CarPlay Is Additive • Hacker News Board

Re: CarPlay Is Additive

#531

Post by swiftcoder » Fri, Jul 03, 2026, 1:09 PM UTC

simiones wrote: post #504

Propelloni wrote: post #477

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't speak for Carplay, but Android Auto does try to distract me with attempts of engagement like "Is the construction site still there?" and other shit. The car's (an Audi) system does not, but it fails on many other levels. Both make me angry, albeit for different reasons.

> Android Auto does try to distract me with attempts of engagement like "Is the construction site still there?" and other shit. That's not Android Auto, it's Waze doing that (and it would do it on Apple too). And it's not "an attempt at engagement", it's a cost for keeping the real-time map and traffic data that Waze is chosen for up-to-date. Use Google Maps if you don't like the interruptions.

Tbf, Google Maps also has these prompts. One probably sees them less due to Google having achieved critical mass, but in quiet rural areas I see them quite often

Re: CarPlay Is Additive

#532

Post by xp84 » Fri, Jul 03, 2026, 1:11 PM UTC

moolcool wrote: post #513

whh wrote: post #511

I can’t be the only one who thinks we’re going a bit too far with the attention grab of vehicle infotainment. CarPlay is a fantastic system because it keeps you off your phone. But some of these new infotainment systems, and the complete lack of physical controls, are starting to feel extremely unsafe.

I admire the restraint the CarPlay designers have in adding features. E.g. in music apps, you can't click-through to an artist page from a song page. Annoying on the surface, but it actually naturally restricts your mucking about in menus. I bet any money that that one choice has saved lives.

Your thesis is right but in this example this is instead one of the “Alan Dye” hidden UI instances where the functionality is intentionally hidden (I presume in the name of aesthetic minimalism rather than safety, because this is what Apple design does outside CarPlay too). At least in Apple Music, I think you tap on the artist name in the now playing screen, and I think you get a menu to go to album or artist from there. If I’m wrong, somebody correct me and I’ll delete, I’m away from my car today and can’t verify.

Re: CarPlay Is Additive

#533

Post by mianos » Fri, Jul 03, 2026, 1:12 PM UTC

spaqin wrote: post #65

As someone who only had 20+ year old cars and motorcycles, I don't see what's CarPlay supposed to solve? All I need is a Bluetooth-capable radio and a phone holder to display the navigation, so I can listen to my music and focus on driving. Phone doesn't need to be touched unless changing destinations. Do people seriously need to be constantly entertained while driving?

I have a 15 year old Mercedes. I got the old integrated CD player and radio pulled out and Alpine makes a nice dash surround and canbus support module for the steering wheel controls. It has a 7" display where the old stuff was and wireless Android Auto.

It's pretty much like any new car as far as entertainment and maps. Plus, it's got physical buttons for everything else. I think recent cars may well be coming back to what I have on my old car.

ps. not mentioned, Anrdoid auto and Carplay are H264, later H265, video players with touch control and buttons in a return channel. The phones render the display internally and project it as video to the display. That's all. This is why much older generation displays with at least reasonable SOCs can run them near perfectly. They are not running Anrdoid themselves. In fact some of them are operating system-less SOCs that have nearly no firmware but a video player and the support for the touchscreen and buttons. Much like that crappy video player built into old TVs ten years ago.

I have them on my motorcycles too. It's way better than a phone, in that the user interface is designed to be less interactive and more focusses with larger buttons.

Re: CarPlay Is Additive

#534

Post by bjord » Fri, Jul 03, 2026, 1:14 PM UTC

Telaneo wrote: post #492

bjord wrote: post #489

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you actually may be able to update these. it's worth looking into.

The maps? Why would I bother when I can use Carplay instead? The car's integration with Carplay? Even models that are 4 years newer than mine seem to still not have this. Not sure what's going on there.

I meant if you wanted to update the maps in your gauge cluster.

https://update.kia.com

you said they bothered you, so I suggested a fix. no obligation to do it if you don't care.

