Thoughts on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Integration Limitations on 8V Cars

[YegorS]

I know many complain about not having the Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto on our cars and many hoping that it will eventually be available as a software update for the current owners.

I think it won't happen and here is why.

If you watch how the Apple CarPlay functions on the new Q7, the answer will be clear: Our MMI system doesn't comply to the functional structure of Audi's integration of the CarPlay and Google Android Auto. The Q7 video is available on my.audi.com. I couldn't find a YouTube video to embed, please post if you find.

The new MMI scroll-wheel on Q7 also functions as an Up-and-Down and Left-and-Right navigation button and with the fact that the display doesn't have touch feature, the latter is the only input source when using CarPlay or Android Auto. Our cars don't have neither the multifunction scroll-wheel nor a touch screen display, hence we won't see any possibility to upgrade our MMI systems in the future with CarPlay or Android Auto.

For VW developers it was definitely easier to implement the feature, as the Golf's display is touch-screen, where the Audi's system is the limitation in that sense.

The only possibility could be if the Audi engineers decide to utilize the four soft buttons around the MMI scroll-wheel in our cars. I imagine the top left and right buttons can function as Left and Right navigation, then the lower left as Up and lower right button as Down, for instance.

I personally like the Q7 integration as the best in the market, as I think a touch-screen display is a really bad idea in any car.

[gaogi]

Remember, the knob is also a touch pad. Perhaps the touchpad can be used for up/down/left/right scrolling. I don't think we should be limited by hardware.


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[YegorS]

Remember, the knob is also a touch pad. Perhaps the touchpad can be used for up/down/left/right scrolling. I don't think we should be limited by hardware.

That's actually true, I didn't think about that option. In case of any conflict when inputing text, two-finger swap will be a perfect solution.

[tekkie]

There is no chance audi is going to give us carplay even if it could do it

[gaogi]

Take it with a grain of salt, since I'm going to start with the infamous "my sales guy told me" that the MMI in our cars in completely contained within that little DVD drive in the glove box. If they do update the system, it could be as easy as buying a new MMI unit and swapping it out.


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[damdeez]

As a UI Engineer experienced with Apple and User Experience, I don't think CarPlay will ever be available with the MMI systems in the current S3's. Carplay was designed by Apple to integrate into touch screen hardware or touch pad's such as on the new Q7. From a UX standpoint, it just wouldn't make sense to add it to the current S3 MMI system with a tiny touch area on the wheel pad, and I think Audi knows that.

[MkUrMark]

Germans are still behind the 8 ball when it comes to user friendly tech stuff.

[K|G]

In the new Q7 you only scroll by twisting the scroll wheel and clicking it. You don't use the touchpad part at all to navigate CarPlay.


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