“It’s no secret that automakers have struggled with infotainment interfaces. Because of this, tech-savvy vehicle owners and industry pundits have called on car companies to provide a ‘dumb’ screen in the dash that can connect to a mobile device that already has all of a driver’s apps, contacts, and music—and usually provides better (not to mention less expensive) navigation,” Doug Newcomb writes for PC Magazine. “That hasn’t stopped companies from further developing infotainment interfaces of their own, but the truth is that Apple’s CarPlay outdoes most of the proprietary systems out there.”
“CarPlay essentially uses your iPhone as your infotainment command center, letting you make calls, listen to music, and get turn-by-turn GPS directions, most of which can be activated by your voice,” Newcomb writes. “If you own an iPhone and an CarPlay-compatible vehicle, you won’t be disappointed.”
CarPlay “performs significantly better with messaging, music, phone calls, and navigation than many similar built-in systems on the market,” Newcomb writes. Siri integration makes it safe and simple to control most essential features without looking away from the road or lifting a finger. And when you do need to glance down, Apple’s menus are intuitive and easy to navigate. So if you already own an iPhone and a CarPlay-compatible vehicle, it’s a win-win situation.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Google’s Android Auto “wins by a hair,” says PC Magazine and it their Editors’ Choice mainly due to a preference for Google Maps vs. Apple Maps – quickly becoming a moot point, if not there already – and Android having “more apps” – with no mention of the quality of the apps themselves, just the quantity of app possibilities. iOS versions of apps are usually better, often far better, than Android, since they were developed for iOS first. Android typically gets the watered-down ports later, if at all.