@boldtrn What are the minimum requirements (processor, memory, OS version, internet speed…) on IOS and Adroid devices that will allow Kurviger App (including Android Auto and in a few weeks Carplay) to run without problems? Assuming only Kurviger and a Music-App (like Spotify) would run on it.
Use case: if I would like to buy a refurbished or second-hand Android or iPhone, that I would just use for the navigation, I would like to keep the costs as low as possible.
What is the “weakest” configuration that is being regularely tested?
Any experiences (good or bad) from Forum-Users to report on this topic?
You also have to check the requirements fir Android Auto. Currently Android 8.
For normal navigation I have a Motorola E20 with Android 11 - but “Go-Edition”, which is stripped due to missing power. This was about 80 € (new) two years ago. It is fine for normal navigation, but not compatible to Android Auto!
As I normally buy used phones, I now check:
Android version not to old - and a full Android!
Battery
No Oled (screen could burn in due to static views)
is it possible to charge fast
Where can it be unlocked (some phones are unlocked on the back side)
So any midrange phone should work. My current main phone is a Moto G53, you get this used below 100€, has Android 14 and still gets updates.
In the Android ecosystem it seems to be normal that devices use outdated versions of the OS in the Apple world that is less common. So for Apple definitely the lastest OS, for a list of compatiblie devices see Apples documentation.
For Android, I would at least get an Android 12 devices (I recommend 15).
Regarding the devices specs, our app does not require a lot CPU or RAM, if you don’t mind that the whole phones feels slow, you can get low end specs for Kurviger.
Maybe it would be a good Idea to update the release notes with these recommendations.
I was thinking about using my old Uniherz Jelly Pro and have it permanently connected to the Android Auto. It is was a tempting idea, due to the its very small size, but it failed due to several reasons:
I selectong the route useng AA display is currently not supported
I did not yet manage to connect Jelly-Pro to AA, despite Android 10 and AA support on the phone.
The Jelly-Pro does not support quick charge (important feature, as @Toffel mentioned above), so it drains its battery faster than it charges when constantly in use
The Jelly-Pro display is really ultra-small, so it is not very practical to use as a standalone device.
Since the use of this phone failed, I was wondering if I could buy a used phone, but would like to make sure that it would work.
I thought I could get one of the older iPhones cheap, if they do not receive updates any more - it just need to be able to run Kurviger.
Not sure if this information is part of the release notes?
To be honest, I don’t really understand the idea . AA / CP has the big benefit, that you don’t need to mount your phone to the handlebar and that you don’t need a second phone. If these two things don’t bother you, I would always choose an actual Android / iOS device over a AA / CP device.
I would not recommend this as we saw issues with these older iPhones.
As @Hobbyfahrer pointed out above, currently your release notes state that IOS14 or Android 6 is the minimum requirement. If I understood your comments, those might be the minimum, where it could work, but you recommend something else. So if I or someone else go and buy second hand Android 6 device today, we might expect that it works flawlessly with all Kurviger functions (e.g., Android Auto). If that is not the case, then the information in the release note is misleading at best and should be updated or removed.
…unless your AA/CP device is built in by the OEM (like on the Africa Twin) in which case you might consider making the best use of that waterproof display.
Let me elaborate - in this case you have several options:
connect your “main” phone using USB cable, which still requires the phone to be either on the handlebar or in a tank bag (provided you have one) and requires you to fiddle with the cables
install the wireless dongle somewhere on the bike and use wireless connection to your main phone (which typically drains the prone battery significantly and requires the phone to be connected to the powerbank - again fiddling with cables and powerbank on every ride
install an Android-Box (e.g., Carlinkit T-Box UHD) that can connect via AA permanently on your bike (e.g., under the seat). This is my current setup - it allows the wireless AA/CP, but it can also work on its own (though with a slightly weird UI, not optimized for AA). Another disadvantage is - the Android-Box has a quite long startup time.
install a secondary phone permanently on your bike (again - under the seat) that connects to your AA immediately. This would only work while you ride frequently (which I do) and would require the ability to select the tour using the AA display (which Kurviger currently does not support). This would solve the problem of draining the battery on my main phone and not having to fiddle with the cables every on every ride.
So my use case for the second phone would be #4 above, but I have another reason. If you remember, on my S10e coupled to to AA, Kurviger navigation cannot be started from the AA display (for reasons unknown). To mitigate this problem for this season, I was considering buying another phone, but I do not want to spend much money on it. For this I would like to know what works, as my old Jelly-Pro with Android 10 does not and my Xperia XA has problems with the USB-Connector and only Android 8 (do I try to fix it, just to realize that it also does not work?).
Kurviger works on an Android 6 device. You can install it and use it. I would not recommend it, if you are looking for a new phone.
If the device is not compatible with Android Auto, then there is nothing we can do. If your motorcycle or car is not compatible with Android Auto, you wouldn’t expect Kurviger’s Android Auto to work there as well? Are there Android 9 phones that don’t support AA? I think AA requires Google Apps (not sure about custom roms).
On the 2.5" inch phone screen of the Jelly Pro I would expect most apps to just barely work. You can install Kurviger. It works. I would not recommend to use Kurviger on a 2.5" screen. Most apps are not optimized for such small screen sizes.
We can’t test every configuration and we can’t optimize our app for every configuration, we try to be compatible with as many devices as possible, but there are limits.
I remember and we are still working on this. We still have 1-2 ideas worth testing, but it’s not a quick fix.
. AA / CP has the big benefit, that you don’t need to mount your phone to the handlebar and that you don’t need a second phone. If these two things don’t bother you, I would always choose an actual Android / iOS device over a AA / CP device.