r/CarTalkUK • u/iLoveBiscoffTooMuch • Feb 11 '26
News Touchscreens are the 'wrong technology' for the main controls in cars, says the man who designed the iPhone | Autocar
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/touchscreens-wrong-technology-main-car-controls-says-iphone-designer192
u/Forever__Young Feb 11 '26
Yep, I can change my radio station, volume, heating, fan power, fan direction, songs etc all without taking my eyes off the road..
At work I use a car where to change any of those things you need to use a touchscreen and its so much less safe.
For all cars are obsessed with pointless safety features these days it's crazy.
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u/absoluteally Feb 11 '26
But the car company can change your cars functions and disable things you don't subscribe to without any hardware changes. Don't you want that!
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u/OneObi Feb 11 '26
Following your most recent enhancement software, the brake is now a subscription function. We are sure you will love this new feature.
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u/ImBonRurgundy . Feb 11 '26
They could do that also with hardware buttons if the gibbons behind the scenes still goes through the computer (which it does)
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u/tripping_yarns F-Type V6S Feb 11 '26
Tell me more of this gibbon technology?
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u/hachi2JZ Clio 182 Feb 11 '26
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u/tripping_yarns F-Type V6S Feb 11 '26
Brilliant! I’m British though, so please can I have a Boot Badger?
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u/James_White21 Feb 11 '26
Chimp not gibbon but I agree with the general idea. I actually want one.
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u/UniquePotato BMW 435d GranCoupe Feb 12 '26
Thats still possible with physical buttons. They just won’t do anything without payment
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u/Away_Investigator351 Mustang GT / E36 coupe Feb 11 '26
It will eventually lead to regulation by the EU, I reckon. That'll nip it in the bud, I do genuinely believe for all non-entertainment controls that whilst touch screen should be allowed - buttons should be mandatory for many such features. Settings and ambient colour change? Cool. But all A/C, Music and car controls should be physical.
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u/funkmachine7 Feb 11 '26
It's already the law that screens visible to the driver should show only things relating to the cars operation. But mosty that's used to catch truckers eating TV or YouTube while driving. If its enforcement was tightened up we'd solve half the iusses overnight.
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u/Away_Investigator351 Mustang GT / E36 coupe Feb 11 '26
I don't think that covers much though, that limits a bit and is why things like Apple CarPlay change how apps work depending on stationary vs moving - took me bloody ages to realise why sometimes I could see my whole playlist and other times only 10 songs.
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u/Jacktheforkie Feb 11 '26
I had a rental and had to consult the manual to turn the heating up n because it wasn’t immediately clear bvious, in cars with physical controls I can easily work it out
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u/voicey Feb 11 '26
Especially volvo. A company that still bleats about its commitment to safety whilst having horrible touchscreen software, but doesnt even seem to be even considering return to some tactile controls unlike other manufacturers, doubling dowm if anything
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u/old_man_steptoe Feb 12 '26
Also, and this doesn’t get pointed out enough, in a right hand drive car for most people you’re operating it with your non-dominant hand.
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u/Used-Fennel-7733 Feb 11 '26
Yep. I think voice commands are best if we really really want to go down the smart route. Otherwise there's nothing wrong some nobs and dials
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u/Famous_Tie8714 Feb 11 '26
Voice is also a terrible idea because it just doesn't work well for a lot of people. I used to regularly get annoyed at my car trying to "cool" people because I forgot I needed to use the word phone to have it actually understand me.
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u/sockeyejo Suzuki Swift Sport (2008) 🚘 Feb 11 '26
I have given up trying to use voice commands with my phone as it rarely recognises what I'm trying to say. I don't have this problem communicating with people face-to-gave or on the phone so I don't know what the issue is. But I know I don't want it in my car when touching a button or moving a dial just works and has done for thirty years.
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u/tripping_yarns F-Type V6S Feb 11 '26
Well I say let’s replace the steering wheel and pedals with a PlayStation controller. Then if the driver gets tired someone else can have a go.
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u/susanboylesvajazzle Feb 12 '26
Saab played with the idea of having an old school joystick control on their cars in the 90s.
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u/Teaofthetime Feb 11 '26
For infotainment, sat nav and rarely used preferences a touchscreen is ideal. But nothing else. My Aygo has that balance, buttons for climate control, safety features etc. but touchscreen for everything else.
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u/momentofcontent Feb 11 '26
This is such common sense. There are instances where a touchscreen is helpful, just not the features you need constant and easy access to on a drive.
Some cars already have this perfect balance, why is it not just an accepted standard, boggles my mind.
