Carplay and Android Auto coming soon? Crossing fingers...

That, I agree with. If that's a deal breaker for you: don't. I said it earlier: don't buy something if it doesn't have what you want TODAY.

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Agreed. Dealers rarely know anything useful... always assume they're full of crap until you see something in writing

Perhaps you guys are right. But for two dealers to state such specific information, I find odd. Either way, AA obviously isn't a deal breaker for me as I bought a brand new car in 2016. No one does if it is that important.

I'll spare all the details, but after having first-hand experience with Android Auto and now Car Play, I prefer the native interfaces on the Pioneer headunits over what I experienced with AA and CP (both in another vehicle with an OEM unit). The apps are buggy and both locked. Some may be okay with that, but I prefer reliability over features.

I can see why some manufacturers want to keep control of their infotainment with proprietary systems. They probably do not want to suffer the poor ratings and customer frustrations from tech they cannot control.

RG_Flyer said:

I'll spare all the details, but after having first-hand experience with Android Auto and now Car Play, I prefer the native interfaces on the Pioneer headunits over what I experienced with AA and CP (both in another vehicle with an OEM unit). The apps are buggy and both locked. Some may be okay with that, but I prefer reliability over features.

I can see why some manufacturers want to keep control of their infotainment with proprietary systems. They probably do not want to suffer the poor ratings and customer frustrations from tech they cannot control.

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The user can decide what they want to use. At least that's how it is in Hyundai vehicles. It shows up like an app. The user has to seek it out. I'm pretty sure the car doesn't come with AA or CP running while on the dealer lot. It has to be turned on. Then I'm assuming it can be set as the default UI or not.

So I don't think there should be any worry about receiving bad ratings because of it. Plus I think people hearing their car comes with Android or apple like UI, most customers would be intrigued.

RG_Flyer said:

I can see why some manufacturers want to keep control of their infotainment with proprietary systems. They probably do not want to suffer the poor ratings and customer frustrations from tech they cannot control.

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The only reason Apple and Google have this market opportunity is that people are dissatisfied with the existing systems.

The think there's a few reasons why car manufacturers want to keep control of infotainment:
- They can fleece customers for nav, map updates, or other features that would be free/cheap on AA or Car Play
- They want to offer a brand-unique look and feel
- They want to experiment with or offer alternative control schemes
- They want to differentiate high-end system from low-end systems

The main thing they're afraid of is that if Apple and Google take over infotainment, a Chevy Cruze buyer could have the same infotainment experience as a Mercedes buyer.

a) 100% Agree with RG_Flyer. It ISN'T all that. As I've said more then a few times in this thread: how many of your family, friends, co-workers have or don't have or care at all about AA\ACP? That's a seriously low number. I am THE Tech Guy in my Circle and at my job. People come to me for tech purchases. I can count on one hand how many people have asked me about these in car systems.... and have 5 fingers left over. NO ONE. Not one person. I work with 40 people. Young people with cheap cars and old rich dudes with some of the most expensive cars.... NOT ONE has AA or ACP, or if they do? They aren't even using it.. My family is small but not ONE person has it or has ever mentioned it to me. None of my friends....

b) Yes, Jhu88 is right it is like an app so THANK GOD you won't be forced to use it. And you can try AA RIGHT NOW. On your phone. Contrary to some beliefs its going to be exactly the same when it's on your car.

c) Could not disagree with with Red MC anymore. The only reason ... is because people don't like the audio systems? That's LUDICROUS. The reason Google and Apple have this "opportunity" is because.... it's something new. And we're all addicted to our phones. What's not to love? MY CAR WILL BE A GIANT PHONE. lol
Do you know how tech works? People wanted 3d tv's too, and not because they were tired of regular TV. They are bringing new technology to market and SOME people are clamoring for it... because it's NEW. (and it's MY PHONE IN MY CAR!) Hell, all I wanted in my audio system was Bluetooth. That's it. I don't care what the rest of it does. MANY reviews state (and I disagree) that Chrysler \ Jeeps uConnect system is the best. Ford Synch has been very well received for years. You give MOST people FAR too much credit. Most people, the majority, just want something that's easy to use, sounds good and works with their phone. Frankly, I don't want my phone to follow me and take over my car like that. Driving is my ESCAPE from the GD phone. hahaha Just feed me my texts and phone calls, give me directions if I want them and stay out of my damn way.


AND GET OFF MY LAWN WHILE WE'RE AT IT!!!!

