1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

2020 Prius Prime - "Android Auto" ?

Discussion in 'Prime Audio, Electronics, and Infotainment' started by GKL, Aug 1, 2019.

Tags:
  1. GKL

    GKL Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2019
    510
    251
    3
    Location:
    South Carolina
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XLE
    2020 Prius Prime XLE is a car we would want to get, the biggest drawback is the current lack of "Android Auto", are there plans to update the 2020 Prius Prime XLE with "Android Auto" soon and could it be as simple as a software/firmware upgrade that could be done when available even after the car was purchased ?

    I have read there are MANY other potential buyers of the Prius Prime that say not having "Android Auto" could cause them to buy another make of car, so I really hope Toyota plans to make the "Android Auto" available on the Prius Prime soon as it could really increase their sales !

    In the meantime, even though I think an android phone will connect with the Prius Prime I think it will not have full functions like it would with "Android Auto", anyone know what functions NOT having "Android Auto" would cause you not to have if you use an android phone ?
     
    ph43drus likes this.
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    not that i have read.

    as i understand it, with CarPlay or android auto, your phone is basically emulated on the screen.

    without them, you are integrating with entune, which is a nightmare, but does allow phone calls, music and a few other basic services.

    toyota may be working on a deal for android, and like CarPlay, it might show up at some point. i wouldn't buy a car hoping it could be retrofitted if i had to have it.
    but you can always change the h/u, not sure with the prime massive screen.
     
    GKL likes this.
  3. GKL

    GKL Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2019
    510
    251
    3
    Location:
    South Carolina
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XLE
    Thanks for the reply, We got a new Kia Soul in 2015 and used windows phones till recently, and now using android phones, and with either windows phones or android phones we are able to not only take and make phone calls thru the Kia Soul's car radio speakers, if someone sends us a text the car computer reads us the text thru the radio speakers, asks us if we want to reply and we can speak the reply and it will send a text reply.

    Those are the main features we want to have available as far as android phone connectivity with the 2020 Prius Prime, should those be available even without "Android Auto" ?

    We also use a "talking GPS" app on our phone which will tell us when to turn, ect. thru the car radio speakers when we enter a destination we are not familiar with, but I think the 2020 Prius Prime has such a navigation feature built in so I guess a separate phone app would not be necessary.

    As far as music, we use SiriusXM and on the 2020 Prius Prime will have "Alexa" built in, and since we have an Amazon Prime account with music in our library I guess we could ask Alexa to play any of the songs we have available.

    As far as Toyota working on a deal for Android, would they need to work out a deal for each specific model ?

    The reason I ask is because "Android Auto" is already available on some Toyota models as per the Android web site "Android Auto for Toyota".

    (I was not able to post actual links as you need at least 4 posts to post URL links, so you'll need to do a search to find those pages)

    if a separate deal on each model is not necessary, then why not go ahead on put it on the rest of their models ?

    I just did a search and found an article that would seem to indicate Toyota would be able to simply develop a software update to retrofit "Android Auto" at a later date to cars that did not yet have it. (if they can do that with Apple CarPlay, then why not "Android Auto" ?)

    Here is a quote from an article from torquenews:

    "Toyota listened to your suggestions and began adding Apple CarPlay to its most popular vehicles, including 2019 Avalon, Corolla Hatchback, Camry and RAV4. They even developed a software update to retrofit 2018 Camry and Sienna models with CarPlay."

    anyhow, as much as I would like "Android Auto" at some point in case it might make additional features available that we might use, for now as long as we can make and receive calls thru the radio speakers, and hear texts read to us thru the radio speakers and be able to reply by voice, and be able to use the built in navigation system where it would tell you when to turn thru the radio speakers, then I could put up with not having "Android Auto" right away.
     
  4. Max H.

    Max H. New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2019
    1
    0
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XLE
    I've been looking at options and prices on the 2020 Prius Prime XLE or Limited, but I can't see buying it without Android Auto. (The XLE seems to have all the options I want if I add the optional heads up display.) I probably won't be ready to buy until next spring or summer, so I hope they have an update by then, or I'll probably look at a Chevy Bolt or Nissan Leaf.
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    they're starting to add android to other models, so patience is a virtue
     
  6. snarfo67

    snarfo67 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2014
    19
    10
    1
    Location:
    Muscatine, Iowa
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    I'm neither patient nor virtuous so I pulled the trigger and bought a Prime Limited. I'm still hoping that Android Auto gets added at some point but if it doesn't there are enough workarounds that I can live with it... barely. I was going to keep my old 2010 Prius IV and change out the head unit with one that has Android Auto, but I balked at spending that much money on a 9-year-old car. It made so much more sense to buy a new car instead LOL
     
  7. ems2158

    ems2158 Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2012
    221
    162
    0
    Location:
    Bucks County, PA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    I would prefer to have the phone mirrored to the large screen with Android Auto but since most new phones have a 6" screen, I manage quite well with the phone only. I have given up on the terrible Toyota nav system and only use the screen for the occasional hvac adjustment. It's frustrating to have this giant 11" screen and not use it for anything but I got tired of dealing with it.
    I use a magnetic mount on the left vent next to the 11" screen. My phone is no lightweight but it has never fallen off and is easy to see with less glare than the 11" screen. I suppose that would vary depending on your phone.
     
    bisco likes this.
  8. noonm

    noonm Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2019
    575
    595
    0
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Toyota was stupid for trying to make their own car apps rather than just integrate with everyone's phones.

