Android Auto/Apple Carplay

[Fletch_KC]

I really like the idea of Android Auto, but I struggle to see how it's better than just connecting my phone via bluetooth.

Anyone have a good use case for this connectivity that you really like?

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[Ryom]

App integration, I can like or dislike music on Pandora. If you do something where you wait in your vehicle for long periods, you can play youtube videos on the large screen. The audio quality is better due to BT being both laggy and lossy for streaming audio, the AA connection is WIFI.

If all you want is to stream music from your phone and nothing else, the BT would be fine.

 

[Jeff D.]

I like Android Auto, but believe it could be a lot better.

I do like it for the maps, whether Waze or Google Maps, for the ability to recieve RCS & SMS messages (Syn 3 won't do RCS) and one of the biggest, the voice commands, or Google Assistant.

After using voice commands thru AA, Fords Sync 3 seems downright primitive.

But, I think there's so much more it could do, and integrating better with the vehicle is a big one.

 

[Aleks]

I wouldn't buy a car without android auto/car play. Having an always up to date navigation system is great step in future-proofing something that has probably dated itself the most in past vehicles (the infotainment/nav systems)

 

[AutobahnSHO]

I really like the idea of Android Auto, but I struggle to see how it's better than just connecting my phone via bluetooth.

Anyone have a good use case for this connectivity that you really like?

Maps on the screen. Personal music on my phone controlled with playlists and whatever. Texts read to you.

All controlled by the built-in steering wheel and screen buttons. Just push the button on the steering wheel and tell it to text whoever, or set a calendar appointment, or call whoever, or anything else your phone can do.

 

[gzebrick]

CarPlay is a must for me. Want my contacts, apps, screen setups to follow me. I don’t want to have to learn or teach some proprietary infotainment crap.

 

[oysterville]

Depends on if you have an 8" or larger phone screen I suppose.

 

[Darryl]

Maps on the screen. Personal music on my phone controlled with playlists and whatever. Texts read to you.

All controlled by the built-in steering wheel and screen buttons. Just push the button on the steering wheel and tell it to text whoever, or set a calendar appointment, or call whoever, or anything else your phone can do.

In my opinion, the maps on the screen makes it worth it. The other features are just gravy. It makes a factory navigation system virtually unnecessary.

 

[AutobahnSHO]

In my opinion, the maps on the screen makes it worth it. The other features are just gravy. It makes a factory navigation system virtually unnecessary.

For sure!
I have nav in my Miata, the only thing it does better is when I don't have a destination set, it will say the name of the next upcoming street at the top of the display. I wish Android Auto did that.

 

[zen_]

Google navigation will warn you of traffic jams in real time, road closures, reported speed traps, even stalled vehicles on the interstate. It's a lot easier to control Spotify and other music / podcast apps on screen than a phone. I usually listen to incoming text messages I want to hear, but don't respond to them with voice to text unless I really need to.

Probably up for debate how much more you should really be doing on a screen while driving, but I do feel like Carplay and Android Auto have made for a smoother and less distracted experience than solutions with phones attached to the dash and / or infuriatingly bad manufacturer infotainment systems.

 

[Aleks]

also lets you use different nav apps so youre not necessarily stuck on any one thing. I like waze for maps, it can use podcast apps, different music apps, all on the screen of your vehicle. who wouldnt want options?

this way youre not stuck with whatever the manufacturer sticks you with, especially as the vehicle ages and oem updates stop coming.

 

[TiRiderMT]

For those of you with Apple CarPlay, do you get audible navigation directions? I get nothing through the car or iPhone so not sure what the issue is. (FYI, I’m a first time CarPlay user)

TIA

 

[billbillw]

Maps and Apps. Navigation without AA/Carplay is not great unless you have a good phone mount and have the phone screen on the whole time.

For Music, without Android Auto, the only one that will play over BT is Pandora. I also use PlexAmp which plays music from my home server when I'm mobile, Radio Paradise, Jazz 24, Tune-In, and Pulsar (for media in my phone storage). I can also view my calendar and weather on the infotainment screen if needed.

 

[billbillw]

For those of you with Apple CarPlay, do you get audible navigation directions? I get nothing through the car or iPhone so not sure what the issue is. (FYI, I’m a first time CarPlay user)

TIA

Yes, I get them, but I mute them in Google Maps most of the time unless I'm going somewhere unfamiliar. Check your individual volume settings. I don't have Carplay, but in Android, there are separate volume settings for Ring, Notifications, and Media. Media is what plays the Navigation directions.

 

[Marengoite]

I listen to audiobooks on my daily 40 min. commute. Would not own a vehicle without AA for that reason alone. Love being able to have Waze on the screen while listening to books and control volume, pause, phone calls, and Android speech recognition from the steering wheel. Honda got me hooked on AA and my Lariat scratches that itch well.

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