There is really only one main reason I want AA. Google maps with live traffic running all the time. Google maps is so accurate it's scary. But this accuracy helps navigating so much easier and faster. Yes, I can use my phone and I do. But being able to just put my phone away in my pocket while driving, would be soo nice. Which is what AA tries to do. Connect phone, put it down, and don't pick it up. I would think Mazda of all manufacturers would get this(locking us out of our touchscreens while driving to be safe).

If Mazda just gave us proper live traffic, I wouldn't care as much about these systems.

7eregrine said:

a) 100% Agree with RG_Flyer. It ISN'T all that. As I've said more then a few times in this thread: how many of your family, friends, co-workers have or don't have or care at all about AA\ACP? That's a seriously low number. I am THE Tech Guy in my Circle and at my job. People come to me for tech purchases. I can count on one hand how many people have asked me about these in car systems.... and have 5 fingers left over. NO ONE. Not one person. I work with 40 people. Young people with cheap cars and old rich dudes with some of the most expensive cars.... NOT ONE has AA or ACP, or if they do? They aren't even using it.. My family is small but not ONE person has it or has ever mentioned it to me. None of my friends....

Click to expand...

There is a reason why every car forum has these threads, and why it's one of the most talked about features, why it gets mentioned in pretty much every professional review, why every manufacturer who offers it advertises it, and why dealers who have it like to show it off. There is real demand out there for it.

c) Could not disagree with with Red MC anymore. The only reason ... is because people don't like the audio systems? That's LUDICROUS. The reason Google and Apple have this "opportunity" is because.... it's something new. Do you know how tech works? People wanted 3d tv's too, and not because they were tired of regular TV. . They are bringing new technology to market and SOME people are clamoring for it... because it's NEW. Hell, all I wanted in my audio system was Bluetooth. That's it. I don't care what the rest of it does. MANY reviews state (and I disagree) that Chrysler \ Jeeps uConnect system is the best. Ford Synch has been very well received for years. You give MOST people FAR too much credit. Most people, the majority, just want something that's easy to use, sounds good and work with their phone. Frankly, I don't want my phone to follow me and take over my car like that. Driving is my ESCAPE from the GD phone. hahaha Just feed me my texts and phone calls, give me directions if I want them and stay out of my damn way.

Click to expand...

The biggest reason why people are excited about AA/Car Play is that every OEM navigation system on the market sucks compared to smartphone navigation apps. When Google Navigation became available as a public beta in 2010/2011 it was instantly better than anything in any car. And the gap has widened since then. Another big reason is voice control. Siri and Google Now are miles better than the voice recognition systems in car infotainment systems. Beyond navigation and voice, people frequently complain about the responsiveness of infotainment systems due to their use of outdated computing hardware, and freezes/hangs and other bugs. Another common complaint is problems with phone pairing.

Also, if you're under the age of 40, your phone is probably the center of your life and you are more loyal to your preferred phone brand or OS than to any car manufacturer. So why would you want to deal with a different interface for accessing the stuff on your phone if Apple or Google can provide you with a familiar one?

CarPlay/AA is ABSOLUTELY in demand. Just because you or your circle of friends/family doesn't use it doesn't mean the rest of the world doesn't want/need it. It's worth it for the live traffic updates alone IMO...

Red MC said:

There is a reason why every car forum has these threads, and why it's one of the most talked about features, why it gets mentioned in pretty much every professional review, why every manufacturer who offers it advertises it, and why dealers who have it like to show it off. There is real demand out there for it.

Click to expand...

Yea, the same reason every TV forum was filled with "Hey, did you try 3D TV yet?"

The biggest reason why people are excited about AA/Car Play is that every OEM navigation system on the market sucks compared to smartphone navigation apps.

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Some people. Not all. Not most. Some. That's all I'm saying. For every ONE enthusiast on this Mavda forum there are 20 people who just don't give a s... LOL

When Google Navigation became available as a public beta in 2010/2011 it was instantly better than anything in any car. And the gap has widened since then. Another big reason is voice control. Siri and Google Now are miles better than the voice recognition systems in car infotainment systems. Beyond navigation and voice, people frequently complain about the responsiveness of infotainment systems due to their use of outdated computing hardware, and freezes/hangs and other bugs. Another common complaint is problems with phone pairing.

