This sounds good mind you I want Android Auto.. But I would imagine they will be both in the same firmware upgrade.

 

Yeah, I would expect the same. Any time any other car manufacturer has added one they've added the other.

 

The hardware is all there (Wifi, Bluetooth, touch screen and a decent CPU), but the whole brain or carplay is your pone, there is no reason for not doing it, i believe they will charge a fee for 2014 and 2015 vehicles, but will be free for 2016 and forth.

We should all email them and harass them so they can move their asses. There is no excuse for being so late.

 

We should all email them and harass them so they can move their asses. There is no excuse for being so late.

Very good idea. Done.

 

What's the main e-mail address for Mazda USA?

 

The carplay firmware update should be free. Granted the system as a whole is better than say Ford Sync 2 (the MS based one), it still has a lot of bugginess and missing features i.e. real time traffic data integrated into the GPS. As a whole the Mazda Connect software so far seems like a beta version we've all been forced to test. We shouldn't have to pay twice for features we already paid for and bug fixes etc. Keep in mind a Garmin unit is between 150-300 bucks and has lifetime maps and garmin does not charge for firmware updates that include bug/stability fixes. Carplay and Android Auto being included as no charge updates is the least we deserve for putting up with the system as is so far, think to it as customer courtesy and keeping your fan base happy so they will be return customers.

 

I wrote email today to Mazda support Europe. Waiting for answer

Hope for good news!

 

Settle down, we all want the same thing... some love from mazda for our cars

 

No need to bicker, we're all working towards a common goal and we've got some bright minds here. This is a small community and let's work hard to keep the attitude positive.

 

In response to this query to Mazda,

"Is carplay under development and if so will it be made available for 2014 infotainment systems? There is overwhelming support by Mazda owners for the adoption of carplay implementation."

I received the following response today.

"Thank you, for contacting the Mazda Hands Free Support.

In regards to your question, there will be an update for your vehicle to have Apple CarPlay available. Unfortunately, it's not available now but will be very soon. What we can advise, in the near future is to visit our website (mazdahandsfree.com) to verify if it's available. If you have any other questions or need further information, feel free to contact Mazda Hands Free Support Line at 1-800-430-0153 Monday-Friday 7am-8pm CT.

Thank you,

Mazda Hands Free Support"

 

Wow great news

Can you please just ask them if there will be Android Auto also or only Carplay for Apple users?

Thank you!

 

semi-promised carplay is actually one of the reasons i chose the mazda 3. still love the car but the #1 reason i want carplay is...

I HATE THE BUILT IN GPS. i mean any map app on our phone beats it hands down due to traffic taken into account.

so i have to use a car mount for my phone to display GPS while the infotainment system has it on but not being used.

i could actually do without carplay if they made a fully functioning GPS like googlemaps, waze, tom-tom, etc.

 

I am on the exact same boat!! I actually very much like the Mazda Connect system. The only thing I dislike about it and don't use is the built in Nav. (Showing you the name of the upcoming intersecting road is a super nice touch tho. That I like a lot)

And then when I try to use Google Nav on my phone, I have to hold my phone in my hand because I have a 3ft USB cable and the only 12v DC connector in the Mazda 3 is in the arm-rest so the cable barely reaches the dash/windshield.

Even if we did get Android Auto update for our cars, I really envision myself only connecting my phone via USB and using Android Auto for Google Maps Navigation. But use Mazda Connect for normal everyday usage.

I haven't experienced how well Android Auto works yet so that could change.

 

The one promising thing I have seen from Mazda is that the infotainment is standard across the different lineups. Mazda 3 , 6,cx series all have the same infotainment. So if they are looking to roll-out their system they will do it for all of the models. Even the 2014 Mazda 3 has the same infotainment (maybe some hardware changes) as the newest CX-9. If the newer vehicles eventually get it, I don't see a reason why the oldest mz3 won't.

The other case for Mazda is competing against honda, toyota etc. Currently there is only Honda , VW etcs that have announced carplay on their 2017-2018 models. As these begin to rollout in more models, mazda will have to jump on the bandwagon to compete and implement carplay/android auto on their models. I assume based on software lifecycle , these changes are already happening in the background .

 

I believe Chevy and Ford have announced Carplay/Android Auto compatibility as well.

 

A guy over at miata.net asked the question about Android Auto and got the same response from Mazda as the OP.

 

Great news for those who think carplay is a must have infotainment feature

But how many of you wanting carplay have actually used it on other cars/aftermarket units, to say its a must feature?

I did, from a totl pioneer audio video headunit, and quite frankly it just uses your headunit as one big interface for siri to interact with you via receiving your voice command from the car's microphone instead of the iphone's built in mic.

All its features are actually already accessible thru "hey siri" already, except broadcasting your maps app screen onto the headunit. (Which more than half of the world do not use since maps app is crap compared to google maps or waze. Like in our case, turn by turn navigation is not even available yet, moreso traffic status. Nobody uses maps app in our country. Waze is the go to app, but that will never be on carplay as its google owned.

