How Apple CarPlay works. Installing non-Apple apps
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2014 Consumer Electronics Show - a show often referred to as a gathering of geeks and nerds computer networks in khaki trousers, this year brought together a record number of automotive exhibitors.
And the world-famous Apple Corporation at this show showed that it is ready to take a fat piece of the pie in the field. The company at this show had a booth named " iOS in the car". And a new phrase " Apple CarPlay has become closely matched with some car manufacturers, and some models will already be released by the end of 2014.
Like many in-car communication systems, the whole idea of CarPlay is to let you do whatever is in your car without being distracted by the main action - driving. At the same time, the Siri application plays a key role in the system, which can execute commands under dictation and answer any questions, adapting individually to the style of your speech. But the main thing is that very soon we will find out how well it works, as soon as the equipment in cars appears on the streets of our city.
Demonstration of the CarPlay system in a Ferrari car at the Geneva Motor Show
The operation of the CarPlay system is quite simple - in general, like everything else that Apple undertakes. You take your iPhone 5, 5S, or 5C and connect it via a special Lightening connector to the car's interface. Voila! Your car now has almost all the features of your phone, just like you always wanted. However, the car's on-board computer doesn't do all the hard work that runs on your IOS; trust me, he has a lot of other - more important work - such as, after all, reading information from the car's numerous sensors in order to keep the ABS and ESP stable or making sure that your airbags are in working order so that at the right moment save your life... all while you're smashing boxes in Angry Birds with your birds, scrolling through (with your voice) your favorite band's playlist, or writing an important entry in Evernote. Your iPhone works with your car. This means that applications must be installed on your mobile phone in order to see them on the car interface in the console. CarPlay fully integrates the car and iPhone. It works natively with vehicle controls such as music and phone volume, so you don't have to waste time fiddling with your phone to make adjustments. It also works in conjunction with the touch screen on your car dashboard just like the display on your phone.
Connecting to CarPlay via iPhone
However, not all apps can run on CarPlay, at least not in their normal mode. At the same time, it is Apple that will dictate to you the final word about what will work and what will not. Indeed, the choice of application comes down mainly to . The idea behind CarPlay, and just about every other in-car entertainment and connectivity system, is to keep distractions to a minimum. At least that's what all tech manufacturers claim. In any case, it's highly unlikely that Apple can make the same Angry Birds or Doom game safe while you're driving. Music, navigation, and anything that can be controlled hands-free, or even with one hand, can take place because your hands and eyes need to be behind the wheel.
If you are an ardent fan of Siri and cannot imagine your life without her voice even for a second, CarPlay will turn your dreams into reality. Siri will speak to you directly from your car speakers surrounding you. She will look at the calendar and email and tell you about upcoming events and appointments while you're driving. It will read you SMS messages and allow you to dictate the answer to them.
Since its debut in Geneva, only a handful of pre-approved apps have been available on CarPlay. Siri, of course, has become the main one. In addition to Siri, some application (and, most likely, there will be several) will be available for listening to music.
But you are probably already wondering: "Where is the main application, so necessary on the road ?!", right? Yes, such an application will definitely be present with CarPlay, but according to preliminary data, it will not be Google Maps. The problem is that there is currently no way to link Google Maps to Siri to allow you to find your destination and get directions to it. You will have to use the "Apple" version of the maps - Apple Maps - in CarPlay, but you should like it. Although, however, since the early days of its existence, Apple Maps has improved quite a bit.
When Apple debuted CarPlay at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, the company confirmed that it was already working with a dozen automakers, including Ferrari, to buy a new car for itself, and you might even be presented with the option to choose the operating environment in which you already live in everyday life, and for the car you want to buy. And as long as the operating system lives on the phone and not on the car's hard drive, that makes a lot of sense.
With the constant updates of high-tech applications, there is no better time to explore them than today. The same applies to automotive equipment: software has long been a significant part of the modern automotive industry. The latest updates in the arsenal of automotive software in 2014, and, accordingly, the topics of our review today, are Google Android Auto and Apple Car Play.
