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Apple + Toyota Partnership for Systems Integration

Discussion in 'Prius v Audio and Electronics' started by Saguache, Dec 24, 2014.

  1. Saguache

    Saguache Junior Member

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    I worked for a major Northwestern software concern for thirteen years and when I left that career path to make my own way as a writer I decided that I also wanted to leave that particular software environment. My wife, a long time apple user and software developer, has enjoyed their unparalleled quality so when it came time to choose I chose Apple.

    Our Prius v is the second hybrid we've owned from the company. The advances in the electronics and audio systems are nice, but it appears that Toyota on the whole isn't really keeping up with the rest of the world. The funny thing is that this is an area where they could offer so much with only minimal design tweaks from their existing platform. Right now it drives me nuts when I press the call button and I get the car's voice recognition software instead of Siri. Entune is a feature barren let down in my opinion and they should scrap it as soon as possible. What should be a value add piece of integration software appears to me little more than a kluge which somehow manages to crash.

    So I'm calling for these two companies, both leaders in their industry, to spend some time together. Seriously, I should be able to open my car with my phone, start it from my laptop, and play any and all music from the dash. As is evidenced by the caution screens that pop up every time I try to use the onboard navigation software Toyota has a lot to learn about usability.
     
    miscrms likes this.
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    me too, but toyota probably doesn't want to pay apple prices.
     
  3. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    Neither do I.

    JeffD
     
  4. Leon Speegle

    Leon Speegle New Member

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    Toyota is an Apple CarPlay partner. New models will come with it.
    I would very much like them to offer a system update for older models. This shouldn't be very much trouble at all... it would just be a software update.
    I would happily pay for it!
    (see Apple's website... backslash ios backslash carplay)
     
  5. KennyGS

    KennyGS Senior Member

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    Yes, I am also waiting for carplay.
     
  6. Leon Speegle

    Leon Speegle New Member

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    Eventually

    Hopefully

    :)
     
  7. irrational

    irrational Member

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    My take on the delay; Risk aversion.

    Apple is not a risk averse company, at least not Job's Apple. They placed innovation, and "the experience" ahead of things like worrying if the iPhone would cannibalize their iPod sales, or concerning themselves with how their competitors were (or were not) currently doing things.

    Toyota, on the other hand, is a very risk averse company. The original Prius being a remarkable exception, Toyota has valued quality and precision over efficiency (in the production cycle) over most other things. Part of this is due to the American car market. The "big three" tried several "new things" over the decades, with poor quality, and soiled consumer confidence in "new technology" in their cars.

    I (like you) think that Toyota and Apple are very closely aligned in several respects (e.g. quality, efficiency, and consumer satisfaction). However, knowing Apple's preference to control their eco-system, and auto manufactures preference to do the same, I do wonder how well CarPlay will go over.

    Toyota has to be making a killing off those over priced map updates for their navigation system ;)
     
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  8. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    Model year 2015 and 2016 vehicles that were supposed to be released with Apple CarPlay now say they will not be released with it (The new Volvo XC90 being just one). No reason is being given by the car companies so who knows what the heck is up with CarPlay right now...

    At least reports are claiming that once Volvo does release it for the XC90 later next year after vehicles are already on the road, it'll just be something the dealers can ad via an update and not a hardware addition to their system (which they call sensus connect). But these are reports only as Volvo still hasn't released anything official.

    My point is something is awry with all the hype that was once sold about CarPlay and these vehicles which should have had it (I think Hyundai was one with the new Sonata, bmw and Volvo) is not coming to fruition. So who knows when Toyota models may end up with it at this point.
     
  9. Saguache

    Saguache Junior Member

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    Have you bought any of those? Yeah, me neither. Even back when we owned a Gen 2 Prius, before mapping software was prevalent or particularly workable on smart phones, I never bought a map update for that car. That despite the fact that it might have been useful. These days, you buy some amazing navigation software when you buy a phone. Mapping updates and advanced features are freely available via the dedicated network connection your car should be using.

    I know that auto manufactures tend to run significantly behind the rest of the technology curve, but the business case for this sort of integration is obvious.
     
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  10. irrational

    irrational Member

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    This is one of the reasons I went with the Two, instead of the Three, as the navigation package wasn't worth it for me. Having maps on my phone, that are constantly updated for free seemed better than payingn an extra $1,500 to step up to the Three and have built in maps... Though, the smart key on the rear hatch would have been nice...
     
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  11. Saguache

    Saguache Junior Member

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    Smart key on the rear hatch is supposed to work on the three? Mine never has, one more thing to troubleshoot.
     
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  12. irrational

    irrational Member

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    Not to get too far OT, I have a liftback (not a "v"), so I'm not sure if the Three package is similar between the two vehicles.
     
  13. Yakoma

    Yakoma Active Member

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    Amen, brother. A POS
     
  14. jejb

    jejb Member

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    Nothing against Apple, but I think they'd be foolish to tie their system to what is globally a small player in the smartphone OS market. You'd think they want to partner with Android, given it's huge lead in market penetration. Best would be to integrate both so the customer could choose. I could see where only having one or the other would drive customers away that had the other platform.
     
  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i'd go with samsung, but they probably won't play nice with the korean's.
     
  16. Oskar

    Oskar Member

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    There are many reasons Apple will never partner with Android, but one of them is that Android has about a dozen different OSs in addition to the myriad of others adapted for budget phones/tablets. In other words Android is not consistent and as a result tends to be both buggy and prone to viruses, etc. Apple may not be as common, but it certainly is more stable and you are assured of having a decent amount of downward compatibility if necessary. I'm prejudiced toward Apple, but I would use a Microsoft product before Android.
     
  17. jejb

    jejb Member

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    I meant Toyota adopt Android. Of course Apple will never partner with Android.

    You are right about Android being a little harder to code to. It's more like Windows that way, with different versions and releases. And I understand Apple is easier to program to since they force updates on the users. I'm a programmer and have written apps for both. You get by a lot of that by just writing apps for the latest few releases of Android.

    But as a manufacturer, I'd pick the dominate platform with the growing market share to adopt first. Over 84% of the smartphones sold globally for 3Q14 had the Android OS. Only about 12% had iOS. And that just continues to get more lopsided. I'd be a pretty poor business decision to tie your wagon solely to Apple in that market, IMO.
    IDC: Smartphone OS Market Share 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2011
     
    #18 jejb, Dec 30, 2014
    Last edited: Dec 30, 2014
  18. Stevevee

    Stevevee Active Member

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    The nice thing is you don't have to be tied to anything, just make it carplay compatible. It will work with other systems as well. Apple is a huge player in the smartphone market, the high end market. Android has a ton of share in the ground floor and up. But you can have Carplay and Android compatible, you don't have to have a car system using one device. And it's IOS versus Android, the market includes phones and all IOS devices.

    I love how Apple rolled this one out, not making things exclusive.


    IDC, ummm yeah. Repeat, Carplay can be in a car in Addition to the other systems. One of the few things Blackberry did right. Ford is following this path now, after finally ditching the incredibly bad Microsoft system.
     
    #19 Stevevee, Dec 30, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 30, 2014
  19. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    I'm going to buy the CarPlay compatible Alpine this spring for my wife's Honda Fit.
    So I at least do not really care what OEM choices are made.