Carplay does not even play videos, does not show your messages, you are limited to very few apps only.

The only positive thing with car play is your music browsing interface which is similar to your iphone, so it will be faster than the mzd connect when browsing and choosing songs.

To be honest, other than music browsing and spotify browsing more faster, that its pretty useless.

 

I'd like to point out that even though "more than half the world do not use" Apple Maps (granted, I question the accuracy of this statistic), that still means that almost half the world does and that's not an insignificant number of people. I prefer Apple Maps to Mazda's personally. You don't; that's cool, but don't just presume it's not popular bevause you don't like it.

The Mazda Infotainment unit doesn't play videos, show messages while your driving, and has no apps so I don't know what your point there was.

I would argue that you're missing the big picture. People are excited for CarPlay not just for what it is now but for what it's going to be in the future. Apple has already demonstrated a willingness to permit new apps to access the interface which is exactly what makes CarPlay so exciting. There's so much potential there. Sure, it's taking a little while to get there but it always does with Apple. They take slow, methodical steps towards their endgame and those of us who are invested in the ecosystem are aware of this and accepting of it because it generally, though I'll be the first to admit not always, results in a great user experience.

Tl;dr - I accept that CarPlay maybe isn't exciting for you but your lack of enthusiasm does not mean it's not desirable for a great many people.

 

Got this reply from Mazda Canada.

Thank you for contacting Mazda Canada Inc. From what we understand the negotiation talks are still in the works for Android Auto and CarPlay. We have yet to receive any updates in the progression on this matter, but we are hoping for some positive news. We apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Should you have any further questions or concerns you may reach us by telephone at 1-800-263-4680 Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm EST.

 

I'm under the impression that the CarPlay MFi (made for Apple) certification measures dictate that an Apple supplied verification chip is required to be within the head unit to authenticate the manufacturers right to CarPlay. All currently manufactured vehicles are not equipped with this component, which technically renders them incapable of being upgraded through software only means with CarPlay. Unless Apple has changed or relaxed the CarPlay technical requirements, I dont see how any vehicles on the road now can be future updated to support CarPlay.

 

I'm under the impression that the CarPlay MFi (made for Apple) certification measures dictate that an Apple supplied verification chip is required to be within the head unit to authenticate the manufacturers right to CarPlay. ... I dont see how any vehicles on the road now can be future updated to support CarPlay.

According to this link, that is correct: a chip will be required, and it's quite unlikely existing systems have it. Apple's list only shows cars as "old" as 2016 supporting it. Mazda is listed as a supporting carmaker, but they have zero models with it, so that probably means that future infotainment systems might support it. However, the link above is over a year old, so it is possible they may drop the requirement, but I seriously doubt it. Knowing Apple, they'll think it's entirely reasonable to expect you to take your 1-2-year-old car to the junkyard and buy a brand new car just to have CarPlay.

So hopefully Mazda will add Android Auto support to these systems soon; it's doubtful Android would have such a silly requirement, which is pretty typical for Apple.

 

This was one thing I really liked about the Mazda3 when I was car-shopping: that I could have dual-zone climate control, but that it had absolutely nothing to do with the infotainment system. I really don't like cars where you have to use a touchscreen with a clunky UI to do simple things like change the A/C settings.

 

Here is what I found on a quick google search on the Apple website:

"An authentication IC ensures that only approved devices are granted full access to the device. If an accessory does not provide authentication, its access is limited to analog audio and a small subset of serial (UART) audio playback controls. AirPlay also utilizes the authentication IC to verify that receivers have been approved by Apple. AirPlay audio and CarPlay video streams utilize the MFi-SAP (Secure Association Protocol), which encrypts communication between the accessory and device using AES-128 in CTR mode. Ephemeral keys are exchanged using ECDH key exchange (Curve25519) and signed using the authentication IC’s 1024-bit RSA key as part of the Station-to-Station (STS) protocol."

It appears that in fact, an authentication IC is required, at least based on this document.

 

And another reason Android Auto is so much better this is why I steer clear of apple they are just out to make cash and don't really care about the End user! typical for Apple.

Mind you this IC might be in place already with the 2014 and up with the Mazda Connect system... Mazda has been listed on Google and Apples site since 2013 for Android Auto and Carplay!.. and the code that has showed up in Ver 55.. for the Mazda Connect system.

Saw this a few years ago. New Mazda 3 future-proofs infotainment system

 

This is all promising, and I hope its true, but it's likely that CarPlay will be rolled out as a feature on the mid life cycle update for the 3 sometime later this year. That's when adding an extra chip to the infotainment system would make sense. I do agree, however, that given the similarity between infotainment across the mazda line, if there is one automaker that would provide updates for older cars, it's Mazda. We may very well have the chip needed already. Crossing my fingers.

