Removing LTE would remove key features that drivers want, including real time traffic updates, remote controls and streaming media? What's your objection to LTE?
Removing LTE doesn't cost me real-time traffic updates because (preferred maps app) is running on my phone which already has LTE. Streaming media? The media is being played from my phone or streamed via my phone, which already has LTE. I'm not sure what "remote controls" are in this context? Letting me set the A/C fan to high from Internet (almost certainly via a browser or app running on... wait for it... my phone)?
We've already paid for the LTE modems and app integration on the phone side of things, don't need to pay for it a second time on the car side or have to deal with the vehicle manufacturer's terrible implementations of navigation apps and media streaming services or yet another vendor collecting telemetry about me and reselling it to whoever wants to pay.
That's a concern for privacy focused individuals, who are a very small fraction of the consumer market, despite being common here on HN. If the last few decades have shown anything, it's that most consumers don't rank privacy highly as a desired feature for products in anything but the most abstract ways.
There's zero chance a car manufacturer is going to nuke some of the most desired features of modern automobiles for some undefined cohort of privacy conscious consumers.
Most younger drivers would even buy Chinese vehicles despite their privacy concerns.
Some privacy concious customers know that data collected by China is less relevant than data your own legislation could get access to, but that is a different point.
It just should be said, that all these features could perfectly be implemented without violating privacy. You just have to use another system not from Apple and that other advertising company.
I just want to be able to disable things even if they're default on. Or if not a software toggle, perhaps pull out the SIM card so the connectivity goes away.
I don't think it's a huge assumption. It was in the past, but not anymore.
The thing is that car manufacturers have been fucking up software in cars since... forever. The second car play and android auto hit the scene, that's all anyone wanted.
There's more benefits than just what's on the surface, too. Even if the car software is perfect, it doesn't have access to the same data your phone does. It won't put your contacts in your navigation, for instance.
The only problem with CarPlay (and presumably AA) is lack of integration with the car…
Changing lock, light, and anudio (bass/treble/sub/fade) options. Map integration with fuel capacity (they only recently do this for EVs). Checking service intervals, recalls, etc.
If CarPlay had APIs/toolkit to serve those functions, it could 100% replace the UI that the manufacturer delivers (and nobody likes).
Right, and Apple Car Play does it out the gate. So much so that I can say "Navigate to Doctor X" and it does it. And it did it without convoluted requirements on the vehicle side. And it will continue to do it, because Apple's navigation isn't going to rot like the car manufacturers will.
Look, can car makers make somewhat decent software? Probably, if they burn enough money. But is it even worth it? I don't think so. People already use their phone hours a day, just let them use that.
The moment you pick a non-techie off the street and help them see the amount of data collection occurring, you have another person who proves the assumption. It's not a huge assumption.
No one likes ads, no one likes their data being collected. The sooner insurance and car companies understand that, the sooner they get out of the maelstrom of false revenue from ad- and spy-ware programs.
I have never once seen someone use the manufacturer provided traffic data, navigation, or "streaming media" over their phone when given the choice. Let's be real; it's just an excuse to try to subject customers to another subscription fee.
Why does anyone need any of those except maybe remote start. The rest are handled though CarPlay. Nobody wants built in navigation that the phone already does
