· MirrorLink development encounters resistance, car and IT companies have their own minds

Although driverless technology and connected cars are becoming a hot spot in the automotive and consumer electronics industries, there are still no real breakthroughs in this area due to various limitations. There has been a lot of discussion about driverless technology and connected cars, but so far, the simple operation of using a smartphone app while driving is still disappointing.
The promise of in-vehicle applications, including making calls safely, sending messages, listening to music, and getting navigational information while driving is still a dream. In the process of selecting new songs and using mobile navigation applications, the driver's attention still needs to switch between roads, car center consoles and mobile phones.
Unfortunately, in 2015, this situation will not improve much.
The birth of open standards 4 years ago, the situation is very different. At the time, nearly 100 companies, including mainstream automakers, smartphone makers and mobile communications companies, developed an open technical standard, MirrorLink. This technology projects the functionality of a smartphone to the car's center console screen, buttons, and steering wheel.
This is an excellent idea. “Rather than letting every mobile phone manufacturer and every car manufacturer adopt a fragmented approach, we can set open standards that are common to the industry.” AntiiAumo, marketing director of the Automotive Interconnect Association in Finland and responsible for the MirrorLink project. ) said, "We have made the versatility of this technology reach the level of Bluetooth and WiFi."
MirrorLink's philosophy is to help users use smartphone-like features in their cars, no matter what brand of car, phone, or operating system they use. Considering that a car can last for 10 years and experience 3 to 5 technical cycles, versatility is very important.
This is a ambitious goal. The Connected Car Association also hopes that car manufacturers and mobile phone manufacturers can maintain good cooperation. Omo said that the universal open framework will enable smartphone services to appear on the console screen in a simple and secure way, and MirrorLink can liberate developers who want to innovate.
MirrorLink's development Omo said: "I can be sure that there are always two guys who are developing some crazy products in the garage, bringing innovation to the car and driving. You and I will not know, this crazy new application will be what."
So who doesn't like innovation? The answer is simple: a car manufacturer who wants to fully grasp the driving experience.
In October 2014, Honda announced the launch of Honda Connect, a new smartphone connectivity service that supports MirrorLink. The service uses the MirrorLink protocol, but MirrorLink is only in the background. The technology, design and user experience of the service are entirely from Honda and will be the first to be used in the European Honda Civic models in 2015.
Other automakers, including Volkswagen, Subaru and Toyota, are also using MirrorLink. However, due to the impact of giants such as Apple and Google, this open standard is gradually marginalized.
Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto try to bring users a familiar style of application, while providing larger fonts and icons, thus avoiding the driver's attention being over-dispersed. Just connect your phone and the map app developed with Apple and Google Guide will appear on the console screen.
Doug Newcomb, founder of Apple and Google's pinball industry organization "Connected Automotive Council," said: "MirrorLink missed the opportunity. Frankly speaking, MirrorLink is not lacking in trials. Part of the problem is that automakers are dragging The hind legs lead to a long product development cycle."
So, although Honda announced its MirrorLink-based product three months ago, the company has begun to focus on Apple and Google. Honda spokesperson Angie Nucci said: "We will bring CarPlay and Android Auto products to market in 2015, but the specific models have not been announced."
Hyundai is also focusing on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. "MirrorLink has had limited success," said Miles Johnson, manager of Hyundai Connected Cars. "But it didn't achieve the desired development."
At the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Hyundai presented the new console hardware, which also integrates CarPlay and AndroidAuto. At the beginning of the announcement of support for CarPlay, Hyundai only planned to use it for the highest-end center console products. However, Hyundai has developed a product that is less expensive and supports both Android Auto and CarPlay.
Johnson said: "Ferrari launched the CarPlay product, but other manufacturers have not yet acted. Our engineers are working hard, but I can't predict what will happen in the future." At the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari in the California T and FF models The CarPlay service is integrated.
Compared with auto manufacturers, consumer electronics manufacturers are more active in developing automotive center console products. However, due to the lengthy development time and the difficulty of integrating different systems, the launch of CarPlay and Android Auto products has been postponed. However, for Apple and Google, such a delay has nothing to do with the overall situation.
Johnson said: "When the two companies enter the market and propose a development path, it will obviously change the industry." He believes that CarPlay and Android Auto will help drive sales of cars, and many users will go to dealer stores to watch the demo. .
Similarity is not conducive to innovation For users, in-vehicle infotainment systems have a deep learning curve. Anyone who has used the console menu and voice commands in a new car has a personal experience. Modern Johnson said: "Our research shows that users are willing to spend 15 minutes on average to learn a new system and then give up. If CarPlay and AndroidAuto can achieve this goal, then this can be done very quickly. ."
Although users welcome familiar interfaces, this does not prevent Hyundai, Honda, and other automakers from developing specialized applications. This is about the issue of control and data ownership. Vehicle-specific applications are considered to be a core part of the car's capabilities, including emergency response, in-vehicle air conditioning pre-conditioning, parking applications, sport modes, and access to the electronic version of the owner's manual. In fact, at CES, BMW also launched the “Connected Driving Store” to help US users purchase apps and other services directly at the wheel.
As the Detroit News reported earlier this month, German industrial and political leaders did not want the importance of the German auto industry to be weakened, or to allow Google to capture data on the user's driving behavior and location. "The data we collect belongs to us, not Google," said Audi CEO Rupert Stadler.
The innovation of third-party open source developers for in-vehicle applications is being limited by Google and Apple. On the other hand, automakers are also trying to develop their own smartphone ecosystem. Therefore, it will take several years for a real breakthrough to be achieved in this area. At the same time, many drivers still need to manipulate the steering wheel and operate the smartphone in one hand.

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