Thanks for the warm welcome! Will give the iPhone thing a try (that does mean that I will be borrowing the wife's iPhone to spend time sitting in the car in the drive....)

Is it possible to connect to Smartgate using iPhone (and wifi) and still download update using 4g?

Yes

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Played around with carplay and i prefer android auto but if I go for an iphone I've had a though and am looking for suggestions.

If I was to get something that could take a prepaid data sim, micro sd and a USB slot running android and install it permanently in the car I could have all that I need always there and always on. Log in with my Google account and I can have play music, maps and all that there ready to go. If I go abroad I can get a pre pay data sim there. The easy option is to get a cheap phone and leave it in there but have I any other options?

Played around with carplay and i prefer android auto but if I go for an iphone I've had a though and am looking for suggestions.

If I was to get something that could take a prepaid data sim, micro sd and a USB slot running android and install it permanently in the car I could have all that I need always there and always on. Log in with my Google account and I can have play music, maps and all that there ready to go. If I go abroad I can get a pre pay data sim there. The easy option is to get a cheap phone and leave it in there but have I any other options?

But then you lose the point of it being an extension of your phone like messages (you may not want messages...)

But then you lose the point of it being an extension of your phone like messages (you may not want messages...)

The car can do text messages anyway. I'll miss out on WhatsApp ones alright but given that most of them are from herself and are almost illegible for the most part it's probably for the best!

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Suppose it would be similar to just paying for a Tom Tom or something but you get all the google backed stuff instead (and shows on your screen)

I also think that Google is a better interface than apple. (flame on!)

I also think that Google is a better interface than apple. (flame on!)

Apple maps...they're terrible on Carplay!

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I also prefer the look of Google interface (ordered smartlink for vrs ordered last week), but then I have always had android phones, over partner's iPhones. What were used to I guess

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And I think the main Google now screen is better then the grid of icons on car play.

Played around with carplay and i prefer android auto but if I go for an iphone I've had a though and am looking for suggestions.

If I was to get something that could take a prepaid data sim, micro sd and a USB slot running android and install it permanently in the car I could have all that I need always there and always on. Log in with my Google account and I can have play music, maps and all that there ready to go. If I go abroad I can get a pre pay data sim there. The easy option is to get a cheap phone and leave it in there but have I any other options?

You can get headless Android boxes which are a small android based pc with no screen or battery but you'd be better off buying a half decent mobile phone instead - I've got a Galaxy S4 with cracked screen that I'm thinking of using.

 

The android boxes are cheap and cheerful but will likely lack the some essentials:

GPS - you'd have to use a bluetooth gps puck which means extra expense and wiring.

3G connectivity - you'd need to buy an external data modem.

Power - these things don't have a battery so ignition off means they stop working immediately. This might affect them when stop/start is active as it will momentarily cut power to accessories, and you'll have to wait for it to boot every time. You could pass the power through a powerbank however.

Possibly other stuff that I've not thought of.

 

Your Google account follows you across multiple devices but having any device with such access sitting in your car, possibly with no lock screen is a potential security risk. 

If you add a backup battery to whichever device you choose it also means you'd then have a basic gps tracker, could set geofences using tasker or IF etc.

Edited 3 September, 201510 yr by xdq

You'll also find android auto won't install on all hardware, I tried on two different tablets both incompatible

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I've now finally "upgraded" to CyanogenMod 12.1 and Android Auto seems to be working nicely. The phone itself sits nicely on top of the phone box. The storage underneath seems pretty useless though.

Octavia Combi vRS 230.

Columbus (with SmartLink).

Note 4 (android 5.1.1). Gf has Iphone 6 (haven't tested it yet).

I got the car on 02.10.15. Am loving it.

 

Due to the fact that Android Auto is only enabled in the US, UK and Australia I was not able to download it from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.projection.gearhead. I live in Finland.

My brother pointed me here http://apkpure.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.projection.gearhead&hl=en#download. You can pretty much download the .apk files directly from there without the region lock. So I installed it a few hours ago and gave it a try. And it worked, everything besides the music (I don't have spotify or Play Music enabled - so I guess it's logical). Yet I had no luck whatsoever with MirrorLink. I installed Sygic earlier. Chose from the SmartLink menu to connect with MirrorLink and connected to my Note 4 - failing every time, saying that I don't have any supported apps. Whereas Sygic is supposed to be one of the supported ones..

 

From what I can tell, the Android Auto is more evolved while MirrorLink can use 1 single app at a time (and there aren't that many, yet). Although I would like to know why can't I connect with ML (the phone is in the list of compatible phones - http://www.mirrorlink.com/phones).

 

One more question aswell, the updates to the GPS (inbuilt) and other soft (BT, Radio Station logos, SL) are only via SD card? Or can I not just download the soft to a USB and plug that in?

 

All the best,

 

Jiff

You are lucky, my one keeps on connecting with mirror link and I can't connect reliably with Android auto.

You are lucky, my one keeps on connecting with mirror link and I can't connect reliably with Android auto.

 

mine did this tonight, I loaded android auto, made it forget all cars and then reconnected the cable, hey presto, android auto again

Has anyone tried an S6 Edge Plus with Android Auto. I've got an iPhone 6plus and CarPlay works fine, but Apple maps sucks the sweat from a dead bears ballbag, I need to pick up an Android phone for an integration project in doing for a customer so had my eye on an Edge Plus.

Adjusting the radio while using SmartLink is a bit frustrating. Pressing the radio button to bring up the radio screen also changes the frequency band. Having got back to the original band and chosen a new station to get back to SmartLink you have to press Menu, scroll and select it from the list. It's a shame there isn't a dedicated button, especially on Bolero which doesn't have Nav or Traffic buttons.

What am I doing wrong, connect USB cable to my Xperia z3 and to the car, search device list and click on the number that comes up but will not connect, just says check phone compatibility???

Hmm, I'm not sure why it says a 'number'?

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Go into setting, set default to android auto

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Tried that :/

Some people have said the wire they use has an effect, as some don't tend to do data transfer that well. Got another you can try?

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Will give it a bash

Are you on lolipop with the Z3?

Install the android auto app to the phone and follow the instructions. And connect the phone after the head unit has started up.