Pandora

[struggo]

Envyous Customs have a kit that enables Apple Car Play & Android Auto, might be worth a read.

https://www.envyouscustoms.com/audi...ink-apple-carplay-and-android-auto-interface/

Looks the goods. I wonder if it performs as well as or better than the Naviplus version.

 

[kleanphil]

Looks the goods. I wonder if it performs as well as or better than the Naviplus version.

Honestly I wouldn't recommend Naviplus, ive tried the Naviplus system and couldn't get it to work properly even though some have , maybe a wire broke during the marathon attempt to install it . I had to splice wires into the 12v socket power supply and splice another wire into the main plug into the head unit as well as drill a hole/groove just above the usb in the glove box to run another wire . If this system is truly plug and play it would be the way to go , I wish I new this was available before I spent a couple grand on after market head units just to have Apple Carplay/Android Auto ( DAMN MY OCD!!! ) I haven't seen any feedback on this also , so maybe its not sold out , but a flop

 

[MACVESSV]

Thanks, I just emailed them, as they are out of stock, $995.
NAVIPLUS is $750 and now VF2 compatible.
http://www.naviplus.com.au/online-s...e-airplay-Mirroring-Integration-Kit-p61526711

 

[kleanphil]

Thanks, I just emailed them, as they are out of stock, $995.
NAVIPLUS is $750 and now VF2 compatible.
http://www.naviplus.com.au/online-s...e-airplay-Mirroring-Integration-Kit-p61526711

Nope , this is the system were talking about http://www.naviplus.com.au/online-store/Holden-VF-Series-II-Commodore-Chevrolet-SS-MyLink-Integrated-Android-Auto-&-Apple-CarPlay-Package-Kit-p99585170 , the one your looking at is apple mirror not Carplay and doesn't have Android Auto

 

[tommy_z]

I’ve just sent off a loooong email to Holden asking for them to consider Android Auto and Apple Carplay as an upgrade to their MyLink system, as per Mazda at the end of last year. It’s gone to Holden Customer Care (which we know are useless) but I will be pushing to have it sent further up in further correspondence with them.

Did people want to get a copy so that we can bombard Holden with requests?

 

[abuch47]

Did people want to get a copy so that we can bombard Holden with requests?

definitely

 

[tommy_z]

definitely

PM’d!

 

[Skylarking]

Did people want to get a copy so that we can bombard Holden with requests?

I’m also curious to read what you’ve sent to HCC

 

[tommy_z]

I’m also curious to read what you’ve sent to HCC

Alright I’ll just put it here for all to read ... a long winded whinge but of course the more people who can send this to Holden the better. Let them know they’re not as good as Mazda if they can’t be bothered placing Android Auto and Apple Carplay in our VFs.. Copy, paste and modify ({}) as you see fit.


Dear Holden,


I am writing this email to you with regard to the existing MyLink system in the VF Commodore (2013 – 2017). I am a proud owner of {} of these vehicles (MY17 {}), and driving these vehicles bring a lot of joy to me with their superior comfort, performance, ride and handling, and capabilities.


While the vehicles are a great driving pleasure, it is unfortunate that the MyLink infotainment system is not equal to the performance and driving capabilities of the car. I understand that the VF Commodore is of 2013 vintage (including its MyLink infotainment system), but many things have changed over the course of the 5 years of VF Commodore production, including the addition of Apple Carplay and Android Auto in the marketplace. This is exemplified by the fact that there are features in both of my MY17 vehicles (amongst the last to roll off the production line in your Elizabeth South Australia plant) that would be outdated and incompatible in today’s environment, specifically:

• The Navigation system, which uses very outdated maps. These maps had previously guided me incorrectly, including {}. There are also multiple errors in speed camera locations, and speed signs (which is part of the heads-up display and act as an aid whilst driving).

I understand you have released map updates at certain times which we need to request and pay for ($126 / $179 depending on when I get the maps updated), but the maps remain outdated even once they have been upgraded and you are unable to state that they are correct as of the date of installation into our vehicle (ie. If I have the updated maps installed in March 2019, then it should be reflective of Australia’s roads in March 2019, and not March 2018 or 2017). Not to mention, the number of times the navigation system fails to identify traffic jams and accidents enroute to a destination, or incorrectly show a road with traffic disruptions, thus not suggesting that the satellite is really ‘live’ as it is being used.

• Pandora Music, which is no longer available in Australia. This remains on the MyLink system screen, and we are therefore resorting to downloading music onto our mobile phones or a USB device, to play through the MyLink system which is an additional effort involved when many now have subscriptions and services to Spotify.
• Stitcher, which also is no longer available.
• The addition of numerous other messaging apps, such as Whatsapp, Messenger and Instagram, which are not supported via the ‘text message-reading facility’ of the MyLink infotainment system.

