Toyota charging a Carplay subscription being internally discussed

I read an article today quoting a Toyota North America Customer Care Senior Analyst and another Toyota Spokerperson confirming that charging a subscription plan for Carplay is currently being internally discussed. Wtf! Currently BMW does this to their customers charging them $80 a year for carplay I hope that they decide against this, but hearing that this is even being discussed is a hard pill to swallow. I've read where they will be offering a Carplay retrofitting for '18 or newer Camry's and Sienna's, but dont indicate the cost, instead saying "minimal cost". Could this be the start of something sinister? Start at $200-300 for a retrofit, then make it an "option" on new vehicle purchases for $300-400, later moving to a subscription plan for $80 a year? Certainly would be a devilishly clever way to transition.
I hope to death that this isnt true, but if there's even the smallest shred of truth to this then their discussion needs to stop, and ours needs to start. BMW crossed a line doing this to customers, one that has directed Toyota, and soon other manufacturers into having a similar discussion. Just because BMW is okay gouging their customers and their customers are okay getting gouged isnt a good reason for any manufacturer, especially Toyota, to do the same! Carplay and Android Auto are essentially safety features that could possibly get us all to stop grabbing for our phones while driving in the future. Making it accessible for free would be a wise decision for everyone. I'm sure you all agree. Let's just hope Toyota does too!

https://9to5mac.com/2019/05/08/annual-subscription-for-carplay/amp/

 

I would pay up to $150.00 to retrofit but not a monthly.

 

I messed up. Its $80 anually. I edited to reflect this

 

Eh, still. I'd rather pay a 1 time fee. IDK how they would get away with that. I would rather pay $350 to get an upgraded head unit then.

 

I know. Itsounds crazyto me too but BMW has already shown people will do this. Dont forget about bluetooth. Once upon a time people paid a premium for bluetooth when it was just a $20 part. An uninformed public makes for dumb consumers

 

My phone syncs to my Amazon music when i start it up. I use no apps in the head unit. Since I figure that I will be keeping my truck a while the current apps will be dust. Bluetooth will hopefully be around longer. Personally I find it unreasonable to expect that a car radio will keep up to date with all the changes in technology as far as apps go. Bluetooth will hopefully be around for a while...we still have the option to direct connect. When you look at programs, they all get greedy.

 

Wow, I truly hope that this does not happen. Would make me lose some respect for Toyota.

 

Just add it to the bill. Sirius is $250 a year if you pay full tilt, and they play the same shit over and over. Come on Boneyard play some different stuff. I would or will by a aftermarket stereo with Carplay and be done with it. Problem solved.

 

I just updated my 18 camry with Carplay. Toyota Files were made available online on Monday. Took about 40 min and a usb stick. Now I have Carplay on my factory 18 camry audio system. I love it.
I heard dealerships charging up to $150 to do the same upgrade.

 

btw the same update to Lexus owners was $400...

 

BMW is an entirely different consumer base. What works for them does not invertly work for Toyota, Ford, Chevy, Dodge etc.... Now Lexus would be a different story.

 

Paying subscription fee to Toyota for carplay is like paying Samsung/Sony for using their TV. Carplay is a hardware/software that enables you to use services from Google and Apple so with that in mind why would I pay Toyota. ? If Google starts charging a monthly fee for Google maps I'd understand that subscription and would consider since it's worthwhile and cost-effective. I don't see where Toyota has a stake in this to charge its customers.
If Toyota is trying to find a way to recoup its cost for implementing Carplay hardware then I"ll be yet another customer walking away from Toyota. The auto industry is moving that direction with implementing carplay and been innovative is part of the companies job to stay competitive in the auto industry. Have they not learned from declining sales and losing customer to Honda yet?

 

I believe Apple charges a licensing fee to manufacturers selling the carplay in their oem systems. Maybe they are trying to recoup.

 

I would pat $0 for it as a subscription and for an update to make it available I might pay $100 any more than that I would go with an aftermarket unit. Honestly I am not that big of a fan

 

Considering the cheapest of cheap basic cars from Kia and Hyundai even come with CarPlay head units.....the answer would be NO WAY! I’d simply put in an aftermarket unit that sounds better anyways with carplay

 

Lets hope not. Seeing as how @TheBeast noted a $250 difference in the same procedure between Lexus and Toyota already indicates there's a problem, albeit, a small one. I like to think optimistically so I'll believe all this when it happens and just cross my fingers till then.

 

I couldnt help but laugh at that analogy. Well said

 

Well, our 2019 Camry already has Carplay in it for free.

 

F’em, I’ll Frankenstein a superior CarPlay enabled HU anyway.

 

Will you knock on wood for me that it stays that way!

 

I have no doubt of that. Just post a thread on how to do it

 

I wouldn't pay for it. I'm an Android guy, but wouldn't pay for Android Auto either. Not sure what the advantage of having them over Bluetooth is. I don't need apps on my vehicle's headunit...

 

I love running Waze full screen using ACP. To me, $80/annually isn’t a big deal.

 

Yes, Amazon Alexa, and an 8" screen too. The door speakers are garbage along with the sub. Eveything else is mediocre. Oh, that Entune HU is garbage too

 

Alexa!? Oh goodie. Another listening device. NOPE! That solidifies my decision that 2017 is the newest Tundra I'll ever buy.

 

Alexa is pretty cool, I can change the thermostat, turn on lights in the house before getting home, call out to open the garage door etc right now, but I need the app open on my phone. In a vehicle would be completely hands free.

 

I have my reservations too. I dont have any Amazon crap in my house but at this point it might just be futile. At least I havent given my dna to any of these ancestry companies selling our genetic code to gawd knows who

 

Scam, identical twins signed up and got different ancestry results lol

 

I am curious how carplay would work with a subscription. Would it just be disabled somehow? Also, if we pay for it, does that mean when our phones are connected they are allowed to data mine?

 

I’d imagine it’s a software ticket built into the head unit. You pay for it and as soon as you connect your phone and give the truck network, it works, and then it has an automatic expiry. Like BMW, the conduit is a Toyota app to switch it on.

Any data going through could potentially be harvested as outlined in the terms and conditions. This info is quite useful to target you for *advertising and it’s sellable so I wouldn’t doubt some sort of mining will occur.

A big scam as no such payment bridge exists when you CarPlay on an aftermarket HU.

*if you give the Facebook app microphone access, and you say “diapers” randomly through the day without searching it any other way on your phone, eventually you will get baby related ads lol. Don’t give apps mic or camera access.