SmartLink and Android Auto

[pmajor]

Hi all,

 

I currently own a 61 reg Disco 4, but my new Yeti L&K will be arriving in about 2 weeks.

 

The feature that's got me most excited is the SmartLink with Android Auto.

 

The thought of using Google Maps with proper traffic rather than the usual crappy car sat nav makes me wanna go on a long drive as soon as I pick up my car. The sat nav on the Disco was particularly bad - it was hard-drive based and it was expensive to upgrade because it had to be done at the LR dealership.

 

Anyone here have experience using SmartLink? Especially interested in experiences with Android Auto (or the Apple equivalent, even though I don't have an iPhone)...

[Urrell]

 

The feature that's got me most excited is the SmartLink with Android Auto.

 

The thought of using Google Maps with proper traffic rather than the usual crappy car sat nav makes me wanna go on a long drive as soon as I pick up my car. The sat nav on the Disco was particularly bad - it was hard-drive based and it was expensive to upgrade because it had to be done at the LR dealership.

Have you spec'd it on the car order and paid the £150 for it?

[pmajor]

Have you spec'd it on the car order and paid the £150 for it?

 

Yeah I had to pay for the extra. I don't think the SmartLink comes as standard on any spec and I read on the FAQ that it can't be added afterwards:

http://www.skoda.co.uk/about-us/mirrorlink-faqs/default/

 

Did have a bit of a debate with the salesman about whether or not built-in sat nav is required for Android Auto...

 

From what I read Android Auto will use the sat nav of the car rather than the phone for better accuracy and signal. The salesman seemed to think that I had to buy an extra £75 app for my phone and that it would use the GPS of the phone.

 

My experience in the Disco is that the GPS of the phone doesn't work very well in the car. My mate told me it was to do with the heated windscreen blocking the signal. Don't know if that's true or not...

[Ryeman]

Is data cost an issue with mirroring?.

[pmajor]

Is data cost an issue with mirroring?.

 

Google Maps does use data. It has an offline mode where you can download the map beforehand, although I've never used it.

 

I stream internet radio over 4G all the time, so I think Google Maps data is the least of my worries ;-)

 

Would be interesting to know if anyone's had a big bill because of using Android Auto though.

[Gobmax]

Hi my "Snowman" has inbuilt Navigation, but have found "Navigon" on my Samsung Phone works better.

Not that inbuilt lacks anything+ here in Australia Police are more concerned with raising $$ than enforceing the Law.

Recent experience being pulled over by an Officer he said I was doing 110 in a 100 zone,

as my phone reported my speed as 101km

when I requested he contact his "District Inspector" and I would be making a formal complaint

@ Statement to the Inspector, that I would be taking it to Court.

was informed "**** off Arsehole",good thing I got his number with my mobile phone Camera.

Edited 27 July, 2015 by Gobmax

[john999boy]

@ Statement to the Inspector, that I would be taking it to Court.

was informed "**** off Arsehole",good thing I got his number with my mobile phone Camera.

IMHO, that policeman must be one of the direct descendants of someone that we 'sent there' all those years ago!

Still awaiting an answer to the OP's original question though as it's such a new gizmo.

[Ryeman]

IMHO, that policeman must be one of the direct descendants of someone that we 'sent there' all those years ago!

Still awaiting an answer to the OP's original question though as it's such a new gizmo.

Yes, this is a cutting edge subject ripe for reams of responses

I'm interested as the Pug lists it as an option via a USB stick is seem to recall but not sure if that's a European thing.

It seems to me it may provide a further distraction to actual driving, just not sure.

[john999boy]

It seems to me it may provide a further distraction to actual driving, just not sure.

The TT has Google maps/Earth built in and looks tremendous - a big (literally) plus point and the way that all (premium) dash's will be heading.