Re: CarPlay Is Additive

#535

Post by sokoloff » Fri, Jul 03, 2026, 1:15 PM UTC

bluGill wrote: post #495

throwaway27448 wrote: post #319

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's easier to do that than to pay to replace them when the battery dies. Just stop adding more unnecessary costs to my car maintenance!

That battery lasts longer than the tire. People sometimes try to say but I don't drive my car much and that doesn't change the math because tires are destroyed not just from the way of driving but also the sun and ozone in the air destroy tires it still needs to be replaced every seven years., it still needs to be replaced every seven years.

I’m totally comfortable going out to 12 years on tires. Beyond that, I’m replacing them. 7 seems excessively conservative for road use.

Re: CarPlay Is Additive

#536

Post by xp84 » Fri, Jul 03, 2026, 1:17 PM UTC

titanomachy wrote: post #354

rkangel wrote: post #346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The big thing for me is that the lifetime of a car is a lot longer than the technology development lifecycle. I just bought a 10 year old Toyota estate (station wagon). It's got a reasonable screen and Bluetooth implementation etc. But I'm never going to want to use the built in navigation because it's just not as good as what my phone will do. And the audio integration isn't as sophisticated as it might be - I have…

I’m sure the car manufacturers would much prefer if you updated your car as often as you do your phone.

They’re working on it. I follow a mechanic on YouTube who has shared dozens of examples of manufacturers seemingly intentionally shipping deeply flawed components for seemingly no reason other than to push the average lifespan of a vehicle back downwards from the high levels we’d reached by about 2012. Cars are being junked with less than 100k miles because the original parts fail, replacement parts are hard to get, and now manufacturers are making it so you need an expensive piece of software which they completely control to program a new part to the car, without which, it’s a brick. So essentially they can drop support for a car from that software, and make it near-impossible to replace those parts even if someone reverse-engineers aftermarket parts.

Re: CarPlay Is Additive

#537

Post by 2d8a875f-39a2-4 » Fri, Jul 03, 2026, 1:17 PM UTC

"My one walled garden won't let my other walled garden in."

Re: CarPlay Is Additive

#538

Post by xp84 » Fri, Jul 03, 2026, 1:19 PM UTC

linzhangrun wrote: post #355

titanomachy wrote: post #354

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m sure the car manufacturers would much prefer if you updated your car as often as you do your phone.

Current State of Chinese EV Manufacturers

Source? They’re cheaper, but I’ve seen zero proof they are less long-lasting than our cars. If anything, those who have tried them say they’re better cars, including the Ford CEO, who imported one and can’t say enough good things about it.

Re: CarPlay Is Additive

#539

Post by nubg » Fri, Jul 03, 2026, 1:19 PM UTC

CarPlay is subtractive for the car manufacturer who wants to track you and sell your data. That's all you need to know about this debate. Of course CarPlay is the far superior UX. It's entertaining to see car manufacturers bend over and come up with ridiculous justifications for why they "cannot" give you the option to just use CarPlay.

Re: CarPlay Is Additive

#540

Post by xp84 » Fri, Jul 03, 2026, 1:21 PM UTC

thih9 wrote: post #509

linzhangrun wrote: post #302

For pure interaction, CarPlay as a generic solution is very hard to beat infotainment systems that are deeply integrated with the vehicle itself. Its advantages are mainly these: - Consistency. You get into a new car, all you need to figure out is how to open CarPlay, no need to learning a completely different and often complicated infotainment system. - "It's on your phone". You can decide what playlist to play or w…

“Stays up to date over the long term” is in the “cons” list in my book - I’d prefer to have as few changes and rely on muscle memory as much as possible; and I find updates risky in this context. I don’t mind a built in infotainment system stuck in a previous era, as long as it works.

Just wanting to point out that yours is a valid preference, but as Casey points out: Go right ahead and don’t use CarPlay. No one has ever been forced to use it on any car because it’s optional. If you want to plug an iPhone in for music or charging, you can tap “No” to CarPlay once and never be asked again.