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Are there any unique benefits to carplay?

I couldn't find the appropriate community section for this question so I'm just posting it under iPhone since it's kind of related.


I'm hearing a lot about apple's new carplay. It sounds interesting, but I'm having trouble understanding the major benefits of it compared to just using your iPhone in your car. Right now I mount my iPhone and hook it up to my car stereo via USB. All my apps' (music, gps, Siri) audio comes out the car stereo and I'm able to talk to Siri through the car Bluetooth mic. (I could go completely wireless with all the audio via Bluetooth but I prefer the better sound quality of USB plus it charges.). The iPhone screen is easily viewable since it's docked near my vent and when necessary I can easily tap it. Plus all my apps are available (useful driving apps like cheap gas locators), not just the ones supported by carplay.


I see it's beneficial in that the icons on the car display would be bigger. But it's not that big a deal seeing stuff on my mounted iPhone. Plus if it's truly meant to be "eyes free" then that shouldn't matter so much anyway.


I don't think apple would spend so much time and energy on this if it wasn't for a huge benefit. What am I missing?

iPhone 4S, iOS 7.1

Posted on Mar 13, 2014 1:22 PM

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3 replies

Nov 4, 2016 9:57 AM in response to oregonjoe

For 10 months I've been running CarPlay in my 2016 Z51 Corvette. It does not work very well overall, and it is impossible to find anybody, anywhere, to take the problem seriously: There is no Apple support that I can find, and Chevy blames it all on Apple. In descending order of crucial CarPlay problems: (1) Maps runs very poorly, which goes beyond the inaccurate, TomTom data, which has been accurate only five out of 11 times since iOS 10. Directions frequently come too late, especially while driving on the highway and even with good 4G LTE service on Verizon. It's hard to tell whether it's a communication problem between the car, the app, and the phone, or a geolocation problem with the phone. I say that because sometimes Apple Maps shows the car on the Interstate, sometimes on the service road, sometimes on the wrong side of the highway, varying up to 100 yards. Geolocation may also be the problem behind the app telling me to U-turn on an Interstate when I'm going the correct direction. (2) The current music selection will never, ever show in the display on the Corvette, unless, for some odd reason, you enter the message app, then back out of the message app, and reenter the music app at which point the selection always shows. (3) In the music app not all your playlists will show in the scroll, and when you ask Siri to find the hidden playlist "she" cannot find them.


As far as I am concerned the problem with maps is the most significant, because you depend on usable and correct directions when you're driving. If Apple were responsible to its customers it would allow Google Maps to appear in CarPlay, but, for whatever reason – monetary, software compatibilit, pride, that has not happened.

Are there any unique benefits to carplay?

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