In light of the issues I have mentioned above, they can all be combatted through the use of a Smartphone device, which the majority of Australians have and essentially use non-stop! A smartphone gives us the ability to:

1. Use Google maps or Apple maps, which are updated constantly with up-to-date traffic conditions, new roads, road closures, etc.
2. Use of Spotify streaming for music that I enjoy listening to as I drive (that I have a paid subscription for).
3. Use of messaging apps Whatsapp or Messenger rather than general text messages, as the messaging apps have additional features that enable greater interaction between users such as groups and multimedia.
4. Any other app that I would like to use whilst driving that allows for listening and interaction such as Apple Audiobooks.
5. In the case of those of us with V8s used for race days (ie. Director sedan, the Motorsport, Magnum, and SSV Redline), a lap timer and a 0 to 100km/h speed recorder app.

It would be considered ‘simple’ to mount the smartphone in a cradle and have the phone closeby as I drive, however there are issues with this, being:

1. Mobile phone use is illegal across Australia whilst driving, until the car has come to a complete stop with the car in Parking mode and with the handbrake applied.
2. A cradle would only force us to touch and make directions / adjustments to the phone whilst driving which is illegal and a safety hazard.
3. The cradle, if mounted on the windscreen will obstruct vision and again cause a safety hazard, as it is already made more challenging by the thick A-pillars of the VF Commodore.
4. The cradle, if mounted on the air vent, will only block air and reduce the effectiveness of airflow within the cabin in Australia’s extreme climates (ie. 40 degrees+ during the day here in {} as I write this email).
5. The current USB port in the centre armrest of the VF Commodore is not designed as a charging port and thus unable to keep the phone at full charge while it is used for items such as maps or bluetooth, which are both highly battery-draining.

Therefore the addition of Apple Carplay and Android Auto, as seen in your current range of vehicles, plus the vehicles of other manufacturers, mitigates any issues that come with mobile phone use in the car, especially from a safety point of view. I obviously do not condone mobile phone use whilst driving however it is very difficult to ‘not touch’ a mobile phone if I have urgent messages or reminders taking place as I drive, which I cannot view without resorting to touching my phone. This is highly prevalent during long distance drives, where it is not safe to pull over on the side of a 110km/h freeway constantly to read and reply to messages sent via Whatsapp (as an example), nor would it be helpful if the map was to say, {}.


Your competitor Mazda recently released a software update for all of their vehicles fitted with MZD Connect (cars built since 2014) that included the upgrade to include Android Auto and Apple Carplay, in conjunction with a higher-rated USB port replacement:


https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-news/mazda-retro-fit-apple-carplay-android-auto/ (world release and features)

https://www.caradvice.com.au/697535/mazda-apple-carplay-android-auto-cost/ (release in Australia)

https://www.caradvice.com.au/705544/mazda-carplay-retrofit-demand/ (demand in Australia)


I feel that we, as diverse, supportive customers of Holden (from those of us like myself who purchased the last of the Commodores produced in Australia for nostalgia and the enjoyment of driving Australia’s best ever manufactured car, to those families who purchased the Commodore for its abundance of room, to those who purchased the Commodore for towing purposes, to those who purchased the Commodore as a first new car, and to those who purchased the Commodore ute or wagon as a tradesperson’s car), also deserve to get support from you regarding an upgrade to the MyLink system that involves having Apple Carplay and Android Auto installed in the MyLink system. It was widely reported in the media at the VF Commodore’s release in 2013 that the MyLink system was part of General Motors’ global system, making them easier to upgrade and to obtain support. Media articles from the launch of the VF Commodore discuss how Australians have a growing appetite for smartphone use and smartphone connectivity, and this has only grown now that we are in 2019. If Mazda is able to look after their customers successfully through the release of such an upgrade, I feel (and I am sure that many other VF Commodore users will also feel) that we also should get that privilege from Holden, noting that the MyLink system should be fully capable of having this upgrade. At the present, an aftermarket company in Australia, Naviplus, has an Apple Carplay and Android Auto system that can be retrofitted to the MyLink infotainment system at the cost of around $1,500, however it requires additional wiring and modules which should not be required in a car as advanced as the VF Commodore, nor do I want to potentially break my warranty to undertake the installation of an aftermarket system. Like those 3,000 Mazda customers described in a media article I have linked to you that wanted to upgrade their in-car infotainment system, I too am happy to pay a once-off fee for the upgrade of the MyLink system at my next service to ensure that my VF is future-proofed, with enhanced safety and convenience, for maximum driving pleasure. Therefore I would strongly urge you to consider the merits of upgrading the MyLink system for the goodwill of your customers that have supported you over the years, who in turn should and will appreciate the added benefits and convenience that Apple Carplay and Android Auto will bring.


Yours sincerely,

{}

(Someone with too much time on their hands )

 

[Steve Bowden]

Looks the goods. I wonder if it performs as well as or better than the Naviplus version.

I'm looking at buying this. $1000 fine for touching your mobile will be coming soon in Qld. Has anyone bought and reported on either Envyous OR Naviplus?

tks