[domhnall]

If your phone is compatible it works well. Supposedly all phones running lollipop will work. I have 2 that run lollipop but one now refuses to work with the amundsen in my octavia. It worked intermittently before I went on holiday but now I'm back it says it's not compatible. It's a Motorola moto g 4g. My work phone is a Samsung galaxy s4 and it works really well. Android auto is very impressive in use. It uses just the same amount of data as you would if you viewed the apps on your phone screen. All that it is doing is switching your phone screen to the head unit. I posted some videos a few weeks back in the octavia 3 section which will show you what it can do.

Sent from my TegraNote-P1640 using Tapatalk

[pmajor]

Hey domnall.

Thanks for your reply. I've got a Nexus 6... Hopefully should be OK.

I watched your video, thanks for mentioning it. I'm also pretty exciting about using Play Music (I have a subscription) and TuneIn (for podcasts).

A couple of times the screen in your video looked a little laggy. How do you find AA in that respect.

To be expected I guess... All the processing apparently happens on the phone and the screen is just streamed to the head unit as HD video - described here:

http://arstechnica.com/cars/2015/07/android-auto-review-a-beautiful-but-beta-alternative-to-awful-oem-solutions/2/

[domhnall]

that was the lag caused by the phone signal to be honest, just one bar of signal on a GPRS connection, it works faster on 4G

[Urrell]

Data use on the standard Google Maps is no problem unless you use the high quality map, although it looks great it does eat data as I found.

[lfc958]

My L&K sat nav has been excellent on the 2 trips to Germany last year, it gave me 3 options of route, fastest, scenic, & longest.

 

Only issue i had was when trying to get to the hotel on the outskirts of Amsterdam, it took me down a dead end road that had only been set that way 3 weeks before I left on holiday. ( not the sat navs fault).

 

I did experiment using google maps bluetoothed to the radio, and i could listen to the radio or music and still got interrupted by the phone over the car speakers when instructed by maps about turn offs.

 

 

I personally cannot see any point in streaming music from a phone through the radio, i have 15GB of HDD storage to put music on,( can shuffle play content) an SD slot that will take up to 32GB card( again shuffle play option),  with DAB radio that all came with the car.

Along with it having capability to play DVD's  altho only when stationary.

 

Just bluetooth the phone to radio will allow me to stream Spotify through it.

[john999boy]

Data use on the standard Google Maps is no problem unless you use the high quality map, although it looks great it does eat data as I found.

 

Approximately how much per month?

[Urrell]

I was very impressed with the quality of the map display but over about 25 miles it used something like 100 mb.

[john999boy]

I was very impressed with the quality of the map display but over about 25 miles it used something like 100 mb.

 

That could end up very costly indeed! :S

[Urrell]

Yes although I loved the quality I then used the standard map that used less than a tenth of that.
Now I use TomTom on my motorcycle and the Amundsen in the yeti and just use Google Maps as part of Carr Matey to find my way back to the car or motorcycle when walking.

Edited 28 July, 2015 by Urrell

[domhnall]

I guess I'm quite lucky having unlimited data 

[Ryeman]

I guess I'm quite lucky having unlimited data 

Lucky is having someone else pay for it )))

[domhnall]

Lucky is having someone else pay for it )))

Hmm the work phone has just 2gb data, the cheaper personal phone has unlimited.

Sent from my XT1039 using Tapatalk

[Ryeman]

$20/month,=$550 calls + only 1GB tomtom software keeps improving so I'm still contented mooo ))

[domhnall]

£20 a month, unlimited data 600 minutes of calls to other networks, 2000 minutes to the same network, free roaming in 22 countries which meant I could keep using data and calls when I was in france. Ideal

[Ryeman]

We'll be wanting a SIM card when we arrive which we need for 3 weeks which I assume we can get at a supermarket.

[domhnall]

We'll be wanting a SIM card when we arrive which we need for 3 weeks which I assume we can get at a supermarket.

 

yeah can get them pretty much anywhere, as well as the main networks supermarkets have their own "virtual" mobile networks which they sell. Do some research before you arrive as to which network offers you the best package on PAYG