Hello. New to this forum but have had Android Auto for a few months now. There is so much I could write and/or ask about AA. Let me try to list a few things and then we can go from there. For the record I have a 2016 Corvette with AA installed and use a Galaxy S7 with Marshmallow.
Well I got long winded and there is probably some things I left out. But it's a start. Note if there's any place to submit such gripes/complaints/suggestions other than blowing smoke here then by all means let me know.
- HUD integration - This is such a big one for me I'm moving it up top... There... That's better... Not all cars have this but the Vette comes with a Heads Up Display (HUD). The HUD projects onto the windshield things like your speed, the tach, G force, etc. It's a great thing! One thing that MyLink (GM's Infotainment software) did, which I really miss, is when using the OEM navigation and an upcoming turn/exit was coming up the HUD would display the direction of the turn, the name of the exit/street and a progress bar of sorts that counted down the distance until the exit. All you do is look straight ahead, mind your speed and tach and the alert of the impending turn. I had high hopes that might Google and AA would get this right and integrate with HUD such that that functionality would still work when using Google Maps in AA. Alas it doesn't. What is it with this functionality? No aftermarket head unit to my knowledge supports the HUD. AA, using the OEM's head unit I would have hoped (hell I did hope) would use that functionality. What exactly is the problem? Is it an API that GM will not divulge to Google? It would be ultra cool if this worked.
- While I'm at it, MyLink also has the ability to display a little speed limit sign in the DIC (Driver Information Cluster) at the center of the main display as well as in the HUD which shows you the speed limit on the current road (if known). This is excellent when you come out of the back roads and head into some 3 stop light town and want to know "is this 40 MPH or 30 MPH or what". Now I believe MyLink does it via a subscription to Onstar or XM Radio or whatever in order to download the data. But surely AA could get this over the net from the phone. The question is, can they display it like MyLink does? If not in the DIC and/or HUD at least put the speed limit sign on the map in the main Google Maps/AA display!
- Sometimes it's difficult to first connect to AA when I first get in the car. Sometimes it just works. Other times I have to hit my "home" button, which is the Chevy MyLink (2.x I believe) system where I placed the "projection" icon there which shows AA. Sometimes it doesn't show AA and if I hit the projection button it then shows the AA icon and I can get in. Other times it'll tell me there is no device connected. But there is. Other times I have to disconnect the USB connection and reconnect it. Why does this happen?
- Speaking of USB connections... I hear some people asking about using WiFi instead of USB. But why not just use Bluetooth? I note that when connected, my phone's phone bluetooth profile is connected but my phone's media bluetooth connection is not. I assume the sound is going through the USB cable. Great. Even sounds more powerful. But I've had times when I get a very high pitched squeak of a song when doing things with my phone when connected. Probably not good for the speakers.
- AA is supposed to make it hard for you to use your phone while driving however all one needs to do is to is hit the recent apps button then select an app, any app, then use the previous button and viola - there you are at your launcher (BTW I use the KK Launcher...). Ssssshhhhh - don't tell anybody.
- I find it odd that when I enter my car, after say a pit stop, and start it with AA connected, I have to go and find the Audio app and select play. Hey if I was playing when I stopped can you just play when I get back? I mean I most often use AA with Maps display but with BeyondPod (my Podcatcher) playing. When I re-enter my car I find it a bother to have to select the auto player button, hit play, then go back to the maps application. Ya know what? Remove that stupid exit button (far right on the bottom) as it only has "Return to MyLink" selection on it (if I want to return to MyLink I can just hit the physical home button) and replace it with a play/pause button! Will Google ever entertain such ideas?
- I've found that I can search for something, say McDonalds, and AA will offer to add it as a stop. But it seems to only have one stop. IOW you can't add another stop. IMHO Google Maps (desktop/phone/whatever) should implement multi waypoint trips. You should be able to go to http://maps.google.com and plan a trip with several stops and then send that to your phone to be displayed by AA.
- In general AA is sluggish at times. What doesn't make sense about this is as I understand it AA is largely the app on your phone. My phone is hardly an underpowered device. As for the head unit all it needs to do is draw things on the screen the the AA app say draw (Ok and yes, send back touch input). So where exactly is the slow down?
- The "weather", or lack thereof, is pretty poor. Even MyLink has better weather!
Well I got long winded and there is probably some things I left out. But it's a start. Note if there's any place to submit such gripes/complaints/suggestions other than blowing smoke here then by all means let me know.
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