Android Auto is very underwhelming. I don't even bother, since it requires you to plug in your phone via USB. After having a wireless charger in the car and at home, I never want to have to mess with a cord again.
Wireless android auto/carplay are shipping on certain luxury vehicles as well now, I look forward to that feature moving downmarket.
It was very pricey but I got a ProClip mount for my phone. Phone slots right in, automatically starts charging and Android Auto loads right up.
AA/Carplay will win in the long term, simply due to the fact that there's a larger market and app makers can publish their own apps. In other words, I can use Pocket Casts in my Chevy Volt, but need to use a phone screen + bluetooth audio in my Tesla.
That's funny, I didn't realize Android Auto wouldn't work in a Tesla, and now I am very hesitant to buy one. It works perfectly on my wife's car, I can use whatever apps I want (eg. PocketCasts, Spotify, Plex) and the integration with the other aspects of the car is seamless. Teslas are just now getting Spotify?!?! That's exactly the sort of thing I would expect with an in-house system, and exactly why I would want to avoid it. What about navigation? Are you beholden to whatever Tesla provides, or can you use Waze and Google Maps if you want?
I guess I would end up using my phone over Bluetooth, negating much of the benefit the large touchscreen in the Tesla provides, ending up fiddling with my phone to change songs etc.
People are going to point out the privacy issues inherent in using Android, and I understand the complaint, but Google already knows my speed and location at all times anyway just by virtue of having my phone on me. I don't think Android Auto would have any interaction with the cameras or sensors, since most other cars do not have them, but perhaps others can speak to this.
Regardless, this has really diminished my interest in getting a Tesla.
No it's Google Maps for both navigation directions and map data. There are some features from the Android google maps app not supported on the Tesla, but otherwise it's the same.
That would be false. They might have moved to osm recently, but Tesla’s basemap has been TomTom since ‘17. Google data might have been used for POI, but never for basemap or navigation.
It’s actually a perfectly fine reason to rule out a car. Some people prioritize the niceties of a car over other features. At this point any car without CarPlay (or a replaceable heady it) is a non-starter for me as well. To each their own.
I have a long commute, the only thing that makes it bearable is choosing the content I listen to. The app makes a difference here - PocketCasts and Spotify have features that others don't - so I do want to use their native interfaces. The apps I use in the car have great Android Auto interfaces which simplify content selection. Using Android Auto also integrates with the other features on the phone, such as phone calls, calendar reminders, "OK Google", and maps. This essentially defines my entire driving experience at the moment.
If Tesla's interface doesn't support an app that I want to use (eg. Spotify) then I would have to resort to using the phone over Bluetooth. I wouldn't just say "oh well, I spent $50k on this car but it doesn't support PocketCasts so I guess I'll listen to something else for the next hour" every day. This makes the big touchscreen rather useless, and is going to be more dangerous than my current car because I will be fiddling with the phone.
Maybe I'll just get a big suction cup and mount my phone right on top of the touchscreen, using Android Auto on the phone itself over Bluetooth.
There are people talking about how being able to watch Netflix, integrate Spotify into their Tesla make it a "joyous" experience to own, and that's valid, but saying that "lack of Apple CarPlay" is a negative against the car is a "bad" opinion?
Sure they support it. But you have to have a head unit that supports it. Only BMW/Mini and Audi offers wireless CarPlay, and only aftermarket head units support Android.
