Wireless CarPlay is out there now too. I just had a rental car that had it, and it was very neat! It would connect to my phone while still in my pocket, and if I was going for a short trip there was no reason to even pull my phone out. And then if I was going for a longer trip and wanted to charge my phone I could pull it out and plug into USB, and it didn’t interrupt the CarPlay at all. Very cool.

another was annoyed that they had to plug in their phone to activate CarPlay

I suspect that isn’t a current restriction, or it may depend on the car model. I have a car from 2018 where I have to plug in my phone for Android Auto work. That car is in the shop right now and I have a new 2023 loaner, and the loaner’s Android Auto integration connects directly to my phone via Bluetooth as soon as I start the car. Having experienced both now, I know for sure that wireless Android Auto is gonna be on the list of things I want in my next car.

Do people not charge their phones while they drive? I always plug my phone in when I’m in the car. But I’m seeing a lot of people complaining about it.

The only OEM radio interface that was better than CarPlay and Android auto was Ford (Microsoft) Sync, and it was also compatible with CarPlay and Android Auto so you could choose!

Since then, both Apple and Google have improved their interfaces to be on par with Ford Sync.

I like my FCA maps better than Apple’s because they licensed them from Garmin.

I still won’t buy a car without CarPlay.