Can 2017 Apple Car Play Be Retrofitted to 2016?
10-26-2016, 10:09 AM
#22
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This isn't really helpful but least I got a reply and figured I'd post for those who use the Carista App (regarding Apple CarPlay activation via a module in MY16 models)...
"Hi, thanks for your interest in Carista. We are looking into this, but don't have any definitive info yet. We'll let you know if we find that it's possible. Thanks. "
"Hi, thanks for your interest in Carista. We are looking into this, but don't have any definitive info yet. We'll let you know if we find that it's possible. Thanks. "
10-27-2016, 05:48 AM
#23
AudiWorld Member
I would be interested to change my 2016 A6 to apple car play as well, and actually when I was buying my A6, I could have gotten a 2017 with apple car play, or I could get a 2016 A6 for $8,000 below sticker that is essentially the same car without apple car play. I decided it was not worth thousands more for me to have apple car play - as I think the MMI interface as it is now in my 2016 is fine.
I will be surprised if this change to 2016 Audis can be worked out without great expense. Audi does not want you to be able to have features of the new models, in your old models. They want you to buy the newer model. If they wanted to support this kind of upgrade it would be figured out and dealers would be offering it (at a very profitable price I am sure).
Anything can be done to your car if you have the money and are willing to do anything required to get something changed. But as you can see the entire subject is engineered so that there is no really simple commercially available way to upgrade this - so it gives you the same feature that Audi only wants in the 2017 models...because they want it be yet another reason to convince buyers with older Audis to get the newer ones.
So even if the hardware is the same and it seems technically feasible, licensing and product marketing strategies often can and will prevent us from doing something that seems like we should be able to do. Well, prevent us from easily doing it without a lot of hassle, dollars, and likely warranty violation.
If Apple Car Play is THAT important to you that you would be willing to potentially spend thousands to get it - more power to you if you have the means. Personally I have given up on even worrying about it, I can play music, the interface to my apple music player on my phone works fine, I have navigation, I can use voice commands and talk to Siri via the 2016 MMI, etc. It would be "nice" to have all the features of Apple Car play...but for me, honestly its just not that important.
Good luck and I will be interested to see what the conclusion of this is. I doubt that Apple or Audi (especially) wants customers to be able to easily and affordably upgrade their 2016 Audis with a cool feature that they want you to only have if you buy another car from them.
I will be surprised if this change to 2016 Audis can be worked out without great expense. Audi does not want you to be able to have features of the new models, in your old models. They want you to buy the newer model. If they wanted to support this kind of upgrade it would be figured out and dealers would be offering it (at a very profitable price I am sure).
Anything can be done to your car if you have the money and are willing to do anything required to get something changed. But as you can see the entire subject is engineered so that there is no really simple commercially available way to upgrade this - so it gives you the same feature that Audi only wants in the 2017 models...because they want it be yet another reason to convince buyers with older Audis to get the newer ones.
So even if the hardware is the same and it seems technically feasible, licensing and product marketing strategies often can and will prevent us from doing something that seems like we should be able to do. Well, prevent us from easily doing it without a lot of hassle, dollars, and likely warranty violation.
If Apple Car Play is THAT important to you that you would be willing to potentially spend thousands to get it - more power to you if you have the means. Personally I have given up on even worrying about it, I can play music, the interface to my apple music player on my phone works fine, I have navigation, I can use voice commands and talk to Siri via the 2016 MMI, etc. It would be "nice" to have all the features of Apple Car play...but for me, honestly its just not that important.
Good luck and I will be interested to see what the conclusion of this is. I doubt that Apple or Audi (especially) wants customers to be able to easily and affordably upgrade their 2016 Audis with a cool feature that they want you to only have if you buy another car from them.
Last edited by El Gato; 10-27-2016 at 05:54 AM.
10-27-2016, 08:03 AM
#24
AudiWorld Super User
No El Gato, think you got this the wrong way round. Audi added Smartphone Interface to the latest C7 version, and in the US provide it for free. You chose to save thousands by getting a discount on a superseded model. Hardly Audi cynically trying to rip off customers as you projected.
In most markets, Smartphone Interface is optional equipment. If those customers who had selected and paid for it then found out anyone who had not were able to hack the MMI system and get it for free, well that wouldn't be so good. Kind of like Tesla and Autopilot?
In most markets, Smartphone Interface is optional equipment. If those customers who had selected and paid for it then found out anyone who had not were able to hack the MMI system and get it for free, well that wouldn't be so good. Kind of like Tesla and Autopilot?
10-27-2016, 12:13 PM
#25
AudiWorld Member
No El Gato, think you got this the wrong way round. Audi added Smartphone Interface to the latest C7 version, and in the US provide it for free. You chose to save thousands by getting a discount on a superseded model. Hardly Audi cynically trying to rip off customers as you projected.
In most markets, Smartphone Interface is optional equipment. If those customers who had selected and paid for it then found out anyone who had not were able to hack the MMI system and get it for free, well that wouldn't be so good. Kind of like Tesla and Autopilot?
In most markets, Smartphone Interface is optional equipment. If those customers who had selected and paid for it then found out anyone who had not were able to hack the MMI system and get it for free, well that wouldn't be so good. Kind of like Tesla and Autopilot?
I don't blame Audi for wanting to have differentiators in the different model years. They are trying to sell cars, no?
Last edited by El Gato; 10-27-2016 at 12:22 PM.
11-08-2016, 02:33 PM
#26
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01-19-2017, 07:19 PM
#28
AudiWorld Super User
According to the user "renming" on this forum post it can be done: carplay activation
05-17-2017, 06:30 PM
#29
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Is there any update on this? I have a 2016 a7 but am currently driving a 2017 a6 loaner and noticed the Audi smartphone interface. Wondering if we can retrofit CarPlay to the 2016 which seems to have the exact same technology platform.