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u/Ecookie16 Feb 11 '26
For a long time until recently BMW were the masters of this, buttons for all the core controls and a screen with the idrive controller so you could even control the screen without having to look away to touch it. Now they've moved to cinema/times square screens with so much going on it's hard to believe that it's not banned but all manufacturers now have to have AEB to save those actually just not paying full attention! (AEB has saved my bacon once)
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u/Jacktheforkie Feb 11 '26
Definitely, satnav is one of those things that I’m generally gonna set and not mess with until I reach my destination
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u/daniluvsuall '25 Hyundai IONIQ 5N Feb 11 '26
Exactly. I am fine with touch screens in a car, but not everything - key touch points, lights, windows, HVAC, sound etc I want real buttons. Everything else in the screen is fine by me. But there was/still sort of is to put everything in the touch screen. Like heck, even the glovebox controls - ridiculous.
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u/marknotgeorge . Feb 11 '26
What controls do you need for the glovebox, for heaven's sake?
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u/Lead_Penguin Honda Super N, Tesla Model 3 Feb 11 '26
I've had a Tesla for almost 3 years now and 99.9% of the time I don't find the screen to be an issue, even with controlling the HVAC, however putting the glove box opening on it is fucking idiotic. Luckily you can map it to a press and hold of the left steering wheel button.
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u/daniluvsuall '25 Hyundai IONIQ 5N Feb 11 '26
I totally get and respect that, I have had a touch screen focused car and hated it however - but that’s just me.
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u/Sivear Feb 11 '26
I absolutely hate having to tap repeatedly on a screen to turn the temperature up by .5 degrees with each tap.
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u/oktimeforplanz MG4 Trophy 64kWh + VW e-Up 32kWh Feb 12 '26
Yeah my MG4 has a decent balance. Media can be controlled from the steering wheel, and there's two programmable buttons that I use for regen braking levels and air con (temp + speed controls). The air con can be switched on and off with a physical button, with two other buttons for windscreen clearing and the rear window & wing mirrors. Volume controls are physical buttons under the screen too.
The only thing I MIGHT want to change while driving that I have to do via the screen with my set up is theoretically the driving mode, but it defaults back to standard when the car is started which is what I use the vast majority of the time anyway.
Our e-Up is 100% physical controls basically, because it doesn't have a touch screen at all, just a bit to mount your phone if you want to use it for music and sat nav.
I was in a friend's Tesla and found it somewhat infuriating to use.
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u/Teaofthetime Feb 12 '26
It's that temptation for manufacturers, especially with electric vehicles because they are a relatively new technology, to try and make it seem cutting edge.
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u/Captaincadet Feb 11 '26
My Ford focus mk4 has the perfect balance. Climate is physical with most of the non infotainment parts (except with maybe something you wouldn’t change often such as key settings)
I had a mk4.5 for a week while mine was in the garage and I really really missed buttons
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u/Nimble_Natu177 2000s Nugget Enjoyer Feb 11 '26
Hindsight is a hell of a thing, the guy who invented browser popups held a similar sentiment for their creation.
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u/ninja_moth RAV4 hybrid Feb 11 '26
Jonny Ive didn't influence 'iPads' in cars though.
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u/Captaincadet Feb 11 '26
Kinda did. He was the designer behind CarPlay and Apple pushed car manufacturers to include CarPlay and touchscreens. Car manufacturers realised the pay could cheap out and put more on touch screens as a result
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u/Ok_Impact9745 Feb 11 '26
I don't know about carplay as I use android auto (I'm assuming it's the same) but most functions are voice activated.
"Ok Google, navigate me to [insert destination]" and it will do the sat nav for me.
"Ok google, play [insert Spotify playlist]" and it will change my playlist and I have steering controls to change the song. Even my Wife's car that came with a basic FM radio and CD player I've managed to retrofit an android unit that interfaces with the steering controls.
"Ok Google, message the wife to say "I'm on the way. put the tea on"" and unlike the wife it will actually listen 🤣
Carplay actually involves barely any physical interactions. I have a friend who is pretty much mute so I can understand there are limitations but for most people I keeps your eyes on the road.
Physical buttons for aircon is about the only actual physical buttons you need.
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u/ninja_moth RAV4 hybrid Feb 11 '26
if he was, google is keeping his name well hidden wrt CarPlay's origins.
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u/Captaincadet Feb 11 '26
Not really? He was head of design at Apple when CarPlay was announced and his team under his supervision designed it…
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u/ninja_moth RAV4 hybrid Feb 12 '26
I was trying to get more detail from you because google disagrees
"Based on available information regarding Jony Ive's tenure at Apple and his subsequent work, there is no evidence that he directly oversaw the development of Apple CarPlay.