Apple CarPlay
CarPlay is a young development of the world famous company Apple, the concept of which was first tested at the international presentation of WWDC last summer. Only at that time the system was called differently - iOS In The Car. Later, already at an open exhibition in 2014, it acquired its current name and was presented to a wide audience.
Like everything that comes out from under the Apple pipeline, CarPlay is the most unobtrusive, simple and easy-to-use system. Using CarPlay is almost the same as using an iPhone. The only difference is that access to the tools and functions of the phone is not in your hands, but on the display of your car. In fact, CarPlay turns the car into a huge iPhone. You can still make calls, choose a GPS route, send text messages and listen to your favorite music, but now it's much easier to do it while driving.
When you make a phone call, the sound is played through the car's audio system. In the system, absolutely everything from writing SMS messages to choosing a song in iTunes can be controlled by a human voice. Concerning GPS systems(the app is simply called "Maps" in CarPlay), it also listens to voice commands, plotting and annotating the shortest route to the desired location.
CarPlay uses Siri, Apple's ubiquitous digital assistant. It works from your car's controllers: buttons, knobs, dials and touch screens. All system applications have been formatted specifically for driving the system, so that the driver can perform all operations without actually taking his eyes off the road lane.
If you're already familiar with iOS and Apple products, you'll quickly intuitively understand how CarPlay works. To activate Siri, you just need to press the button on the steering wheel. If you have touch screen, select the app you want. It's the same with cars that are controlled by buttons: just press one of them to activate the system.
There is no doubt that the system will find its fans when it is installed on a wider variety of car brands. First of all, drivers will love how easy it is to use Apple Maps on the panel display. The application provides both standard functions, such as turn warning, mileage calculation, and its own features. For example, the system alerts you to places you might want to visit by checking addresses in your contact list, text messages, and calendar.
Especially for music lovers who gravitate towards music applications, a number of programs such as iHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher and Beats Music have been adapted for CarPlay.
In 2014, CarPlay is already showing its capabilities on new cars from Ferrari, Volvo, Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz. Of course, the system will also be available on a dozen other brands in the near future. Toyota, Peugeot, Nissan, BMW, Ford, Opel, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Citroën, KIA, Subaru, Suzuki and Chevrolet will be the first to adopt CarPlay into their models.
In addition, tech giant Apple is partnering with Pioneer and Alpine Electronics to make post-production CarPlay possible in any vehicle.
Google Android Auto
At the end of June, Google announced Android release Auto - an analogue of the CarPlay system for OS Android. Google's new 'tech lunge' is exactly the same system, but designed specifically for the operating system Android versions L and later OS. After Google bought out Android, another giant's new products information age are looked at in exactly the same way as Apple.
Designed for seamless operation, the driver only needs to connect their Android phone to the car's dash to operate this system. Voila! All your favorite apps important contacts and the messages are now right in front of you on the display, ready to go.
Unlike CarPlay, the brainchild Google Android Auto supports more applications. Starting with the most important listing, it is worth pointing out Google Maps, which act as a navigator with free voice control, current information about traffic jams, with the selection of the best route and with voice warnings. Of course, Android Auto supports many applications for listening to music for every taste: its "native" Google Play Music, Pandora Internet Radio, Songza and other popular apps for music lovers.
As in CarPlay, the main message in creating Android systems Auto is aimed at facilitating the work of the driver behind the wheel, at reducing the actions that hinder the freedom of driving, and, accordingly, at safety on the road. Therefore, Android Auto has the most simple and intuitive interface, controllers integrated into the steering wheel and, of course, a dynamic voice recognition system.
Android Auto, unlike the already released CarPlay, is still waiting for its release in the near future. According to Google, 25 new models from different brands will be equipped with the system very soon. The first cars with an interface from Android will be available for sale by the end current year. By latest information, Subaru, Volvo, Audi, Chrysler, Dodge and Chevrolet will be the first to use Android Auto in their new models.
Modern multimedia systems are based on an operating system, one such system is CarPlay from Apple. Consider the principle of operation, how the system works and methods for connecting smartphones.
