Right? Same with CarPlay. It's relatively smooth but WTF can you do with it? Google Map, text via voice, music. Plus the GUI looks like it was made by Little Tikes.

 

Good, I was beginning to think I was the only one that wasn't willing to trade my first born child for the feature

 

We are in 2017 and everyone has either android or apple based phones. Smartphones have become almost a necessity these days. it no longer is a "luxury".

Google maps destroys any stock navi unit ever created in any car ever manufactured. simple as that. This is the sole reason i want smartphone connection.

even with a stock navi unit and stock audio system, i always end up using google maps and spotify for music. Google maps just so fast, accurate and much easier to use than the POS command navi system in my car.

These days luxury cars are all about the latest techs and features + the basic premium materials with premium fit and finish.

but how can you boast that your vehicle has the latest tech when in fact it doesn't even have a feature that is readily available in hyundai elantras?

Benz needs to keep up with the world.

 

What if MB don't want Apple carplay or Android Auto, in that meaning that you need your phone to be a third party that interact with the cars GUI...... But that they instead want to concentrate on making a genuine Android or Apple platform. It will wipe out the use of phones in cars because your own Google or iTunes account is all what your gonna need. With the option to connect wireless through a share option as Samsung Share or Airplay. The use of a simcard? Maybe, but that's mostly for security reason. But most cars have that option anyway.

 

I don't use Google Maps or the onboard navi. Generally if I need to get somewhere that I need navigation for I use Waze. I have a fixed mount for the IPhone and I use it for music so Waze will step in and dial the music down when it gives directions.

We do have CarPlay in my wife's Q7. Mostly what we use it for is amusement. When you get a text that contains emojis it verbalizes a description of the icon so we'll send a string of random icons and then listen to the car read back all of the descriptions.

"MEDIUM SKIN TONE MAN SMILING PILE OF POO PILE OF POO CACTUS FIRETRUCK RAINBOW...WOULD YOU LIKE TO REPLY?"

I think you'll ultimately see smartphone integration in all MBs since a lot of buyers want it.