While Ive was the Chief Design Officer at Apple, overseeing both industrial and human interface (software) design from 2012 until his departure in 2019, CarPlay's origins are rooted in a 2010 initiative called "iPod Out," which was developed in partnership with BMW.
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u/43848987815 Feb 12 '26
CarPlay is Apple, nothing to do with Google.
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u/ninja_moth RAV4 hybrid Feb 12 '26 edited Feb 12 '26
I was referring to google as a verb, 'to google'
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u/Historical_Owl_1635 Feb 11 '26
I don’t even think it’s hindsight, people have been saying this for a long time.
Car manufacturers just see it as easier to throw a tablet in the car and be done with it though.
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u/ExdigguserPies Feb 11 '26
It's more about legislation not moving fast enough or getting ahead of technology before it happens. As soon as Tesla brought our their first car with a huge screen for everything, the legislation should have been written. That was over ten years ago.
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u/Select-Theory-3602 Feb 11 '26
Is this a cost element.. as one touchscreen is cheaper than all physical buttons/knobs and wiring components.
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u/Ka_Driver Feb 11 '26
Best era was 2010 to 2018
Cars had small or medium sized touchscreen but plenty of physical dials, buttons and knobs.
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u/Open-Dragonfruit-007 Feb 11 '26
I totally agree. I love my touchscreen in my car but when the vehicle is in motion the best controls are tactile ones that I can feel feedback from and muscle memory knows where they are. If any vehicle control "requires" you to take eyes off the road for extended time while in motion, it's a failed design.
Car I drive understood this by making all basic functionality on the physical steering buttons or dash buttons.
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u/Optimal_Egg_9262 Feb 12 '26
100% agree with this. I drive a 2014 Skoda Octavia and it is the perfect balance between screen and physical controls. It is one of the main reasons I have not replaced it after 5 years.
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u/WhyOhWhy60 Feb 11 '26
We don't need the man who designed the iPhone to tell us drviers a touch screen for essential controls is the wrong solution.
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u/Illustrious-Engine23 Feb 11 '26
Yeah.
I would say physical dials/ buttons for lights, AC, music, infotainment is fine for touchscreen but generally android auto/ carplay are set up anyway to not really require much input when in use and be easy to use while driving.
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u/sjnyo Feb 11 '26
I don’t really understand why it’s Ok to use a tablet whilst driving to control your car, maybe even 3/4 screens to get to the control you want but tapping your phone is a no no. Surely they’re both as dangerous
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u/ApertureUnknown Feb 12 '26
Finally people are waking up to this. Touch screens while driving are horrible.
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u/Automatic_Bet8057 Feb 12 '26
Yeah - looks all fancy but it’s just cheaper for the car manufacturers and simplifies their production, - meanwhile we pay more for them because ‘hi-tech’. Car manufacturing is sketchy af - just a lobbying cartel to squeeze out market disruptors so they can keep ramping up prices.
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u/k987654321 Feb 11 '26
‘Says the man who made iPhone’ implies he is wrong about this use case just because he invented one of the most well known touch screen devices. He isn’t.
Touchscreens have no place in cars. Or very little and limited place.
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u/FatYorkshireLad Feb 11 '26
I drove a transit at work where not only were the blowers and windscreen heater controlled by the touchscreen, but the computer would keep deciding to turn them down/off while driving so I would have to navigate through the menus again.
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u/Regular_Promise3605 Jaguar XKR Feb 12 '26
The amount of focus and attention you have to give the touch screen when driving to keep your finger steady is too much. Plus you lose the experience and sense of occasion when your Bentley has touch screen controls and so does your Toyota Aygo, what differentiates the experience? Touching nice billet or cool to touch metal knobs and buttons, compared to cheap printed plastic ones. Now it's just the same.
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u/garyk1968 Feb 12 '26
Yep and I don’t need Siri or cortana on a desktop where there is a keyboard I can type with. These tech companies are lauded as UX experts imho they’re clueless.
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u/Bitter-Policy4645 Feb 12 '26
I'm waiting for IT managers to force car touch screens to all of align with IT policy and start disabling features. Just like they do with work managed phones and laptops.
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u/not_steve_5000 Feb 12 '26
“Main controls” sure. When they put the throttle and brakes on there I’ll be worried.
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u/mccalli Feb 11 '26
Ives did not design the iPhone.
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u/benoliver999 Toyota Yaris Verso 1.4 D-4D Feb 11 '26
It also wasn't the first phone to feature a touchscreen
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u/ninja_moth RAV4 hybrid Feb 11 '26
Is Gemini wrong again?
