Spectralis devlog #45
—Hello again proggers—
Rested up after devlog #44 and made a real decision: mobile apps are finally happening. CarPlay and Android Auto both included, though CarPlay’s less likely to actually land than Android Auto — same reasoning as the Mac situation, plus a new wrinkle: the Apple Developer fee.
apple gatekeeps hardware access AND a yearly fee, incredible business model, respect the hustle
Cat or dog? AndroidAuto.connect()
Okay let’s get into it~
—Yap—
Big decision this round, not code yet, direction. Mobile’s been the obvious missing platform for a while, and going all in means CarPlay and Android Auto both get planned for from day one instead of bolted on later.
—The Great Suffering—
1 — Mobile Apps Are Actually Happening
Committing to it now. iOS and Android both, built with CarPlay and Android Auto support planned in from the start rather than retrofitted after the fact.
2 — CarPlay Is The Harder Bet
Same underlying issue as the Mac saga back in devlog #19 and #32 — limited Apple hardware access makes CarPlay genuinely less likely to land than Android Auto, at least on a similar timeline. Hoping for it, not promising it.
3 — The New Wrinkle: The Apple Developer Fee
Beyond hardware access, there’s now a real financial barrier too — the Apple Developer Program fee, which Android doesn’t require in the same way. Another thing stacked on top of the existing Mac-style constraints, specifically for iOS/CarPlay.
hardware access AND a paywall, apple really said “both”
—FAQ (no one asked these but they are here)—
Q: What is a “progger”?
A: A human programmer. You. The one about to budget for an Apple Developer fee on top of everything else.
Q: Why is CarPlay less likely than Android Auto?
A: Same reasoning as Mac desktop support — limited hardware access, now compounded by the Apple Developer fee as a financial hurdle too.
Q: Is Android Auto guaranteed then?
A: More likely, yes, since Android doesn’t carry the same access and fee barriers.
Q: Is this related to the Mac release saga?
A: Same underlying constraint, different platform. Consistent theme at this point.
Q: When’s mobile actually landing?
A: Direction’s decided this devlog, timeline’s not locked in yet.
—This is the end*—
*end for now, developer fees permitting
PHONE!!!