This might shed light on why automakers don’t go “all in” with CarPlay / Android Auto

[prgarg]

No it doesn’t. There’s no way it will resume the podcast or music I was just playing exactly where I just left off on my phone.

I mostly get that with native Pocketcast and Spotify, might just be a few seconds difference sometimes

 

[martinjlm]

No it doesn’t. There’s no way it will resume the podcast or music I was just playing exactly where I just left off on my phone.

I did it everyday for two years. Just turned the car in a couple weeks ago. Apple podcast, Amazon Music (including podcasts), Apple Music. It actually was a pain in the ass sometimes because I'd be outside mowing the lawn and get too close to the car and whatever I was listening to would switch from my headphones to the car speakers.

 

[joec]

Even with a Bluetooth connection and the ability to play - pause with a steering wheel control, you’re limited to Bluetooth quality audio. And when I’m driving along and I want to switch from a podcast to some music, I can’t do that without opening the phone.

It’s a crap alternative to what I have now.

 

[joec]

When I get into the car, my phone goes on the charger and the center console is closed. I have no need to touch my phone again until I leave the car. Zero distraction. This is not achievable without CarPlay / Android Auto.

 

[DeaneG]

When I get into the car, my phone goes on the charger and the center console is closed. I have no need to touch my phone again until I leave the car. Zero distraction. This is not achievable without CarPlay / Android Auto.

Or a car with AAOS natively running the same apps you were using on your phone. Pocketcasts in the car knows exactly where I left off on my phone, Google maps knows exactly where I've searched recently, Messages reads me my messages and lets me reply by voice. It's all cloud synced within seconds. Absolutely no need for AA.

Any car running AAOS with an app store can do this.

 

[martinjlm]

From what I remember reading, the specs were not that impressive. Combine that with them being sort of late to the game and the changes in consumer and government sentiment about electrification, and I think that explains why they abandoned the project.

Late to the game was the biggest issue. Specs were ok. Design was ok. Some of the tech was next level. A few party tricks, like the front panel could be used to flash messages to other drivers or pedestrians.

 

[martinjlm]

When I get into the car, my phone goes on the charger and the center console is closed. I have no need to touch my phone again until I leave the car. Zero distraction. This is not achievable without CarPlay / Android Auto.

If I still had my Equinox EV I'd just offer to hand it to you for a week. You'd be surprised at how capable GM's Google Auto system is.

 

[DeaneG]

If I still had my Equinox EV I'd just offer to hand it to you for a week. You'd be surprised at how capable GM's Google Auto system is.

As is Volvo's, and similar systems from at least half a dozen others.

Our Volvo's software is more capable than our Gravity's in many ways. Just not as pretty.

 

[scal_air]

Having come from the analog world of Mopar vehicles, CP was my solution for everything. Maps, music, phone and text messaging in a common format.

Having experienced Lucid's built in apps, I find their fit and finish to be winning me over. The built in map awesomely spreading over the right side of the clearview cockpit is nothing short of "totally cool!" Using the right touch pad on the steering wheel to feather through views - I love it.

In a short week, I have gone from wanting CP to be my interface to using the built-in apps 90% of the time, with CP running in the background, providing ABRP, Siri, calls or texts or other apps when I need them, while viewing the built-in apps for their fabulous integration in the screens.

I, for one, wanted choices and needed CP for some of the apps, but my own choice for everyday driving has remained with the built-in apps. Even more reason for Lucid to expand the availability of native apps. If they don't offer one I want, I'll have CarPlay for that.

I'm loving this version of life right now!

I agree 100% I have an iPhone and android phone and after trying car play and android auto, i use the native Lucid environment almost exclusively. The only exception is bluetooth streaming of apps not available. Would I like more native apps like Amazon music? Sure. Would I like to be able to send Google or Car Play directions to navigation (like we used to be able to do)? Yes. But honestly, those seem like minor inconveniences to.me at this point. Probably in the minority, but isn't it nice to have choices?

 

[joec]

If I still had my Equinox EV I'd just offer to hand it to you for a week. You'd be surprised at how capable GM's Google Auto system is.

Again, you are missing my point.

It’s not about having nice apps. I have all my content set up on my phone already. Duplicating that in my car is a waste of time and a duplication of setup I don’t need. And I lose all continuity. And that’s only going to get worse as personal assistants on phones become more capable.

You can’t offer me a way to do what I’ve already described several times here on the Equinox, because it’s not possible.

For how I go about my day, using my phone as I walk around, there’s simply no substitute for having direct access to that phone while I’m in the car without having to touch my phone.

Build all the apps and functions you want. You can’t give me a distraction-free remote control for what’s on my phone.

I get the automaker perspective here. I really do. But as a customer, not offering CarPlay is an instant dealbreaker.

 

[martinjlm]

Again, you are missing my point.

It’s not about having nice apps. I have all my content set up on my phone already. Duplicating that in my car is a waste of time and a duplication of setup I don’t need. And I lose all continuity. And that’s only going to get worse as personal assistants on phones become more capable.

