearly Toyota and others want to get away from chasing Apple and Google's ever changing and demanding specs (and royalties....) and be in a position to allow their drivers to use whatever they want for the most important features. Music, phone calls and maybe another couple of things.
I still put value in other things in a car. I couldn't care less of the infotainment system in general. Because I am not buying an iPhone. I am buying a car, and until cars themselves, I need to lookout at "Facebook" drivers busy at everything other than looking at the street and drive.
PS: if Apple is building a car, is surely not because of CarPlay.
I think SDL is better - the controls built into all cars can control any device - I think this is the standard we need - If you haven't yet, watch the video... watch
This video actually says it all, and shows that Toyota, BTW the biggest car manufacturer in the World, did the most sensible thing by adopting the best solution to support agnostically, all other platforms. So, when are CarPlay and Google's Android Auto going to support SDL? an open *STANDARD*? that is the real question. The question is whether Apple and Google support SDL to interface to it. Because now there is a standard and a customised version of a dashboard is not necessary anymore to support this or that UI.
The car companies probably don't want to pay any of their profits to Apple/Google so they're going to an open system. Car manufacturers never update their stereo software systems, with Apple carplay I'm sure Apple will allow you to update their software using your iPhone, and the Apple community of developers would go crazy to make apps for the car. Imagine using Plex from your iPhone to access the media on your home NAS on your car for those situations that you're stuck in a car waiting for someone or stuck somewhere (maybe at the US border) This is very short sited of car manufactures and I was going to sell my 2009 Rav4 last year to get a new car but I've now put it off 2 years while waiting to see who's going to accept Carplay on their vehicle lineup so I can choose a manufacturer that wants me to enjoy my life in their vehicle.
I refuse to give a company thirty to sixty thousand dollars when they're not willing to listen to what people want, look what happened to Blackberry, Microsoft, Motorola when they all sat around on their cell phone development while Apple came in and completely changed our way of living our lives.
Toyota was never on my list of vehicles to purchase. They don't make cars with class, come with substandard warranties compared to other competitors and are falling behind the others in automotive technology. They weren't the first to build a hydrogen powered vehicle and the batteries in the Prius are NiMH technology instead of lithium. They can't make a decent gasoline direct injection system and their metallurgy is inferior to many of the other makes. Not surprising that they decide NOT to adopt state of the art software technology in CarPlay.
I will be purchasing a vehicle with CarPlay in the near future. With a superior warranty, better steel, far better battery in the hybrid (which has a lifetime warranty), gasoline direct injection and more features. It's the Sonata hybrid.
I still have a hard time with GM, but that new Colorado with the Diesel engine sure looks nice. If GM can leverage their buyout of Daewoo and use Korean technology to build a reliable truck, I will be purchasing one of them too. And GM is also supporting CarPlay.
My 2007 Santa Fe is near 300k miles so I am not buying the idea of Toyota's supposed superior reliability either. Especially with the vehicle continuing to drive as well as it does with predominantly routine maintenance. My friend's 2003 RAV-4 required a brand new transmission at 90k miles, well out of the Toyota warranty. It was the reason we went with the Hyundai SUV and won't be purchasing a Toyota. And our Santa Fe was driven far harder than his RAV-4.
I find it amazing that Toyota does as well as it does, but they are making some very poor decisions these days. I am very much looking forward to CarPlay and very glad that Hyundai has chosen to embrace the technology. Of all the manufacturers, they have the best electronic systems and yet are including CarPlay.
My first Toyota is now officially my last. When my lease is done I'm done. The undeniable master of human interface that Apple is shunned by Toyota. A bad decision by an increasingly sub-par automaker.
Comments
Car manufacturers have always had full control on all the hardware and software in their cars. And will continue to do so. It's what it makes a car a car. Not whether the screen shows the apps of your phone when you plug it in. That is not defining the car. If users today decide to buy a car based solely on this, car manufacturers will have to adapt. Sure. But when you Apple CarPlay enabled car stops in the middle of nowhere because you put value only on the support of that, rather than the value of the car, which is to transport you reliably and safely from A to B using the least fuel and polluting the least possible, whether it supports this or that on the dash honestly is not that relevant, is it?
Car manufacturers have far more compelling issues to address. Safety, reliability, quality, regulations, production cost. Supporting a mobile phone and a software that will be
obsolete after 2-3 years (how many versions of iOS come out during the lifetime of a car), is honestly not important. Moreover cars, and all their electronics and software are developed on a cycle of 4-5 years, not months like an iPhone is. And require thorough testing.
An open standard like SDL will allow more flexibility to car manufacturers and more stability of the platform over time. And not trying to chase Apple or google changing their software yearly and probably their specs for car support just as fast.
And one last thing: the electronics in your car need to be reliable and work at temperature ranges your phones can hardly even dream
of. The latest and fastest electronics are developed for consumer markets, not for the car industry that demands way tougher quality and certification standards. And need to work for years, up to 10.
You change your phone after possibly what? 4 max years?
I will buy another Toyota and possibly another Prius because of its car related features. As long as I can connect a device via bluetooth/usb to it to charge it and stream my music to it, I don't care the least about a fast aging infotainment system that it's much better that it offers the least possible and at the lowest price. I'd rather use the money on safety systems. Because whatever an infotainment system offers today will become obsolete and perceived slow after 1-2 years at most.
Moreover, navigation systems integrated in cars are extremely expensive (thousands of euros) and their hardware cannot be updated with any new technology (like HD traffic services relying on cellulAr technology for example). A 200€ euro portable device (or a 50€ app on your latest phone) does and can do it at a fraction of the cost.
Clearly Toyota and others want to get away from chasing Apple and Google's ever changing and demanding specs (and royalties....) and be in a position to allow their drivers to use whatever they want for the most important features. Music, phone calls and maybe another couple of things.
I still put value in other things in a car. I couldn't care less of the infotainment system in general. Because I am not buying an iPhone. I am buying a car, and until cars themselves, I need to lookout at "Facebook" drivers busy at everything other than looking at the street and drive.
PS: if Apple is building a car, is surely not because of CarPlay.
So, when are CarPlay and Google's Android Auto going to support SDL? an open *STANDARD*? that is the real question.
The question is whether Apple and Google support SDL to interface to it. Because now there is a standard and a customised version of a dashboard is not necessary anymore to support this or that UI.
I refuse to give a company thirty to sixty thousand dollars when they're not willing to listen to what people want, look what happened to Blackberry, Microsoft, Motorola when they all sat around on their cell phone development while Apple came in and completely changed our way of living our lives.
I will be purchasing a vehicle with CarPlay in the near future. With a superior warranty, better steel, far better battery in the hybrid (which has a lifetime warranty), gasoline direct injection and more features. It's the Sonata hybrid.
I still have a hard time with GM, but that new Colorado with the Diesel engine sure looks nice. If GM can leverage their buyout of Daewoo and use Korean technology to build a reliable truck, I will be purchasing one of them too. And GM is also supporting CarPlay.
My 2007 Santa Fe is near 300k miles so I am not buying the idea of Toyota's supposed superior reliability either. Especially with the vehicle continuing to drive as well as it does with predominantly routine maintenance. My friend's 2003 RAV-4 required a brand new transmission at 90k miles, well out of the Toyota warranty. It was the reason we went with the Hyundai SUV and won't be purchasing a Toyota. And our Santa Fe was driven far harder than his RAV-4.
I find it amazing that Toyota does as well as it does, but they are making some very poor decisions these days. I am very much looking forward to CarPlay and very glad that Hyundai has chosen to embrace the technology. Of all the manufacturers, they have the best electronic systems and yet are including CarPlay.