 

i suspect car play will only release with apple new invention (Apple Car). plug in ur iphone or ipad or even imac to drive 0

 

For the past week I've been driving around in two separate rental cars equipped with CarPlay (Caddilac XTS and GMC Yucon Lts). Although the system is nice, easy to navigate, and very intuitive (if you're used to apple products) it is still a bit buggy. The maps feature seems to be limited to the map app that comes with the iPhone. In my case I have google maps installed but could not use it to navigate. Also if you use two data heavy apps at the same time, the system seems to freeze up. In my case Pandora + Maps worked for a while then the maps froze until my phone was restarted (iPhone 6). I'm still trying to find a way to use Waze, so far no luck. So although I would love to see CarPlay implemented, I think there's still some programming work to be done to get it just right.

 

FWIW...I saw this on the CX-5 forum...

It's about live traffic but see point 5.

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6433293

Request to call Mazda Corp: For Live Traffic

"Hoorah - got a call from Corporate Mazda office today, JP. The guy spoke to me and said that they will attempt at something. Asked me for suggestions. They are as follows:

1. Get the whatever used to work - working. (Choice #1 )

2. Get HD Total Traffic data flowing into navigation. (Maybe easiest, but the HD thing whatever I saw is not that good)

3. Get the XM Traffic integration - working. (Choice #3 - since it'll incur consumer subscription charges and I'm pretty sure Mazda won't absorb them)

4. Allow WiFi. They have a software downloadable in smart phone which can feed the data into navigation via WiFi (This he liked, God knows why).

5. Prioritize Android mirroring / Apple CarPlay (he said its in the roadmap but cant be done for the current Infotainment hardware, will require replacement)

I also vehemently complained about 3 years map update and XM subscription being just 3 to 4 months. He took all of this in.

BTW: He's aware of this thread."

Follow up to point 5...

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6433373

Request to call Mazda Corp: For Live Traffic

"Legal issues with the current software installed, its tied to the hardware. Quite similar to not allowed - installing Apple OS on a Dell although both have Intel and mostof the h/w is similar."

 

FWIW...I saw this on the CX-5 forum...

It's about live traffic but see point 5.

Request to call Mazda Corp: For Live Traffic - Page 7

Request to call Mazda Corp: For Live Traffic

"Hoorah - got a call from Corporate Mazda office today, JP. The guy spoke to me and said that they will attempt at something. Asked me for suggestions. They are as follows:

1. Get the whatever used to work - working. (Choice #1 )

2. Get HD Total Traffic data flowing into navigation. (Maybe easiest, but the HD thing whatever I saw is not that good)

3. Get the XM Traffic integration - working. (Choice #3 - since it'll incur consumer subscription charges and I'm pretty sure Mazda won't absorb them)

4. Allow WiFi. They have a software downloadable in smart phone which can feed the data into navigation via WiFi (This he liked, God knows why).

5. Prioritize Android mirroring / Apple CarPlay (he said its in the roadmap but cant be done for the current Infotainment hardware, will require replacement)

I also vehemently complained about 3 years map update and XM subscription being just 3 to 4 months. He took all of this in.

BTW: He's aware of this thread."

Follow up to point 5...

Request to call Mazda Corp: For Live Traffic - Page 8

Request to call Mazda Corp: For Live Traffic

"Legal issues with the current software installed, its tied to the hardware. Quite similar to not allowed - installing Apple OS on a Dell although both have Intel and mostof the h/w is similar."

I don't believe this as Mazda Corp would not issue statements like this..

 

Android Auto would be able to run on this system no issue.. if Mazda does not do it a 3rd party source will.. Hardware in our systems is very fast for what it needs to do..

 

Man- makes me think I should have bought the Jetta. Between this and the sub-par ride quality on my highway commutes, I'm kinda down on the car now. Don't think I'm going to make it 5 years with this. If new tires help and they add back the live traffic, maybe.

 

Wrote US support, got the same response! I also asked about new Infotainment apps and despite what Mazda said originally, the outlook is grim. Full response:

For now there is no plans on an update to add more apps to the system. Mazda is currently working on an update to make Apple CarPlay available. Unfortunately, there is no ETA of when it'll be available. What we can advise, is to visit our website (mazdahandsfree.com) in the near feature to verify if it's available.

 

Why is this grim?? I says they are working on an update... that is good news..

 

Asked about Android Auto and received below reply.

Im kind of on the fence as to whether I'll use AA once/if it arrives. Giving one more avenue for a software company to collect your data is an unpleasant thought, but then again I'd really love to have google now and maps on the Mazda display. Amazing what we'll give up for cool stuff!

-------------

Thank you, for contacting the Mazda Hands Free Support.

There is plans to make Android Auto. Mazda is currently working on an update to make the Android Auto available. What we can advise, is to visit our website in the near future to verify if it's available (mazdahandsfree.com). If you have any other questions or need further information, feel free to contact the Mazda Hands Free Support Line at 1-800-430-0153 Monday-Friday 7am-8pm CT.