    However, I've never understood the logic of the infotainment system being a serious factor in buying a car. You can pretty much get 90% of same functionality with a phone/tablet + car mount. Personally, I prefer cars that get the core functions of a car right rather than ones with fancy accessories.
     
    Steph1972 and ems2158 like this.
  9. ems2158

    ems2158 Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2012
    221
    162
    0
    Location:
    Bucks County, PA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    The manufacturers should give up on trying to integrate infotainment into the cars. They almost never get it right and even if they do it will be obsolete in a couple of years; long before the useful life of the car is over. I upgrade my phone every two years to get current features, better performance and battery life; not my car.

    The auto manufacturers figured how to build multiple universal cup holders. They need to build a good universal phone mount into the car and forget about chasing the infotainment phantom. They probably will never abandon the infotainment options. Can't charge thousands of dollars for a built in phone mount.
     
    mathewjg and bisco like this.
  10. noonm

    noonm Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2019
    575
    595
    0
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Agree.

    But there are a few things that should probably stay with the auto manufacturer, such as security items (door lock/unlock, remote start, for PHEVs/BEVs the ability to remotely control charging, etc).
     
  11. Old Bear

    Old Bear Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2017
    712
    1,048
    20
    Location:
    Boston, Massachusetts USA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    I think that was the idea behind the Entune app suite, mediocre that it may have been.

    And for that reason, it might make more sense for that nicely located big screen built into the car to be integrated with a suite of phone apps specific to the car and which could be upgraded. The car maker could even license an API to 3rd-party software manufacturers for non-safety related functions.

    Tesla seems to have no problem upgrading their cars' software. So I suspect it is just the legacy car makers not being able to figure out the marketing implications of having a component of a car which gets updated within the useful life of the automobile. Possibly they're thinking about it as if it were replacing the tail lights on your 2015 model with 2020 versions.
     
  12. ph43drus

    ph43drus Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2008
    45
    8
    0
    Location:
    Left of Center
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I can say that I'm seriously considering a non-Prius for the first time in 12 years due to the lack of Android Auto support. I'd really like to get a Prius Prime as my next car, but unless they add Android Auto by spring when I'll be buying, I'll most likely go for a Honda Insight.

    Entune is sufficiently useless that I've just deleted the app from my phone after a brief trial on my last 2 Priuses. I don't use any of the supported apps, and none of my heavy use apps are supported. And that big screen on the Prime would only annoy me, if it couldn't display Google Maps.
     
  13. mathewjg

    mathewjg Member

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2012
    83
    48
    0
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I rented a mitsubishi for a while and running the Waze satnav app via Android auto really did enhance the driving experience. The rubbish sat nav on my 2nd gen Prius really cannot compare and the cost of updating the maps is criminal. Android auto also reads (speaks) text messages and allows you to reply by converting your voice to text. The latest version does not need to be connected via usb but knowing Toyota, I bet their brand new version (when it arrives) will be the usb version. Having said that...the latest version of Google allows all that to happen just on your phone without connecting to the car. It's still a bit of a pain mounting the phone where the screen can be seen and I would prefer to use the bigger care screen

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  14. Tha_Ape

    Tha_Ape Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2019
    271
    161
    0
    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    Will android auto/ apple car play allow for remote control of the climate system?

    It's starting to get cold and I'm looking forward to preheating/ defrosting my car.
     
  15. Nuclear_Charged

    Nuclear_Charged New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2019
    20
    14
    0
    Location:
    Ontario
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Upgrade
    yes i think the climate control stays in the lower portion of the screen, and car play the upper

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  16. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I think question asked was "Remote Climate Control", which I believe is not possible with Android Auto.

    AFAIK, No, they won't. Nither Android Auto nor Apple Car play has any way to communicate with car's climate control even while wired to the car when driving. Remotely, when unplugged, it has no connection to the car at all.
     
    #16 Salamander_King, Dec 23, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 23, 2019
    Nuclear_Charged and Tha_Ape like this.
  17. Nuclear_Charged

    Nuclear_Charged New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2019
    20
    14
    0
    Location:
    Ontario
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Upgrade
    yes indeed , after rereading the post i stand corrected.

    i just hope toyota gives us the android auto , i can live without the rest
     
    Salamander_King likes this.
  18. eveyo

    eveyo Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2019
    85
    10
    0
    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    will there be some sort of update for Android auto? I see that the 2021 model will. Will this be available for 2019 primes?
     
    GKL likes this.
  19. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I doubt it will be available for your model. The 2021 Prius Prime with Android Auto is only for LE model with a smaller 7" display. If Toyota can't figure out how to install AA in the 2021 PP XLE and Limited with 11.6" display, I doubt they can retrofit previous models with the same 11.6" display.
     
    GKL likes this.
  20. eveyo

    eveyo Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2019
    85
    10
    0
    Location:
    California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    man that sucks. seems like it could be a simple software update
     
    GKL likes this.