The eternal pattern of the industry is that a automanufacturer has negative interest in remaining interested in an infotainment system in a car they sold several years ago and retrofit makers provide less specifically integrated systems that win overall because developments in everything else amounts to more than the integration.

You can use almost any app, not just apps that Tesla have deemed worthy (or removed due to childish feuds, like Disney+). Podcast apps, music streaming apps, etc...

IIRC Tesla has Disney+ too, an if it doesn't, you have a Chromium browser. Of course you can't use it while driving, but passengers on the back sit should be able to use the streaming services even when the car is moving.

For podcast apps, IIRC Apple Music and for sure Spotify are supported. Still not convinced that Android Auto / CarPlay is superior, sorry.

Even if Disney+ has been restored for everyone (I don't know if it has), any app could be removed by a manchild for any reason and that's unacceptable: https://apple.news/A8If_BNgyS-mqPcq25GK-Rw

I use neither Apple Music nor Spotify and I'm not alone.

You literally have Chromium, I'm failing to see where the problem is tbh.

Sure, having a native app is better, but in any case the Netflix and Disney+ apps are nothing than a Chromium wrapped app anyways on the infotainment

Yeah this is a waste of time for sure.

These fake Tesla apps don't stay logged in. There's no Face ID or Touch ID so you have to constantly re-authenticate.

Well I have some audiobooks downloaded to my phone. The progress is saved on my phone, and because they're downloaded I don't need cell service to listen to them. I just did a 3000 km road trip with intermittent cell service, using an app on my phone via Android Auto to play my audiobook files, and was able to easily transition to hotel rooms with speakers, and different vehicles, and continue the books where they'd been paused.

How would that even work in a Tesla?

When I plug in my iPhone, the Maps is integrated with my Calendar. For example if my Calendar entries have a Location, I can simply tap on it to navigate there.

Just one example.

IIRC the same happens with Tesla. You don't even have to tap to navigate, it automatically sets the destination based on the calendar entries.

I'm saying IIRC because I never used this feature, just read about it - I don't sync my calendar (yet!)

It's not, it's just superior to what Nissan had before integrating apple carplay/android auto. It's so much nicer being able to interact with both my actual car and my phone through the screen, instead of just playing with my phone on a larger screen.

Oh yes, I'm sure it's far superior than most, if not all, standard car infotainment systems (that are known to be laggy and their UIs look like they've been built in 2008).