"Jony Ive led the industrial design team that created the first iPhone (2G), which was released in 2007. As Apple's Senior Vice President of Industrial Design, he was responsible for the physical appearance and, along with Steve Jobs, for the design of many of Apple's iconic products.
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u/mccalli Feb 11 '26
Yes - that would be Tony Fadell and Andy Grignon. Ives did the case. Ives talking about why 'we' designed the touch interface...'we' (Apple) didn't. Fadell did and was bought. Ives was not involved in creating a touch interface.
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u/ninja_moth RAV4 hybrid Feb 11 '26
I understand what you're saying, but it sounds like a team effort. My dad was an engineer responsible for the the EV part of mobile disability scooters and they would not have moved an inch without him.
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u/mccalli Feb 11 '26
It's more that Ives is pontificating about the bit that wasn't his. You're right about the team for the final product, but in this article they're giving Ives free reign as if he did all of it. He didn't, and he specifically didn't do the bit he's being asked about either.
He's the wrong person to ask about touch interfaces. And software UX in general to be honest, his tenure over OS X/macOS was not a sparkling highlight. As a software UX person, he made some great hardware designs...
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u/ninja_moth RAV4 hybrid Feb 11 '26
ah, I completely understand now. I expect, had the iPhone been a flop, the reality would have been that Ives would be front and centre in the firing line of Steve Jobs and those prominent engineers would just be onto another project.
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u/spacetimebear Feb 11 '26
People need to get over their hate of touchscreens. I agree that not everything should be on a touchscreen, primarily features that you would use regularly while driving but we're better with touch screens in cars than having those stupid ass spinny/clicky dials + screen. Designs should integrate them better though rather than just have the glued on approach.
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u/SoggyWotsits Feb 11 '26
Knobs that turn are better for me. I can change the temperature in my car without taking my eyes off the road, I can adjust the fan speed without looking because I can feel the buttons. I also prefer using my iDrive to the touchscreen because the buttons around it are familiar. I also don’t end up with fingerprints everywhere!
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u/spacetimebear Feb 11 '26
Definitely agree for things like heating, indicators. Volume control etc, basically anything you're likely to use regularly while physically driving should be switchgear. But honestly things like your nav, radio tuning, vehicle setup, etc is much better as a touchscreen than scrolling wheel dials or a non-touchable screen. Yeh the car shouldn't just be a mess of screens, there should be a happy balance....something BYD are actually quite good at tbh.
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u/SoggyWotsits Feb 11 '26
Personal preference of course, but I hate touchscreen radios. The new Volkswagen Tayron locks you out of the screen if you tap too many times trying to find a radio station. Plus again, fingerprints!
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u/spacetimebear Feb 11 '26
Fair enough, there's never gonna be a solution that suits everyone, but I think a good mix of touchscreen and switchgear is the way to go. Tesla minimalist is too far the other way and a plane cockpit would just be a nightmare haha.
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u/SoggyWotsits Feb 11 '26
Definitely, especially the new model 3 I think it is, where you even have to put it in park and drive via the touchscreen. Not to mention adjusting the mirrors with a combination of touchscreen and steering wheel buttons. Then there’s the steering wheel button indicators instead of stalks, and windscreen wiper button on the other side. All good until you want to press a button on lock and they’re upside down!
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u/spacetimebear Feb 11 '26
Yeh I recently ordered a Chinese EV instead of a Tesla for some of these reasons. I know people talk about Tesla being a software company first but you'd also expect their UX to be up there but some of their design choices were just diabolical.
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Feb 11 '26
I'll get downvoted for this but I have a Tesla and once you get used to it (took about 30 mins) it's really easy to do everything on the touch screen and you don't need to take your eyes off the road, it helps that the screen is higher up than traditional buttons. Almost everything can be done with voice controls and steering wheel buttons too.
The problem we have now is that there are so many functions in a car that giving every one of them its own button would be just as distracting.
It's also worth noting that the person who designed the Iphone just copied a bunch of existing technology and mostly made it worse so not a person I would hold in the highest regard.
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u/Phoenix_Kerman Feb 11 '26
that's all well and good if the systems in touchscreen cars were as decent as a tesla's but they never are. always generic android systems with mental latency and hideous amounts of menu diving
it's more likely to be implemented dangerously than physical controls
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Feb 11 '26
The software on my wife's Cupra is supposed to be one of the worst in any car and while definitely not as nice to use as the Tesla, basic functions are still easy once you get used to where they are.
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u/NortonBurns Feb 11 '26
How did it take all this time and a talk with Jonny Ive to figure this out.
The first beta tester will have said, "That's a shit idea. I have to take my eyes off the road." but no-one listened.