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

money.cnn.com

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

#151

Post by SpikeDad »

I don't. My 2013 Prius has an excellent GPS and I'm not too concerned that the maps are a bit out of date. I still get accurate traffic data from XM.

There are advantages to the built-in navigation - it works when there's no GPS signal due to inertial navigation (compass and tire rotation). Mine has a head-up display so I can see navigation cues without taking my eyes off the road. The voice synth is much better than Apple Maps or Google Maps.

I've only had to pull out my phone a couple of times in 3 years.

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

#152

Post by zeveb »

Someone1234 wrote: post #93
UVB-76 wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The average age of cars on the road in the US is something like 11 years [0] Even if CarPlay/Android Auto last more than five years, I expect new versions will come out which render old vehicles incompatible. [0] http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-ihs-average-c...

Why would new versions cause incompatibility? Carplay/Android Auto are just, at their core, dumb protocols for transmitting screen information and receiving back touch inputs. If you go disassemble Mirrorlink 1.1 apps they use the VNC protocol behind the scenes, the protocol isn't complex (the certification nonsense is all artificially added). The reason for the fragmentation and pain in this particular space (infota…

> Why would new versions cause incompatibility?

Because CarPlay in 2016 doesn't support the new hotness of 2018, because we are an industry of attention-deficit twentysomethings.

Granted, were I forced to choose between attention-deficit twentysomethings and bureaucratic, glacial fiftysomethings … well honestly, I don't know which I'd choose.

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

#153

Post by sangnoir »

legulere wrote: post #120
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…

> It's a M android device to N cars relationship, creating a lot of combinations that need to be tested

I'm certain that Android Auto compatibility is part of the Android Compatibility Test Suite that all OHA OEMs have to run for phones in order to get Google apps. The tests probably are not perfect

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

#154

Post by snuxoll »

danpat wrote: post #149
korethr wrote: post #144

As a counterpoint to the comments here bringing up the point that the maps on one's phone are always up to date, I'll bring up the point of offline access. Yes, often the maps are bad, out of date, and require one to go the dealer and pay money to get an update. However, once out of the city, and cellular data ceases to be a thing, Google maps and similar applications built with an assumption of an always-available I…

Check out the http://maps.me/en/home app - it gives you offline routing using OpenStreetmap data on your phone. Google Maps also supports offline downloads, but from what I remember, they expire every 30 days, so you need to keep re-downloading.

HERE Maps / HERE WeGo (whatever the hell it's called now) has supported offline map downloads from day one, between every Windows / iOS / Android phone I've owned I have had the entire US downloaded from day 1.

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

#155

Post by bsder »

How about: "Can't set new route while car is in motion?"

If you ever block me from doing something on a computer that I know it can do, I will hate you forever.

You know, I might have a passenger who could work the nav system, but, oh, no, the car is moving so you can't enter a new destination.

So many people disabled this "feature" on the Prius nav system that Toyota removed the ability to disable it. I kid you not.

And then they wonder why everybody uses their phone.

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

#156

Post by ktta »

astrodust wrote: post #146
korethr wrote: post #144

As a counterpoint to the comments here bringing up the point that the maps on one's phone are always up to date, I'll bring up the point of offline access. Yes, often the maps are bad, out of date, and require one to go the dealer and pay money to get an update. However, once out of the city, and cellular data ceases to be a thing, Google maps and similar applications built with an assumption of an always-available I…

I have a stupid question: Why is the user interface on a $30K car so bad compared to a $99 smart phone you can buy at the drug store? What is with the garbage they call software these days? The response time on some of these in-dash systems can be measured in seconds.

You're comparing two vastly different things. Maps for Google (I assume people are referring to google maps) is a very important part of its business, up there with gmail.

But maps for car companies is an afterthought, a secondary luxury feature.

You can't expect car companies to drop billions on mapping and full time software devs in perfecting the navigation system.

The way I see it, the best way would be for them to use google maps in their car. There'll probably be a slew of privacy issues with that though, because you can close the maps app but it'll be more difficult to control the GPS system build into you car.

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

#157

Post by acdha »

astrodust wrote: post #146
korethr wrote: post #144

As a counterpoint to the comments here bringing up the point that the maps on one's phone are always up to date, I'll bring up the point of offline access. Yes, often the maps are bad, out of date, and require one to go the dealer and pay money to get an update. However, once out of the city, and cellular data ceases to be a thing, Google maps and similar applications built with an assumption of an always-available I…

I have a stupid question: Why is the user interface on a $30K car so bad compared to a $99 smart phone you can buy at the drug store? What is with the garbage they call software these days? The response time on some of these in-dash systems can be measured in seconds.

Development and support lifecycles for automotive systems are much longer than consumer electronics. They probably started speccing it out and developing hardware 10 years ago and will support it for the life of the vehicle, whereas that cheap phone may never receive an update after the day you buy it.

A lot of that comes down to the fact that people have a much higher expectation for a car than a phone: if the map in your car fails due to some weird bug, the potential downside is a product recall and lawsuits; if the maps app on that phone has the same bug, they might just point you at the you-get-nothing EULA or suggest you download the latest Google Maps app or buy a new phone instead.

This is why things like Apple's CarPlay / Android Auto make so much sense since they're basically just a remote UI for your phone: the functionality requirements are orders of magnitude simpler, you can upgrade independently, and the car manufacturer isn't on the hook if you install a navigation app with a bug.

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

#158

Post by tdkl »

masklinn wrote: post #112
tdkl wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

> Larger display and physical buttons

GPS units like Garmin use touchscreen instead of physical buttons and are safe, road legal. Tesla ships cars with a huge touchscreen console - safe and road legal. That's a pretty weak excuse.

We could also debate that things that hinder concentration while handling "2 tones of steel" are :

- listening to the radio,

- talking to the passenger(s),

- singing.

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

#159

Post by zeveb »

aeharding wrote: post #96
joezydeco wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In its defense, the Mazda Connect system is pretty nice. It's solely focused on entertainment, navigation, and some secondary car management functions (maintenance intervals, explanation of trouble lights, long-term MPG charts). Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the touchscreen/command knob is the way things are now. You can't do terrestrial radio, satellite radio, bluetooth, USB music playback, etc with a singl…

Mazda Connect has worked very well for me. So weird that it came with a CD player, though. I thought those would have been gone by 2016...

A CD player's still convenient on a long road trip when one wants to listen to one's own music, not the radio or the satellite. A phone can only hold so much!

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

#160

Post by mikeryan »

alex_anglin wrote: post #147
mikeryan wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Not if you're using an interface such as Siri, I believe.

Siri's okay - Google Maps Voice is Okay but honestly whenever I have to enter an address in Google Maps I'm still plugging it in by hand.
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