Apple CarPlay and Android Auto - why should I care?

[B.P.]

Here's a quote attributed to Apple - “CarPlay takes the things you want to do with your iPhone while driving and puts them right on your car’s built-in display. You can get directions, make calls, send and receive messages, and listen to music, all in a way that allows you to stay focused on the road. Just plug in your iPhone and go.”

OK, so I can't send/receive messages through my '15 Genesis Tech, although I believe the Ultimates can do this, but that's something I've never wanted to do. Everything else I already have, in fact I believe my built in Nav is in many ways superior to iPhone Maps. Everyone who's used Siri, or our already built in voice command system, knows how frustrating that can sometimes be, either being extremely slow or taking multiple tries to get your command/question correct. And that last part of the quote "plug in your iPhone" is problematic. This is not an install and forget system.

Is this another must-have gimmick that might be mature enough in another 5 years to be useful, and is certainly going to cost me more in apps and data costs? Why should I be excited, why should I care?

 

[Monolith2001]

It will all depend on how you use tech in your car. CP and AA will add a lot more integration that will help those who juggle their phone while driving. It will be particularly helpful for us Android users since Apple integration is superior in the Genesis (and most other vehicles).

Here's a vid showing both and what it does.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCAWLKcohGE

I'm particularly happy with AA and music integration and voice. The Genesis' voice recognition is terrible for me (and I'm a manager who talks all the time and never been accused of not speaking good English) and limited in navigation. The possibility to have access to more apps could be a boon since Hyundai only has a couple for OEM unit.

 

[ksoze]

It is a future play in many ways. The tech in cars will be most likely driven and powered more by users mobile devices. Why?

Because they are a standard platform that can written to by developers who may not want to develop specifically for each car platform on one off Operating Systems. Car manufacturers are not particularly good at UI and most car system tech leaves much to be desired or years of improvement to be usable. A car specific system also then relies on the car maker to develop future apps and versions, which also does not have a good track record.

The multiple versions of OS just between different builds within a car line (Genesis) are proof that any future tech on those platforms will be slow to come and not well supported.

Appel and Android have the app market cornered and the more the developers focus on car tech, the more options there will be by platforms which have regular upgrades and app ideas we have not yet though of.

 

[Sal Collaziano]

I see these options as being excellent ways to avoid picking up your phone and reading/texting while messages are coming in for you. I have a Moto X and I already have this feature built into my phone. It's very useful. When a text message comes in while I'm in my car (it knows), it asks me if I want to hear it. If I say YES, it'll then read the message to me and ask me if I want to reply. If I say YES, it'll ask me for my message and send it as a text - first asking me if it got it right...

This is very, very useful. Especially for people who can't get off their phones. Actually integrating it into cars will have it working better. There are other things that'll be helpful to people as well. Like power windows and air conditioning - it'll be nice to have. Sure, you can live without it - but why if you don't have to?

 

[Mr. Dobalina]

I want it so I can integrate TuneIn Radio into my car. Feel like reggae music? Let's see what's playing in Montego Bay. Just move and miss your favorite morning show from back home? Stream it every day. Tons of commercial free (and sometimes unedited) internet radio representing every genre. I'm going to dump SiriusXM the day AA shows up in my car.

Eyes will be on the road since I already have a ton of presets already saved in my smartphone. Glad I have unlimited data with T-Mobile.