You can’t offer me a way to do what I’ve already described several times here on the Equinox, because it’s not possible.

For how I go about my day, using my phone as I walk around, there’s simply no substitute for having direct access to that phone while I’m in the car without having to touch my phone.

Build all the apps and functions you want. You can’t give me a distraction-free remote control for what’s on my phone.

I get the automaker perspective here. I really do. But as a customer, not offering CarPlay is an instant dealbreaker.

Agree to disagree. I've done what you claim can't be done for two years in an Equinox EV. But what do I know, eh. The only thing it couldn't do was replay text messages by name. It could read the last text message to me if I asked. But if I say "play last text message from Bob Barker" it would punt.

 

[joec]

So, explain to me how you play a podcast from the app Castro from the exact point where you left off on your phone before you entered the car. And then switched over to the album you were half way through yesterday in a music app. And then when that finishes, continuing to the audiobook you were listening to on the Books app, again picking up at the exact chapter and sentence you stopped that morning.

All without touching your phone. And all updating your phone so it will know where you left off on all three when you get back home.

Go.

 

[tmichael]

Agree to disagree. I've done what you claim can't be done for two years in an Equinox EV. But what do I know, eh. The only thing it couldn't do was replay text messages by name. It could read the last text message to me if I asked. But if I say "play last text message from Bob Barker" it would punt.

As a guy who needs to replace a Polestar in a year (I realize much can change), are you saying that GM's infotainment would pick up the navigation I set up on my phone in the restaurant as soon as I got in the car and place it in the GM nav? Would it take my Siri input and start an email from Outlook on my phone and allow me to dictate it and send it? Will it allow me to chat with ChatGPT? If so, that is killer and I would be back to considering them!

 

[joec]

Next challenge: there’s a restaurant you were looking into on your phone yesterday. You can’t remember the name, but you looked it up in your maps app of choice to see where it was. Navigate to that restaurant without touching your phone.

Go.

 

[joec]

Next challenge. I have a focus mode on my phone that mutes all notifications from anyone except my immediate family. I have a Shortcut that automatically turns that mode on as soon as I connect to CarPlay.

Replicate that without CarPlay, so I stop getting social media and spam email notifications while I’m driving.

Go.

 

[HC_79]

As is Volvo's, and similar systems from at least half a dozen others.

Our Volvo's software is more capable than our Gravity's in many ways. Just not as pretty.

Lucid’s overall layout and UX/UI design is actually quite solid (especially Gravity). It’s just lacking polish, Apps and device handoff logic that those offering vehicles in tiers below them are doing.

They really can’t afford to drag their feet any longer on this. Yes, they needed to get the bugs addressed but when GM is offering more in cheaper classes of vehicles, then you’ve really got a problem.

 

[joec]

Next: you have two cars. Even of the same brand. Setting up your preferences only once, make each car have the exact app button layout on both cars.

Bonus for two different brands.

Bonus for a rental car you just rented in a foreign city.

Go.

 

[martinjlm]

So, explain to me how you play a podcast from the app Castro from the exact point where you left off on your phone before you entered the car. And then switched over to the album you were half way through yesterday in a music app. And then when that finishes, continuing to the audiobook you were listening to on the Books app, again picking up at the exact chapter and sentence you stopped that morning.

All without touching your phone. And all updating your phone so it will know where you left off on all three when you get back home.

Go.

• I can explain to you how I wake up listening to Serialously podcasts on Apple Podcasts or Dateline on Amazon Music and have it seamlessly transition to my car system as I open the door. I don't know what Castro is so maybe you're right about that specific app.
• I can use the voice command activated from the steering wheel in the Equinox EV to switch from the podcast to whatever I was last listening to on Apple Music
• I don't do audio books.

 

[martinjlm]

As a guy who needs to replace a Polestar in a year (I realize much can change), are you saying that GM's infotainment would pick up the navigation I set up on my phone in the restaurant as soon as I got in the car and place it in the GM nav? Would it take my Siri input and start an email from Outlook on my phone and allow me to dictate it and send it? Will it allow me to chat with ChatGPT? If so, that is killer and I would be back to considering them!

I would not know about that. Whenever I use Nav in our Model Y, the Equinox EV when we had it, or the Air GT I use the native nav, not Apple Maps, Google Maps, or Waze. I do use Waze in my Camaro and MR2, but otherwise I use native apps. And rather than send from phone I typically use voice commands to enter my destination. Beyond that I can't really answer your questions because I simply don't do it that way.

 

[martinjlm]

Next challenge: there’s a restaurant you were looking into on your phone yesterday. You can’t remember the name, but you looked it up in your maps app of choice to see where it was. Navigate to that restaurant without touching your phone.

Go.

OK, now we're getting ridiculous. If you wanna make a car purchase decision based on whether or not it can fill in for your forgetting a restaurant name or address you're on your own.