The content of the article:
Cars are increasingly trying to equip modern technologies than more compact and more features can perform a multimedia system, the more it is valued. But if the system is not user-friendly, it has no future. The basis of any multimedia system is the operating system, depending on the order of the buyer, it can be iOS, Android or Microsoft. Consider the first operating system CarPlay by Apple.
Apple CarPlay operating system
Multimedia systems in a modern car are updated so often that it is very difficult to keep track of this. In 2014, at the Geneva auto show, for the first time, Apple introduced its iOS-based CarPlay system, and also announced partnerships with automakers such as Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Ferrari and others. As you can see, it's wide enough price range cars, which means that the use of the system will be considerable.
Three years have passed, and indeed, all modern car manufacturers have Apple's CarPlay-driven system in their arsenal. The advantages of using this system are its wide functionality and ease of use. Many users and fans of Apple technology will ask if there are the same functions in CarPlay as in iPhone smartphones. The answer is unequivocal, yes they are all there and even more.
The main purpose of CarPlay is to completely repeat the set of programs on your iPhone and make it as easy as possible to use the functions. Apple fans were most interested in the presence Siri apps, the answer was predictable, since such an application is available from CarPlay. By connecting your iPhone to the multimedia system, you get access to all smartphone functions, including calls and SMS.
CarPlay system device
The device of the CarPlay operating system in your car is not complicated enough. The system developed by Apple is quite well thought out and includes many functions. It allows the driver to control all possible functions of the car, while not looking up from driving.
As such, there is no standard for a specific front part, often it is a touch screen and some control buttons, this part will largely depend on the manufacturer and designers. The CarPlay operating system is already located behind the screen. The face of the system is in many ways reminiscent of the standard gadget interface from Apple. This is done in order to minimize the cost of finding the necessary applications.
Apple's CarPlay operating system is based on the development and base of iOS, which allows you to fully synchronize various gadgets of this company. As noted by many experts, this system will appeal to fans of Apple technology.
Different applications display different parameters and characteristics of your vehicle. Getting started will be from the list of application icons, and then by launching the application, you will receive the necessary data about the car. Thus, there will be no mess on the screen with various vehicle data. Another positive advantage of such a CarPlay system is that it works separately from on-board computer. While you are telling Siri what to text and to whom to send, your on-board computer reads and monitors data from a variety of various sensors throughout the car.
This division was beneficial and unloaded the on-board computer, giving it the function of controlling and driving the car, and the CarPlay system from Apple will now entertain the driver and passengers. As you can see, the engineers decided to simplify the system as much as possible and give the user the most necessary things, as well as the ability to control a smartphone.
Another advantage of such a CarPlay system is automatic update, originally provided for connecting to the Internet via Wi-Fi or mobile operator. As soon as the connection is established, the system will update the firmware, thereby adding new applications and functions to the machine. An example of such latest update has become an application that can bring to your iPhone image from cameras around the perimeter of the car or show the fuel level in the tank.
It would seem, at first glance, useless applications, but after trying it in action, you will immediately understand what the plus is. After all, you can set up not only within a certain radius, but also access via mobile communications.
Connecting your smartphone to CarPlay
Each owner of a car in which such a multimedia system is installed wondered: how to connect a smartphone and how to set it up correctly. Progress does not stand still, and the newer the technology, the more convenient it is to use.
The first multimedia systems required a lot of manipulations to synchronize with a smartphone. In the new ones, everything is much simpler, for example, we take the iPhone 5, 5S or 5C and connect it to the CarPlay system through the Lightening connector. A few seconds of waiting, and your car has received almost all the functions of a smartphone. As soon as the smartphone is connected, icons of applications familiar to you from your gadget appear on the CarPlay screen, as well as a characteristic signal.
Another plus is that CarPlay is able to read installed on iPhone Applications and display them on the screen, in other words, such a system will completely copy your smartphone to the screen of the multimedia system. But still, Apple made restrictions, not all smartphone applications will work on CarPlay, this is due to driver safety, and if such safety is detected, the system will automatically reject the add-on.