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And a HUGE majority of people are fine WITHOUT live traffic. We all don't live in Baltimore. Or NYC. Or Chicago. Or Miami.
True story, co-worker showed me her Toyota Highlander. I was looking at her GPS to see if it had LIVE TRAFFIC. It did. Asked her "so how do you like LIVE TRAFFIC"
Didn't know she had it. Didn't care either.

Also, if you're under the age of 40, your phone is probably the center of your life and you are more loyal to your preferred phone brand or OS than to any car manufacturer. So why would you want to deal with a different interface for accessing the stuff on your phone if Apple or Google can provide you with a familiar one?

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Because you're driving. You really shouldn't be accessing your phone.

mangoconchile said:

CarPlay/AA is ABSOLUTELY in demand. Just because you or your circle of friends/family doesn't use it doesn't mean the rest of the world doesn't want/need it. It's worth it for the live traffic updates alone IMO...

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You stay out of this. LOL
I didn't say it WASN'T in demand. It's not AS IN DEMAND as many of you make it out to be.
Do you use it every time in your car Mango?

7eregrine said:

You stay out of this. LOL
I didn't say it WASN'T in demand.
Do you use it every time in your car Mango?

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I use it most of the time when traveling by freeway, and comparing a gimmick like 3D TV to something that people actually use everyday like CarPlay/AA is a poor comparison. The lack of CarPlay/AA in Mazda vehicles is without a doubt costing them potential sales. We've seen it in several threads here from people asking when/if it's going to come, with one poster(in this very thread) even saying the lack of this important feature is a deal breaker.

It's exactly the same. It's NEW TECHNOLOGY. People don't watch TV every day?

And yes I believe it is relevant that I know no one that really cares. Some enthusiasts do. Some enthusiasts always will.
Yes, a few lost sales.
Out of 1,000s...

7eregrine said:

It's exactly the same. It's NEW TECHNOLOGY. People don't watch TV every day?

Click to expand...

3DTV is new technology that no one uses because it's a gimmick. It was something created by TV companies because they had the technology to implement it, not because they were trying to fill some void in TV sets. Kind of like some how Samsung includes all of these gimmicky type features in their phones, because they can and have the tech to do it, not because people want it.

CarPlay/AA is new technology that was created to replace the old/slow/outdated NAV systems that auto companies use today. It's in millions of cars around the world and many people that have Google/Apple phones want this feature. The proof is in this very thread. There is a demand and need for it, unlike 3D TV's. In 10 years it's likely my NAV system will still be up-to-date, while yours will be several years old and outdated.

7eregrine said:

You stay out of this. LOL
I didn't say it WASN'T in demand. It's not AS IN DEMAND as many of you make it out to be.
Do you use it every time in your car Mango?

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I fully agree with mango on this (what?!?!)... I know you're pretty convinced it's nothing, but you need to understand that there IS demand for it. Most reviews highlighted its absence. Check out the twitter feed for Jacob (the mazda PR guy)... he's fielding many questions about it from people who found his name in an article. It may not be a mainstream feature (yet), but you can't argue that it's not in demand in general.

mangoconchile said:

CarPlay/AA is ABSOLUTELY in demand. Just because you or your circle of friends/family doesn't use it doesn't mean the rest of the world doesn't want/need it. It's worth it for the live traffic updates alone IMO...

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For once I actually agree with you Mango.

I, like 7, drive to escape technology and other things. I enjoy the simpler things while driving. Me, radio playing good music, and the open road. While I don't really use my phone in the car, and very rarely use maps, unless I really don't know where I am going, that doesn't change that there is clearly a market for CP/AA. Hell even just on this forum, look at how many threads there are over it and how long they are.

There certainly is demand. No question. I question how much, is all. Some folks make it sound like 80% of car buyers want this. I say it's more like 15%-20% at best. Of course it seems like everyone here wants it. Its an enthusiast forum. But how many normal people care?

That's right. I just called you all abnormal

How long until they simply put a tablet docking station in? Everything on a simple touch screen, no head unit or anything. I think it would be a cheaper alternative.

Till then, I'm good with what comes with it.


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What's silly about all this is that they can add it and it won't detract from those that don't want/need it. There really is no excuse for Mazda not to do it. It benefits some, and doesn't matter to others. There's no downside to any of their customers by bringing this feature.

I had an email conversation with Jacob and I believe him that it's coming. They're just being cautious with advertising it until they get everything lined up for the launch. Doesn't matter... I bought it knowing it might not come and I'd be happy either way still. It's like buying an ice cream cone, then having a chance at a second bonus scoop of ice cream... yes please!