RyanS3

what's up with the 2nd gen? many improvements?

letaub

I recently spoke to a senior Audi exec; he told me that CarPlay implementation is not possible on the current A3s. He said it's not just a question of simply swapping out logic boards.

duncanator

Well, then someone is lying (1 minute in)

YegorS

This is what I posted on Audizine forums regarding the CarPlay.

I know many complain about not having the Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto on our cars and many hoping that it will eventually be available as a software update for the current owners.

I think it won't happen and here is why.

If you watch how the Apple CarPlay functions on the new Q7, the answer will be clear: Our MMI system doesn't comply to the functional structure of Audi's integration of the CarPlay and Google Android Auto. The Q7 video is available on my.audi.com. I couldn't find a YouTube video to embed, please post if you find.

The new MMI scroll-wheel on Q7 also functions as an Up-and-Down and Left-and-Right navigation button and with the fact that the display doesn't have touch feature, the latter is the only input source when using CarPlay or Android Auto. Our cars don't have neither the multifunction scroll-wheel nor a touch screen display, hence we won't see any possibility to upgrade our MMI systems in the future with CarPlay or Android Auto.

For VW developers it was definitely easier to implement the feature, as the Golf's display is touch-screen, where the Audi's system is the limitation in that sense.

On the other hand one other possibility could be if the Audi engineers decide to utilize the four soft buttons around the MMI scroll-wheel in our cars. I imagine the top left and right buttons can function as Left and Right navigation, then the lower left as Up and lower right button as Down, for instance.

One of the Audizine forum members suggested that the MMI touchpad could also be enabled as Left-Right-Up-Down navigation sources, which I think is very clever especially if two-finger swap worked, it would be a perfect solution.

I personally like the Q7 integration as the best in the market, as I think a touch-screen display is a really bad idea in any car.

arU4ic

^^^ I'll add that it's not in a car-maker's habits to upgrade existing vehicles, they amass upgrades to draw buyers to upgrade their present vehicle.

mikele

And you believed him?