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this post was submitted on 04 Jan 2024
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oh wow! i doubt im going to use that feature because android auto is insufferable but that's still really neat!
I am curious why you think that? My reasons for liking it are the fact that it essentially just works, and gives me a consistent UI across multiple vehicles. What are your issues with it?
I'm just fundamentally against those tablets in cars. I've never seen a single good implementation of it. This first question I always have is... what can this do that my phone cant do easier, faster, and better? And 100% of the time I've had to ask this it has been nothing. I just use a phone grip on either my dashboard or my windshield and that accomplishes the same thing without having to use the massive, clunky, and usually dysfunctional tablet stuck on my console. Another enormous complaint is that most cars that work like this also remove aux/tape/cd and then BURY the bluetooth audio option underneath a bunch of finnicky android auto shit that has so many different problems all of which wouldn't exist in the first place if i could just set my phone in a clamp and plugged in the aux cable. The only benefit android consoles have i can tell it has is being big if you have bad eyesight.
If you're talking an Android tablet/headunit, separate from Android Auto, that makes sense... But Android Auto is essentially a simplified interface for specific apps installed on your phone, and is generally quicker and safer than using the phone interface. No one here is arguing for a separate android console interface, so I'm not sure we're talking about the same things. The whole point of Android Auto is to take a separate interface and OS out of the equation and to allow you to use your phone as the brain.
What don't you like about Android Auto? What alternative would you use to interface with a vehicle head unit if you didn't AA?
He's probably gonna reply aux cable lol
That's what I use (or Bluetooth) and I don't see how you can get more consistent.
Android Auto is the same screen on each vehicle and always in the center head unit area of each vehicle
When I drove multiple different vehicles for workas well as my personal the only consultant mount point was android Auto, all other phone locations changed and MANY were just ass to actually use my phone and the vehicles controls
You just plug your cable into the vehicles USB (if it supports AA it supports USB, Bluetooth was a recent addition) and your favorites apps/widgets are up on the head unit like always, no matter the vehicle
Though thats a fringe use case I guess
this is a phenomenal reason to disagree with me, i have no argument. if you use multiple vehicles on a regular basis through vehicle share or work, android auto sounds extremely useful. thanks for the reply
The main argument I have against just phone + bluetooth is that you have to unlock your screen, keep it on, and it's a smaller size. I have wireless android auto set up, along with a magsafe case+charger, so my routine is to get in the car, slap the phone on the charger, and everything just comes up on my head unit display. For me it is way more convenient than having to deal with my phone display, and the larger screen is also better for navigation.
I have yet to hear any real negative points against AA or CarPlay for that matter, mostly it comes down to preferences like yours rather than actual interface issues.
I vaguely remember one of my cars supporting AA and I disabled it because I saw no benefit. Either it's not very intuitive or the apps I prefer to use don't integrate with AA.
I am not sure how it could be much more intuitive, at least from a touch screen perspective. It's just a touch interface with an app drawer, nothing much more to it than that. However, if it wasn't a touch screen I could believe it not being very nice to use, as I have a friend that has an Audi that does CarPlay but the screen isn't touch, so he had to use physical buttons to use the interface. THAT is definitely not good.
As for the apps, I use Signal, WhatsApp, Messages, Spotify, YT Music, Waze, and Google Maps and they all support AA, so at least for my purposes it does what I need from a car apps interface standpoint.
Other than Maps I use none of the apps you mentioned. Guess I'm not their target market.
What apps were you hoping for it to support?
I use a phone holder... It has better viewing angel, don't require any connection (except bluetooth for audio) and even better, it don't cost a new head unit, both in price and in e-waste.
what baseless_discourse said. a windshield or dashboard mounted phone clamp. it is far cheaper, easier, and downright better, for myriad reasons. viewing angle is better, music playing is unspeakably easier, system resources are almost guaranteed to be better, software compatibility is better, etc.
I much prefer utilizing the head unit already installed in my car. Otherwise, before I did just use my phone.