voip1

http://www.benzinsider.com/2015/06/2...-with-carplay/

Looks like A class will get Carplay in September but the C class will probably not get it until 2017 model run.

GM, Hyundai and Volvo will get it this year, so... yeah.

ManiacGT

Not bothered at all. CarPlay is massively overrated and only of interest to the iBrigade.

voip1

Have you used it? It's not overrated at all. It works very well and is a great augment for those of us with iPhones, which is pretty much 70% of those who can afford a new C-class in the first place.

ManiacGT

I've had the pleasure of using it on a test bed. I think it looks very basic and its function is also quite basic. It offered nothing to me that I can't do already either with COMAND or the phone. I really don't see what all the fuss is about.

voip1

So you can pick up your phone and do the same thing? That's not even legal in numerous places not to mention not safe.

What it can do that is extremely useful to mobile professionals like me is allow me to quickly respond to a new text message without taking my eyes off of the road.

Even on the BMW you can hold down the voice button on the steering wheel for three seconds to activate Siri... Mercedes doesn't even offer that.

The real advantage of Carplay is the extensibility. With the systems we get in these cars today you are locked into the application set that the manufacturer provides for the life of the car in nearly all cases. Carplay and Google Auto allow new apps and capabilities to be added to the system by way of updates to mobile devices YEARS after the car is "outdated".

All I can say is that a lot of people fart and say "big deal" about these technologies.... give them a year or two after they come out and the same people will be telling us how indispensable they are.

ManiacGT

Wow lol this is a big thing for you clearly. Not for me however.

voip1

It's going to be a big thing for everyone... most people just don't understand the advantages yet.

There's a reason that nearly every automaker will have product this year or next year that includes it.

If it was as 'meh' as you insist the automakers would simply decline and not give over any control of the car infotainment experience to Google or Apple.

What's annoying for me personally is getting a new 3 year lease on a vehicle and knowing I'm missing the biggest leap in vehicle infotainment by a matter of 6-12 months.

You clearly don't give a crap so one must wonder why you felt the need to crap in this thread.

gnus

Where do you get your 70% statistic from?

BlankProc

Whatever it is would be a big improvement over the touch interface they have now.

I drove a W205 loaner for a day and the touch interface was absolutely terrible. Unacceptable delay- just used the wheel. If you have a crutch, it's not innovation.

BlackjackM

Meh. Not a big deal to me.

voip1

Mercedes made a comment along those lines (that something like 70% of their north american customers used iPhones) when they announced 2-3 years ago their logic for moving towards using Apple in the dash of their cars. I'm sure you can dig up a source that cites it.

Also, on average, users of iPhones tend to be more affluent than those who are using Android devices. One reason of course for this is that there are a ton of cheap throw-away devices out there that run Android where-as iPhones cost actual money (the nearly 3 year old iPhone 5 I let our au pair use is still worth about $250).

Vihzel

I really hope Apple improves the look of the interface because it looks incredibly drab and not as functional compared to Android Auto.

gnus

Interesting note about mobile demographics. On this topic, could care less about carplay.

ManiacGT

This is my favourite post today.

Why?

Because the c class doesn't have a touch display.

TROLL?

LateC300

Carplay would/could have been a giant plus for a lot of us (me). Was really looking forward to it.

I too am bummed, however the stock interface is not terrible, it's just not the seamless transition from phone-to-car that Carplay promises.

The new MB Command is still better than almost every interface in the automotive market, no complaints here

ManiacGT

Personally I find iDrive (BMW) far more intuitive. The COMAND interface requires far too many clicks to get to some features. Plus things like music search are just dire. Having to do a completely new search each time rather than just being able to step back is a total pain for me.

Even my 6 year old iDrive is more intuitive than COMAND IMHO. But, I have both and will just have to put up with it.

LateC300

Definitely subjective, I couldn't stand the '06 iDrive in the 3 series. But yea, no Carplay just means less distractions for me when driving

cidtek

He didn't day display ... he said interface like that mouse thing.

hummerhealey

Wow, there are stil people who are smart enough to buy a C-class and still think you choose an android Phone because you can't afford an iPhone

Car play doesn't mirror the iPhones screen. And some people are disappointed by that. Car play instead extends the iPhone screen for a selected number of apps. In this way the apps are optimized for the use in a car. Google takes this route as well btw with Android Auto.

ManiacGT

Because you're making a massive thing out of a tiny little first world issue.

floridadriver

I would bet it never gets carplay until BMW and Audi are into the game deeply.

IMO Comand is too much a revenue center for them and too over engineered to integrate well, and Apple isn't the nicest company to play with either, they have the similar "My way, or the highway".

I'd be all over car companies getting out of the game of trying to have their own operating system, and basically make the screen in the car a 'slave' off the smart phones. Would be harder to charge $2800 + map update plans + MBEmbrace Apps for that though.

hummerhealey

Well it explains the unacceptable delay

voip1

By that yardstick everything in the W205 forum is a "tiny little first world issue"

voip1

You clearly didn't read the linked article in the 1st post, it is coming to the A class redesign in September.

voip1

He's referring to the touch "thingy" that hovers over the jog shuttle.

Duh.