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Alexa available on 2016 - 2020 Land Cruisers
- Thread starter Eric Sarjeant
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I have a friend named Alexa...and believe me....she HATES it too...for entirely different reasons!
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Interesting and an unexpected integration. As with anything, technology is what you make of it.
I have Alexa via Echo Auto in my car. Light years beyond the original hands free functionality provided by Toyota/Lexus. Especially in regards to navigation functionality as it integrates nicely with Google Maps on my Android phone. Also makes for a good hands free road trip companion for on the fly information (closest gas station, closet chain store, store hours, weather, appointment time, etc.), and queuing Amazon Audio and Spotify music. Allows passengers and my kids to request stuff so I can focus on driving.
It's not Tesla levels of hands free especially in regards to other functionality. But it does bring my ancient '09 into the modern era for navigation, music, and information.
I have Alexa via Echo Auto in my car. Light years beyond the original hands free functionality provided by Toyota/Lexus. Especially in regards to navigation functionality as it integrates nicely with Google Maps on my Android phone. Also makes for a good hands free road trip companion for on the fly information (closest gas station, closet chain store, store hours, weather, appointment time, etc.), and queuing Amazon Audio and Spotify music. Allows passengers and my kids to request stuff so I can focus on driving.
It's not Tesla levels of hands free especially in regards to other functionality. But it does bring my ancient '09 into the modern era for navigation, music, and information.
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Yep Zero interest here. Just did 600mile round trip from my house to my folks. I listened to radio and adjusted the AC. Missed having carplay ZERO missed having andriod auto zero. Guess I just do not get it.
I have an Echo Auto in my other car that also has Android Auto / Apple Carplay. In that car, I only use Android Auto for navigation and nothing else. I end up using Alexa for hands-free control of Spotify and Audible (when I'm not using AA for navigation) since it doesn't require plugging in my phone. I think I can even use it to interact / control the other Alexa-enabled devices at home, although I haven't tried it. From my own experience, I consider Alexa to have a completely different use case in cars than most people might realize.
For anyone that uses Echo Dot or other similar devices in their homes, I think integrating Alexa into the 2016+ LC is actually quite a good upgrade that will be used.
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- #8
Neither I think. Just the new June 23rd version of Entune App from App Store/Google Play store.
Contrasted with the entune app <2016 where they actually take apps away with each release...
I updated the app on my phone and then this morning the car pulled an update from the app on the phone for Alexa. Have it installed but have not used it yet, so can not comment on how it well it functions.
I tried Alexa in the cruiser today for navigation. It is not very polished and is painful to use. Alexa is able to hear my commands from any screen. But if I'm not in the actual Alexa screen, then it won't actually do what Alexa says she's doing. For example, from the cruiser's "Home" screen, I said "Alexa, navigate home." She says she is navigating home, but the NAV screen doesn't pop and the destination is not set. It does work if I go to the Alexa screen first.
The other really annoying thing is that Alexa's voice is super quiet. So I had to turn car's volume up to 50 to hear her. But the "ding" that Alexa chimes when responding to you is then eardrum-breaking loud since the car volume is at 50. I found an "Entune volume" setting, but that didn't make a difference.
Can't use Alexa to listen to Spotify ("not supported by this device"), it uses Amazon Music instead
Like I said, not polished. I can't see myself using it in this state. I would use it if they work out even just these few kinks. Using it for navigation was actually pretty handy, other than the volume problem.
The other really annoying thing is that Alexa's voice is super quiet. So I had to turn car's volume up to 50 to hear her. But the "ding" that Alexa chimes when responding to you is then eardrum-breaking loud since the car volume is at 50. I found an "Entune volume" setting, but that didn't make a difference.
Can't use Alexa to listen to Spotify ("not supported by this device"), it uses Amazon Music instead
Like I said, not polished. I can't see myself using it in this state. I would use it if they work out even just these few kinks. Using it for navigation was actually pretty handy, other than the volume problem.
I doubt we will see AA/CP. Alexa on the LC isn't a fully functional replica of an Echo Show, more like an Echo Dot, i.e., won't display images that one could get at home. At least it wouldn't display a Ring camera image, and since Ring is owned by Amazon...
I haven't tried things (yet) like seeing if it will close a garage door I forgot to shut, etc.