According to CarPlay statistics, the most popular among drivers is apple app Maps and Siri. The latter will help you manage smartphone applications and dial SMS simply by dictating. You do not need to print SMS and look for the recipient, it will be enough to say what needs to be entered in the message.
CarPlay pricing policy
The complete set of the car does not allow installing a multimedia system with the CarPlay operating system. This often happens when the manufacturer simply does not provide for the availability similar systems. But it does not matter, in all situations there is a way out. Companies such as Alpine, Kenwood, Pioneer, JBL and JVC announced the release of universal multimedia systems with installed system carplay.
The cost of such pleasure will be from $400 and more. Although comparing this price with how much the factory option will cost, $400 is mere pennies. If you order CarPlay from the manufacturer, you will need to shell out at least $800.
Perhaps the downside of CarPlay is the strict verification of the manufacturer of applications for iOS. Apple has introduced strict measures for software verification, which means that anyone will not be able to implement their artisanal applications.
Among standard applications CarPlay can be found on Audibooks, Spotify, Overcast, Pandora and Vox, it's not yet full list, which can be found in CarPlay.
Competitors and first on the list for CarPlay integration
We said above that the main competitor of CarPlay is Android, as in the world of smartphones, cars were divided into two control systems. Car manufacturers decided to go the other way, and when buying a new car, give the buyer the right to choose what operating system he wants to see in the car.
Apple fans will naturally choose CarPlay, but Android lovers will prefer Android Auto. When buying a used car from your hands, with a previously installed system, you should understand that it will not be possible to change it in any way, except to change it from an official representative.
As with any competition, someone comes first on the list. Volvo went a little different way, and initially adapted the interface of new cars to interact with CarPlay. This option already implemented on the new Volvo XC90 crossover. Another innovation from Volvo and CarPlay is remote control car and its protection. When you get into the car, you identify yourself by voice command, by touching the screen, or simply by a smartphone in your pocket.
CarPlay in Volvo vehicles can recognize the owner of the car for many different parameters that only the driver and the system know. In the event of an accident, the system will automatically give an SOS signal, regardless of the presence of the system emergency call. In this way, Volvo has improved the safety of its vehicles.
There is only one conclusion about the CarPlay system, such systems make the car smarter and safer.
Video CarPlay works in a Volvo car:
Protecting Volvo cars with iPhone:
CarPlay is designed to make using iPhone in your car more convenient.
The CarPlay system is the ability to broadcast the desktop of an Apple smartphone, as well as use its main features through the car's on-board computer.
How to use CarPlay?
The main goal of this system is to ensure the convenience and safety of driving. Now, while driving, do phone call or write SMS has become much easier. It is not necessary to take the device in hand. You can control it using voice commands, and the interactive assistant Siri will carry out instructions.The CarPlay system will work in your vehicle under two conditions:
- you have a smartphone from the manufacturer Apple inc. The feature is available for iPhones of the 5th generation and older;
- your machine has support for this interface.
It also remembers the data of cars to which your device has already been connected before and used through the CarPlay system.
You can find out if this interface is available for your car on the official Apple website - on a special page https://www.apple.com/ru/ios/carplay/available-models/. Here you should select the brand of the car and see which models have built-in given interface. If your vehicle is on this list, then everything is fine and you can move on. Usually, starting in 2017, many auto manufacturers declare support for CarPlay.
How to get started?
First of all, you need to connect your smartphone to the car. And the first thing to do is find the USB input. At mercedes benz On the GLE 400, this port is hidden in the side armrest glove box.
In our case, the desired connector is marked with a phone image, so we insert it not into the first hole, but into the second one. Important to use certified cable. When working with Chinese fakes smooth operation is not guaranteed.
By connecting the smartphone using the original lightning cable through the port, you will see a message on the on-board car monitor display. You will be prompted to activate the device automatically or manually. If you choose the first option, the CarPlay system will start automatically.
On iPhone screen you will also need to give permission to use it in conjunction with the vehicle interface.
If you did everything correctly, then on the on-board computer display you will see an interactive menu with icons, the same as on your phone.
