Strange App Mode Behavior

[kelkin]

I'm using an Avic Z150BH with an iPhone 5 and am noticing some strange behavior, I'm wondering if it's considered normal or if perhaps the strange behavior is due to my using a beta OS (iOS7) which will require a firmware update on the Pioneer unit. Below are some observations and questions:

 

1. When I open App Mode, I'm required to open the App Mode app on my device. If I open it and then lock my iPhone's screen to turn it off, the screen disappears on my Avic as well. The only way I can use App Mode on my Avic is to leave my iPhone'e screen turned on. Is this normal behavior? (I don't like wasting the life of the phone's backlight and reducing its battery's rate of charge just to leave its screen on for no reason)

 

2. If I'm in App Mode using an App Mode app and then change screens on my iPhone to do something like check email or send a text, whatever screen I move to on the iPhone is mirrored on my Avic's screen. Is this normal?

 

3. On my old Avic X920BT (with 940 firmware), if I wanted to play music from Spotify on my iPhone all I had to do was select iPod mode or Bluetooth Audio mode and I could play music and even have the meta data (album artwork, song title, etc..) display on the unit. With the Z150BH it seems like the only way to play Spotify music is to disconnect it from the audio cable and use Bluetooth mode which sucks! I don't want to drain the battery, I like having it plugged in and charging.. but when I keep it plugged in and open Spotify, the Avic tells me that playing Bluetooth Audio at the same time as using App Mode isn't supported and to remove the App Mode device. I tried closing the App Mode app but it didn't work.. is there some way around this?

 

4. The Car Media Player seems very buggy.. If I'm playing music and leave that screen for something and try to go back, many times the screen is just black and the only way to get it back is to close the App Mode and Car Media Player app and relaunch both... a PITA..

 

App mode seems very quirky and very unpolished.. Everything I do requires interaction directly on the iPhone, so I'm not really controlling it via the Avic since I'm always having to go back to the iPhone to click on something... Maybe it's because of iOS7... maybe this is just how it is, I'm curious for people's input.

Thanks!

-Keith

 

[epsilonkore]

1. Normal. By using HDMI as a video output (instead of remote data via lightning or bluetooth) the iPhone/iPad screen stays on. Same if you use HDMI out to an HDTV from your iPhone, the screen stays on. Apple could give us an option to turn our screens off... but they don't, and Pioneer could have gone another route for AppMode but they didnt... Fail.

2. Normal.

3. Yep, it sucks, but thats how it works. Hint: connect the second USB in the back of your unit to your iPhone 5. It is a charge only port and will charge while you use bluetooth and spotify

4. Welcome to AppMode! We are all crossing our fingers for firmware updates to the headunit and app updates to the software to fix various glitches like this.

From what you listed, iOS 7 has nothing to do with those problems. iOS 6.1.4 has the same limitations.

Not sure how it is in the Android land, but as long as bluetooth is running the screen taps (wait till you make a phone call in bluetooth while in appradio mode and you cant select anything on the screen) and HDMI is showing the display... you will always have an extra screen glowing, no additional use of bluetooth (phone, other apps or audio streaming) and battery draining on your iPhone 5 even though its plugged in) while you are in AppRadio mode.

[stevenj24k]

Exact same set up here, and unfortunately all "normal" in my experience. As an early adopter I've decided to live with it for a while, and am now used to it. But I have strongly considered switching out cables to old 30pin, using an adapter, and foregoing CrappMode altogether. But I do like having the video out function, so alas...

[kelkin]

Yeah... I do have to admit though, I'm kind of glad the unit doesn't see the iPhone as an audio source anymore... I was so sick of the damn iPod automatically playing blue man group's "Above" every time I plugged it in to charge...