Help needed with Car Play and Google maps/Earth and maybe Audi Connect...

[Jet Jockey]

Things you must know before we start…
This is a Canadian car, so no Audi Connect!

Audi Canada announced less than a month after I took delivery of my car that they were going to offer Audi Connect to Canada but on a “limited basis” not the full blown service available in the USA (I don’t know what this means). Also apparently early B9s owners (like mine), will not be able to get their cars retrofitted to receive the service.

QUESTIONS:

Do you need Audi Connect to have Google Maps/Earth displayed on the MMI screen or Virtual dash?

In other words people not paying for the Audi Connect service, can you get Google earth displayed on your virtual dash?

If Audi Connect is NOT required to receive and see Google Earth (with traffic display) on the virtual dash, how do you get it to work with an iPhone?

My understanding is Car Play with an iPhone wants you to use Apple maps but we all know this is shitty compared to Google and several other providers.

I downloaded on my iPhone Google Maps and I can program it to show me a route and get directions to and from points, even apply the Google Earth but all I get in my car once plugged into the car and Car Play working is the audio info, no visual map or Google Earth display on the MMI screen. I was told this should be possible even in Canada but not available to be displayed on the virtual dash!

That’s why I’m curious about the relationship between car play, and iPhone and Google maps/Earth.

Can anyone shed some light on this to me? I’m also wondering if the fact we can’t see it on the virtual dash is because in Canada perhaps there is an electronic module missing in the car that generates or allows communication between the different hardware.

Hopefully someone knowledgeable can help me out.

TIA

[Comp4k]

Audi connect is required for Google Earth/Maps.

Car Play only works with Apple Maps at this time (built in iOS app)

Android Auto will get you Google maps, but it looks all fuzzy so I never Android Auto.

[dbuxton13]

So... you can't even load the basic map function with freely available gps onto the virtual cockpit... without Audi Connect? Is that really the case? Meaning all these people buying the VC expecting the widely publicized and advertised 12" wide awesome map function are in for a surprise, eh? This is just super lame.

[Jet Jockey]

So... you can't even load the basic map function with freely available gps onto the virtual cockpit... without Audi Connect? Is that really the case? Meaning all these people buying the VC expecting the widely publicized and advertised 12" wide awesome map function are in for a surprise, eh? This is just super lame.

Super, super fvcken lame if you ask me!

So after reading more on Car Play and it's use with an iPhone (pos) it seems it is also a problem with other car manufacturers. Apple wants you to use their map app, Apple Maps only and will not allow you or support the use of the video portion (map/satellite display) from Google or Waze map but only the audio portion of the directions which is something I don't want.

Until Apple decides to allow support of other MAP APPS in their IOS for Car Play, we are screwed, no Google Maps/Earth or Waze possible for viewing on the MMI screen.

As for Audi Connect, I think because it was not available in Canadian cars at first, I think we are screwed again, thanks Audi! Without it there is no transfer of information (communication) between the car's electronic modules and so no Google Earth in the VC.

In the glove box where the DVD is located, there are two slots for SD cards and one for a SIM card. I'm told in cars without Audi Connect that this SIM slot is useless, non functional and furthermore that this DVD unit is where apparently a special built in chip from the factory is located to allow Audi Connect to transfer info/data from the MMI to the VC for Google Earth... I am not 100% sure about this info but it would be nice if someone in the USA with Car Play and Audi Connect could find out.

[phanatic]

Audi connect is required for Google Earth/Maps.

Car Play only works with Apple Maps at this time (built in iOS app)

Android Auto will get you Google maps, but it looks all fuzzy so I never Android Auto.

Can anyone elaborate on Android auto/google maps being fuzzy. I'm planning on skipping the tech package and heavily using google maps via android auto. I tested it a bit on the dealer lot and never noticed it being all that fuzzy.

[bakedziti]

Until Apple decides to allow support of other MAP APPS in their IOS for Car Play, we are screwed, no Google Maps/Earth or Waze possible for viewing on the MMI screen.

Yeah, good luck with that one. iPhones still can't use BT OBDII dongles, so it has to be a wifi version; you still can't delete radio stations in Apple Music; etc; etc...so you'll be holding your hand on your ass for a while before they relinquish the exclusivity of Car Play using Apple Maps over a third parties'.

[Jet Jockey]

Another update...

So this morning I decided to use Apple Maps with Car Play to see what all the fuss is about and because it was a short run to the school I couldn't really evaluate it against the regular Audi maps option... However it worked but I need to compare it further against at least Google Maps.

What a total disappointment so far with Car Play and IMHO it is useless.

There is nothing I cannot do with the car's system with any phone with Blue Tooth that Car Play will do... Why bother with Car Play?

[JohnEnglish]

Another update...
There is nothing I cannot do with the car's system with any phone with Blue Tooth that Car Play will do... Why bother with Car Play?

I love car play for the phone, message and spotify integration.

[cory_can]

I'm currently negotiating a ' 17 q7 and I'm not sure if I should choose the Audi Connect option. I would hate to skip it now (since the "current " Canadian feature set is pretty useless to me) for them to enable the proper online content in the future.

[JavikoA4]

Apple carplay gives you Apple maps, Android gives you Google maps... IMO i dont mind using Apple maps, i rarely use it on my phone but in the car i have use it and works really well. Android auto is still fixing it to work better with the car. At the beginning it would not go full screen on the cars with navigation. Now it does but its not full HD.

Maps wil continue to work with VC even after Audi connect runs out (6 month trial). It just wont show you the Google earth view for maps. just the regular standard view. (which i dont mind). The price you have to pay to ATT for PRIME features is way to elevated imo. I rarely use the app to track the car and see car info, so i wont be paying after the 6 months.