You can interact with the system in several ways:
voice, using the corresponding button on the steering wheel, which activates verbal control. It is worth noting that this is a priority way of working. Therefore, even if you launch applications manually, you will continue to give commands to Siri verbally;
- accessible devices (buttons, wheels, touchpads, etc.);
- by touching the display, if it is touch sensitive.
"Call me, call…"
The CarPlay system allows you to make calls. To do this, you need to launch the phone application. So that the driver is not distracted from driving and does not choose the subscriber on his own, Siri will ask you who you would like to call.
In order for the dialing to be successful, you should say the name of the subscriber as his contact is recorded in address book. Otherwise, the assistant will not find the person and the call will not be made.
Turn on musical accompaniment
Everything is displayed here, as in your mobile device. The files are sorted by artists and albums. You can create new playlists or download previously created playlists.
By selecting the "songs" section, you will see the entire list of iPhone tracks. As with all standard players, audio files can be shuffled so that their order is not remembered.
To start listening to music, just select any song from the list and play it. The interface looks almost the same as on the iPhone: scroll buttons, pause, song duration indicator. In addition, the album cover is even visible in the background, only it is a little blurry.
Switching tracks is easy enough. There are rewind buttons for this. A single click to the right or left will play the next or previous song, respectively.
Texting without hands
As with the call function, when you launch the "messages" application, Siri will ask you to name the name of the subscriber to whom you want to send SMS. After the correct command, the second question will follow: “what should I write?”It is enough to say the text aloud for the interactive assistant to process it. Then you will need to confirm sending the message that was voiced earlier. Accordingly, if you answer “yes” to Siri’s question about confirmation, then the SMS will be sent, if “no”, it will be saved as a draft.
Note that the CarPlay system makes it just as easy and quick to receive text messages. If you receive a letter, a line with information will appear at the top of the display. You have to click on it to open it.
Siri will ask if you want to read the content. Answer "yes" - the assistant will announce it. And so you can conduct a whole correspondence without manually typing the text. Fast, convenient, and most importantly, you do not need to be distracted from the road.
Always up-to-date navigation
Before you can start using maps, you may need to give the program access to your location. You don't need to go anywhere on your own. When you start the "maps" on the smartphone screen, the following message will appear. You need to click "settings".
In the second step, click on the icon desired application, check the second line, and the geolocation service is activated.
Now, when you run this program, your location will be determined automatically.
To set a route, you need to select the microphone icon in the right upper corner. On help will come Siri and asks you to name the desired location. You need to voice both the city and the street. Otherwise, the assistant will consider the address invalid.
Advantages and disadvantages
Based on the above, we can say that the CarPlay system has unconditional advantages. These include:- simplicity and ease of use. Voice interaction through the interactive assistant Siri unties hands. This allows you to solve the necessary tasks without looking up from the road;
- high speed of work and information processing. The system is not a separate application, but only an interface integration. Nevertheless, everything functions quite quickly and efficiently;
- always fresh updates. The internal software of the vehicle becomes obsolete over time. And the CarPlay system is always up to date thanks to regular iOS updates. You can be sure that the maps application will always get you the correct route.
Buying a new car is fun until you dive into learning about its infotainment system. Automakers - whose expertise is more in vehicles than software - tend to install overly complex systems that make you feel like a caveman using a smartphone for the first time.
It's not the best thing to do when you have other priorities. For example, to monitor the state of the road.
Automakers rarely change their priorities, but sometimes they provide drivers with an alternative and more familiar infotainment option: CarPlay. This is Apple's initiative to apply its experience software from an iPhone in the car, with voice commands Siri.
Why you want to use CarPlay.
CarPlay is stripped down iOS version for your car. With it, you can send messages with iMessage, play music, get directions, listen to podcasts and radio streams (Beats1, of course), and call people without touching your phone.It all looks like it's iOS for your car, but it's not. CarPlay does not replace standard system entertainment is just an application. So when you need to perform specific actions in the car, such as adjusting the temperature, viewing rear camera, listen to the radio, or adjust your car's general settings, you must exit CarPlay and return to the standard car interface.
