The eternal pattern of the industry is that a automanufacturer has negative interest in remaining interested in an infotainment system in a car they sold several years ago and retrofit makers provide less specifically integrated systems that win overall because developments in everything else amounts to more than the integration.
You can use almost any app, not just apps that Tesla have deemed worthy (or removed due to childish feuds, like Disney+). Podcast apps, music streaming apps, etc...
IIRC Tesla has Disney+ too, an if it doesn't, you have a Chromium browser. Of course you can't use it while driving, but passengers on the back sit should be able to use the streaming services even when the car is moving.
For podcast apps, IIRC Apple Music and for sure Spotify are supported. Still not convinced that Android Auto / CarPlay is superior, sorry.
Even if Disney+ has been restored for everyone (I don't know if it has), any app could be removed by a manchild for any reason and that's unacceptable: https://apple.news/A8If_BNgyS-mqPcq25GK-Rw
I use neither Apple Music nor Spotify and I'm not alone.
Well I have some audiobooks downloaded to my phone. The progress is saved on my phone, and because they're downloaded I don't need cell service to listen to them. I just did a 3000 km road trip with intermittent cell service, using an app on my phone via Android Auto to play my audiobook files, and was able to easily transition to hotel rooms with speakers, and different vehicles, and continue the books where they'd been paused.
When I plug in my iPhone, the Maps is integrated with my Calendar. For example if my Calendar entries have a Location, I can simply tap on it to navigate there.
It's not, it's just superior to what Nissan had before integrating apple carplay/android auto. It's so much nicer being able to interact with both my actual car and my phone through the screen, instead of just playing with my phone on a larger screen.
Oh yes, I'm sure it's far superior than most, if not all, standard car infotainment systems (that are known to be laggy and their UIs look like they've been built in 2008).
At least CarPlay is pretty disappointing compared to Tesla's native functionality. The "apps" are all very trivial, mostly reduced to playback control or simple selections.
Not a Tesla owner, but I've driven it enough to appreciate.
Just one point of view- but I have used both a decent amount and I drastically prefer CarPlay.
The native apps are … fine?
Again, it’s just my particular perspective, but I really appreciate that any CarPlay vehicle has the exact apps that I set up on my phone, already configured, etc.
There’s nothing Tesla could ever really do to compete with the convenience of already having all of my accounts set up and already having exactly the apps installed that I know I want.
CarPlay and Android Auto are an insurance policy against any kind of inferior infotainment experience your automaker might provide.
If I’m buying a car I need to know that it’ll meet my needs for 10 years or longer.
If a car has CarPlay/Android Auto I know that my infotainment will evolve with the times and that nothing my automaker does can negatively impact my experience. A new phone will resolve any performance or functionality complaints I have with the system.
For one thing, I’ll point out that many Tesla (or GM) features depend on premium connectivity packages where I’m buying a cellular data package twice for no reason.
For another thing, I’ll point out that smartphone operating systems have a much better privacy policy than car operating systems.
I would much rather my car have a “dumb” CarPlay capable screen than a full blown cellular data-enabled operating system that’s tracking me and sending information to my insurance company.
And let’s not forget that CarPlay/Android Auto can integrate so much better with your life on your phone than a system like Tesla, including texts and calls including alternative calling systems like Signal, Zoom, etc. List out every Spotify competitor and see if they have a Tesla native app or not, because a lot of them don’t or only got one recently (like YouTube music).
If we want some non-scientific evidence for how much consumers want CarPlay, just look at how the Honda Prologue is outselling the Chevy Equinox EV despite being essentially the same car.
> At least CarPlay is pretty disappointing compared to Tesla's native functionality. The "apps" are all very trivial, mostly reduced to playback control or simple selections.
Huh? What Tesla phone integrations would you characterize differently than "playback control or simple selections"? And what makes them moreso?
