PWDRSKR

I use Apple Maps via CarPlay nearly all the time. However, the lack of integration with the Virtual Cockpit and HUD is an ongoing annoyance for me, which leads to use of the MMI system on occasion. But, the MMI system has several annoyances as well:

• Traffic is only shown for highways. I've tried to switch traffic from the default source to Sirius but got "stuck" trying to convince the Sirius customer service person that my MMI had been converted to allow for Sirius traffic. I gave up considering how rare I use the MMI system
• I find the "send to car" feature of the Audi App process to be slow and complicated to use in car. The steps one needs to take once in the car to access the address sent via the app is not intuitive and very slow. I either have to sit in my driveway for several minutes waiting for the car to grab the information from the servers, or I have to do it while driving, not a very safe option. It is irritating, non-intuitive and slow. A triple play of issues that make the system a PITA at best and unusable at worst. I've several times just given up and used CarPlay instead.
• The MMI does a **** poor job of displaying the road names of upcoming turns. The HUD is great to have, but the Virtual Cockpit Map display lacks the road names of upcoming turns. I use the main MMI display for viewing the audio information I'm actively listening to so I can't use it for Navigatin. I stream sports radio from our home town (Seattle) and listen to podcasts via Apple apps using CarPlay.

These issues always end up leading me back to using CarPlay, which has it's own issues. However these issues aren't as "deal killing" as the native MMI:

• No HUD support
• No Virtual Cockpit support
• The setting to force the MMI CarPlay to night mode 24 hours a day does not work. CarPlay will always switch to day mode when the phone decides it is daytime

JD15

Does Apple Carplay have any problems when your backup camera activates? With Android Auto, the backup camera starts glitching when Google Maps is active, so I have made it a point of not entering Google Maps until I have already backed out of my driveway. Needless to say, I only use Google Maps for long trips and stick to the built-in nav at all other times.

JohnEnglish

Apple has updated CarPlay with second screen capability so it’s technically possible for CarPlay information to be displayed on either the virtual cockpit screen or the HUD. However, that would require Audi to update the MMI’s software.

Nikon1

And I’m sure they realize that would result in a “cut” to their outrageous “revenue stream” generated by selling map updates via their servicing dealers.

— John

JohnEnglish

The R8 and TT both use the virtual cockpit to display all CarPlay information since neither has a center screen.

I wonder how much Audi actually makes from map updates. Even before CarPlay and AA, most people I know used Google maps, Apple Maps, or a stand alone navigation system instead.

synergize

If you used AudiWorld as representative sample and applied that to Audi owners in general, probably not much money is made. I've never heard anyone (hundreds of members) on here say they would pay for map updates, but a statistician would most likely poke holes in that, like they do most things. Audi does not seem to understand that sometimes it's the little things that keep people interested in the brand, I recently heard they got rid of the 1 year courtesy oil change, that's hurts your brand...Audi!

JohnEnglish

I know enthusiast forums are a bad sample, but I’m just thinking about other people I know who see cars just as appliances. They all use either CarPlay or AA since they’re familiar with the interface from their phone and don’t need to learn how to use a new system.

I wonder if it’s one of theirs things where Audi manufactures updates since they’re making them anyway for new models and they figure that if anyone buys they updates it’s “free money”.

Nikon1

I’m sure they are contracting out for the data and then are paying a license “per seat” to the data source. But I’m also pretty sure that any updates purchased from an Audi Dealer carry a steep price, with a very high profit margin, to both the dealer and Audi.

When I had “stand alone” GPS units, the Tom Tom units came with a “lifetime free update” policy . . . but after a few years of free updates, those updates got too big for the limited storage in the GPS unit. The only “fix” was buying a new GPS unit.

As the 50 year old ad for oil filters stated, “Pay me now or pay me later — We’ll get you, one way or the other.”

— John

JohnEnglish

I know the new MIB3 system use HERE Maps which is owned by a holding company that's jointly owned by Audi, BMW, and Mercedes. HERE generates it's own map content and data. I don't know what the data source is for the MIB2 maps.

JD15

Conversely, Audi could provide free "lifetime" updates as long as the system is active as a goodwill gesture and marketing bullet point, as the revenue gained from customers paying for updates has to be negligible. For short trips, I prefer to use the built-in navigation because I prefer not to connect my phone and Google Maps interferes with the backup camera.