What vehicles does CarPlay work with?
If you have an iPhone 5 or more a new version, running iOS 7.1 or higher, your phone will work with CarPlay. But that's only half the equation. Let's take a look at the cars that support Apple CarPlay technology.Apple has posted a complete list of compatible vehicles broken down by make and model. There are 24 different car manufacturers on the list for a total of 114 car models that offer CarPlay support.
Don't be discouraged, although all the cars on this list are from 2016 - you can upgrade your old car to CarPlay through third party solutions. Here are some examples:
- Pioneer offers 11 different options for non-genuine CarPlay support. The price varies from $700 to $1400.
- JBL also makes a CarPlay unit, which in retail estimated at $399.
- Alpine and Kenwood also offer their own CarPlay-equipped systems.
CarPlay setup.
Take a Lightning-to-USB cable, plug it into your iPhone, plug the USB end into your car, and that's it.The first time you connect your phone, you will have to go through a quick verification process in order for your car to access the phone. (It's best to be parked, not moving.) From now on, all you have to do is plug in your phone and it will automatically enter CarPlay mode.
On this moment, the CarPlay application starts automatically or must be selected from the media system menu. The main screen is a grid of application icons that looks like an adapted version home screen on iPhone. On the left side there is a time and a level meter cellular signal. Just below these statistics, you'll see a digital version of the iPhone's home button. Click on it at any time to return to main screen, or press and hold to activate Siri.
Moving around the interface is done using standard taps and swipes, but, unfortunately, the two-finger zoom gesture is missing in the Maps app. Instead, you need to click on the buttons to zoom in or out on the selected map. The choice of such a design is likely dependent on the vehicle's hardware rather than CarPlay.
About Apple's CarPlay apps.
For security reasons, not all apps are available through CarPlay and what you see is what you get. You can't add, remove, or change icons, so the app icons are fixed on the screen: Phone, Music, Maps, Messages, Now Playing, Podcasts, and Audiobooks.Although, there is one exception. Depending on your car manufacturer, you may see a shortcut in CarPlay for your car's primary media system, so you can do things like fast switching audio modes or climate control.
Let's go back to Apple's default apps. An application, Phone, for example, does not automatically bring up any kind of dial pad. Instead, you will immediately be prompted by voice to say the name of the person you want to call. You need to click on "Show Contacts" to have more options like Favorites, Recents, Contacts, Keyboard and Voicemail.
The Messages app has also been adapted to use Siri. The voice prompts you to immediately say the name of the person you want to send a message to. if you have unread messages, Siri will ask if you want your unread messages to be read aloud or if you want to create a new message.
If you're trying to use the Messages app like you normally would on your phone, it won't work. You can view a list of conversations, but you can't view a message thread the same way you can on an iPhone. Instead, tapping on a conversation thread prompts Siri to ask again who you want to send the message to. The rest of the applications are also focused on using Siri.
Installing non-Apple apps.
Non-Apple apps make CarPlay amazing. On the official CarPlay website, Apple lists some of the more well-known music and radio apps such as Spotify, Slacker, and NPR News that are compatible with CarPlay. But if you want to see the full list of compatible apps, search the App Store for "CarPlay".Any third-party CarPlay app will be automatically displayed on the second page of the CarPlay screen; just like on your iPhone. Just be aware that in some cases, you will need to finish installing the app on your phone before it will show up in CarPlay.
At the moment, only third-party music and audio apps work with CarPlay, so don't dream about Google Maps on CarPlay soon.
Siri.
You can still use Siri like you normally would when the iPhone is in CarPlay mode. You can query for things like sports scores and weather - basically any team other than a web search.Depending on how your car is set up, you can call Siri with several different ways. For vehicles with a Bluetooth button on the steering wheel, just press and hold this button until you hear the familiar Siri tone. Or, press and hold the numbered home button on the CarPlay screen (pictured left).
And finally, if you've set up "Hey Siri" on your iPhone, you can just say "Hey Siri" and speak commands.