Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions • Hacker News Board

Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#111

Post by 4ad » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 7:23 PM UTC

viggity wrote: post #55

I've always hated built in GPS for two reasons. First and most important - the damn maps are always viewed from directly above the car so the map is 2D and North is always at the top. There is a lot of effin' mental work to try and figure out which damn way your car is pointing and whether you need to turn left or turn right because you may be driving "down" the map and shit is reversed. On my phone or on my garmin I…

Funny. My main complaint is the opposite. The phone is using a confusing 3D interface instead of the simple 2D interface that I want. And because software is just great and doesn't have any bugs, it sometime won't even remember to always use the 2D projection that I requested.

Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#112

Post by masklinn » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 7:24 PM UTC

tdkl wrote: post #104

Someone1234 wrote: post #39

This is why Carplay/Android Auto are so key. They're safer than using your actual phone, they offer legitimate maps apps (Google Maps/Bing Maps/Apple Maps/etc), and are somewhat future proof. Too bad the MirrorLink consortium dropped the ball so epically. MirrorLink arguably does the same thing as Carplay/Android Auto and has been deployed to millions of vehicles, but nobody uses MirrorLink 1.1, why? Because to get y…

Why would I pay hundreds of $currency for a new head unit or thousands for a new car, if I'm already walking around with a device capable doing all that? Android Auto/Car play should just run as a dedicated mode on the phone.

> Why would I pay hundreds of $currency for a new head unit or thousands for a new car

Larger display and physical buttons are really quite a good idea when you're driving 2 tons of steel at 60mph.

Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#113

Post by masklinn » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 7:26 PM UTC

CWuestefeld wrote: post #84

j45 wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have had the same experience with my car. Car manufacturers are far better at the car/dash experience than phones, however the phones have been catching up. Apps like Waze are hard to ignore. What would be ideal is a high quality integration between the two worlds, or at least the ability to use the phone's touchscreen as an extended mirroring display of one's phone if you choose as a universal standard.

You would think so... In my '13 Hyundai, the navigation UX is pretty good, but I swear that the entertainment part of it was written by a summer intern.

Ditto, though I wouldn't call most of the nav systems I've used "pretty good".

Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#114

Post by salmonlogs » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 7:27 PM UTC

Reading the comments I appear to be the exception. I lease a 2015 BMW 4-series which I added "Professional Media" to and the nav works really well. I've driven plenty of other cars where the nav is useless, but not all are bad.

Reasons to use it over my phone:

* 11" screen shows me a high quality map overlayed with current traffic, with 1/3 split for lane guidance when needed

* Directions also shown directly on the dash - no need to look far away

* Spoken instructions dim the music volume

* Pretty accurate traffic information with automatic OTA updates

Downsides:

* Voice control is shitty; saying "set destination to leamington spa" will change to a random radio frequency

* Slightly awkward to send routes from PC to car, has to be via Remote Control App

Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#115

Post by kovrik » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 7:31 PM UTC

I can't use my car's GPS because the car is from Japan and it has Japanese language only and only maps of Japan. And you can't just download map of any other country, and you can't even change the language.

So, yes, I'd better use my phone's GPS: maps are always up-to-date, I can choose between Google Maps and Apple Maps (or any other), can select any language.

Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#116

Post by rhinoceraptor » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 7:33 PM UTC

pwthornton wrote: post #106

Smartphone maps are so superior because they are always up to date, can provide real-time traffic data, can tell you to take an alternative route and can provide other data about places to eat, etc. While a lot of car GPSs have some of this, they are no where near what Google Maps or Apple Maps (or a targeted app like Waze) has. I bought a new car last year, and intentionally didn't get the GPS, even though my car ha…

And even if the auto companies could do something as well as Google/Apple, it would still be several years out of date once it finally shipped in new cars.

Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#117

Post by Someone1234 » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 7:34 PM UTC

salmonlogs wrote: post #114

Reading the comments I appear to be the exception. I lease a 2015 BMW 4-series which I added "Professional Media" to and the nav works really well. I've driven plenty of other cars where the nav is useless, but not all are bad. Reasons to use it over my phone: * 11" screen shows me a high quality map overlayed with current traffic, with 1/3 split for lane guidance when needed * Directions also shown directly on the d…

You aren't really the exception, instead you're just fortunate enough to have one of the few in-dash navigation systems which isn't absolutely terrible.

Most of the features you've named are exactly what Android Auto/Carplay provide, but without limiting you to just a single maps/navigation vendor.

You're likely leasing that vehicle for 1-3 years. Do you think that if you purchased that 4-series that the navigation would still be updated and solid by the end of its 9-15 year vehicle lifespan? I certainly don't. But I do an apps platform like carplay/android auto will continue to provide quality apps for at least that long.

Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#118

Post by mikeryan » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 7:34 PM UTC

tdkl wrote: post #104

Someone1234 wrote: post #39

This is why Carplay/Android Auto are so key. They're safer than using your actual phone, they offer legitimate maps apps (Google Maps/Bing Maps/Apple Maps/etc), and are somewhat future proof. Too bad the MirrorLink consortium dropped the ball so epically. MirrorLink arguably does the same thing as Carplay/Android Auto and has been deployed to millions of vehicles, but nobody uses MirrorLink 1.1, why? Because to get y…

Why would I pay hundreds of $currency for a new head unit or thousands for a new car, if I'm already walking around with a device capable doing all that? Android Auto/Car play should just run as a dedicated mode on the phone.

Because for the most part in the US its actually illegal to use that capable device while you're driving your car.

Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#119

Post by jimwalsh » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 7:34 PM UTC

tdkl wrote: post #104

Someone1234 wrote: post #39

This is why Carplay/Android Auto are so key. They're safer than using your actual phone, they offer legitimate maps apps (Google Maps/Bing Maps/Apple Maps/etc), and are somewhat future proof. Too bad the MirrorLink consortium dropped the ball so epically. MirrorLink arguably does the same thing as Carplay/Android Auto and has been deployed to millions of vehicles, but nobody uses MirrorLink 1.1, why? Because to get y…

Why would I pay hundreds of $currency for a new head unit or thousands for a new car, if I'm already walking around with a device capable doing all that? Android Auto/Car play should just run as a dedicated mode on the phone.

Agreed. I got the cheaper model of my car when I custom ordered it to not have the NAV addon because I knew I'd use my phone and didn't want to pay $2500 USD extra for my car.

Re: Most drivers who own cars with built-in GPS systems use phones for directions

#120

Post by legulere » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 7:39 PM UTC

Someone1234 wrote: post #39

This is why Carplay/Android Auto are so key. They're safer than using your actual phone, they offer legitimate maps apps (Google Maps/Bing Maps/Apple Maps/etc), and are somewhat future proof. Too bad the MirrorLink consortium dropped the ball so epically. MirrorLink arguably does the same thing as Carplay/Android Auto and has been deployed to millions of vehicles, but nobody uses MirrorLink 1.1, why? Because to get y…

The problem with Android Auto, at least by the test I saw done by c't magazine is that it doesn't always work. It's a M android device to N cars relationship, creating a lot of combinations that need to be tested. At least in the test I saw if it worked depended on the phone. Pretty much the same problem miracast has and why google probably developed the chromecast.

I guess MirrorLink is trying to solve that problem by more thorough testing.