TESLA UI / UX

[OxBrew]

Voice command fail:

With a perfect connection, I can say "Call [daughter/wife/friend]"and "Text [daughter/wife/friend]" EXCEPT:

For my son, "Call [son]" works.

"Text [son]" returns "Command not understood." Every time. From day one to now, through every update for the last 15 months. The display shows it correctly interpreted my words, but it just fails.

Amateur, embarrassingly bad.

 

[laservet]

Voice command fail:

With a perfect connection, I can say "Call [daughter/wife/friend]"and "Text [daughter/wife/friend]" EXCEPT:

For my son, "Call [son]" works.

"Text [son]" returns "Command not understood." Every time. From day one to now, through every update for the last 15 months. The display shows it correctly interpreted my words, but it just fails.

Amateur, embarrassingly bad.

Does it work if you use your son's name in the command?

 

[OxBrew]

Does it work if you use your son's name in the command?

What? "in the command"? What do you mean exactly? That's my point. No, not for texts. It does work for calls. It's all set up the same.

 

[Ratch]

Yes, absolutely. Making a driver-focused UI is a choice, and one Tesla has absolutely specifically chosen NOT to do. Even worse they have (mostly) actively made it worse at it for several years. It is absolutely no coincidence that the recent Holiday Update is perhaps the best upgrade to the UI in several years (at least for driver-usability) and it happened when Elon is mostly out of the picture distracted with Twitter. Don't get me wrong, it was only a minor update, but at this point any positive change feels monumental compared to the downgrades we usually get.

I’m not so sure they made a decision not to make it driver-focused, I don’t think they thought about it at all. I mean, how can it be a conscious decision to make it so poor for drivers, what’s the rationale? Because FSD will be the ultimate goal?

Joke is, it’s still a poor experience in an autonomous driving context.

 

[OxBrew]

I’m not so sure they made a decision not to make it driver-focused, I don’t think they thought about it at all. I mean, how can it be a conscious decision to make it so poor for drivers, what’s the rationale? Because FSD will be the ultimate goal?

Joke is, it’s still a poor experience in an autonomous driving context.

I think Elon probably chose to not prioritize making it driver focused by default; the net effect of all the other priorities essentially made the choice to not even think about it.

But specific changes in the past show a choice to not make it driver focused, or make it less driver focused than it was.

Moving controls (icons) that were available in v10 before Dec 2021 (always on the main screen) several menu layers down in v11 was an anti-driver choice.

They moved almost all of them back as at least optional additions to always show, so they realized they made a mistake, eventually.

It's back to not having hard rules in the UI design. It's just a mess of a dev process, honestly.

 

[Killer Junior]

I think Elon probably chose to not prioritize making it driver focused by default; the net effect of all the other priorities essentially made the choice to not even think about it.

But specific changes in the past show a choice to not make it driver focused, or make it less driver focused than it was.

Moving controls (icons) that were available in v10 before Dec 2021 (always on the main screen) several menu layers down in v11 was an anti-driver choice.

They moved almost all of them back as at least optional additions to always show, so they realized they made a mistake, eventually.

It's back to not having hard rules in the UI design. It's just a mess of a dev process, honestly.

A mess of a dev process due to the rise in consumer demand perhaps? It might be pressure to roll out as many production models as possible to keep up with demand and worry about continuous improvement efforts later. We can only speculate I guess.

 

[Ratch]

A mess of a dev process due to the rise in consumer demand perhaps? It might be pressure to roll out as many production models as possible to keep up with demand and worry about continuous improvement efforts later. We can only speculate I guess.

I’d say they underestimated how important the screen becomes once you’ve removed literally all physical controls from the driver. If you’re gonna do that, you better be prepared with best in class UI/IX and / or best in class voice.

The screen becomes a top-level priority because they made it a priority - a focal point and everyone is now fully reliant on it for EVERYTHING. It’s literally as important as the motor / battery tech.

 

[laservet]

What? "in the command"? What do you mean exactly? That's my point. No, not for texts. It does work for calls. It's all set up the same.

Ah, I understand. My Y always responds to voice commands to make phone calls, but texting is hit or miss. Some days it works, others it says texting only works with iOS vX or Android vX. All settings in both the car and the phone are unchanged. This problem popped up in the holiday update in 2021 and has persisted ever since. But that just requires a software fix and eventually they will sort it out. All other voice commands work fine for me, I never have to touch the screen while driving.

 

[OxBrew]

Ah, I understand. My Y always responds to voice commands to make phone calls, but texting is hit or miss. Some days it works, others it says texting only works with iOS vX or Android vX. All settings in both the car and the phone are unchanged. This problem popped up in the holiday update in 2021 and has persisted ever since. But that just requires a software fix and eventually they will sort it out. All other voice commands work fine for me, I never have to touch the screen while driving.

That's great, I'm still happy it works for you. It will be really interesting if you ever take a long trip and have to drive for a day with no connection, especially if you have rain and snow. You might have a different view by the end of the day.

 

[laservet]

That's great, I'm still happy it works for you. It will be really interesting if you ever take a long trip and have to drive for a day with no connection, especially if you have rain and snow. You might have a different view by the end of the day.

I’m sure I would. Is T-Mobile’s coverage so poor in some areas that one can drive all day with no signal? What area do you drive that lacks connectivity?

Edit: Spokane has good coverage, some surrounding areas look like they have none. Surprisingly Fargo has great coverage over a large radius.

 

[laservet]

 

[laservet]

 

[OxBrew]

View attachment 894913

Those maps, at least for Spokane, are a lie, or at least mis-represent the actual coverage at any point.

In any case, my T-mobile phone connects much better than our MY. Large pockets of Spokane are no go, and re-connecting once in a good coverage area is spotty at best.

3. Is Tesla on the T-mobile network? I thought they were on AT&T?

Edit: lol. T-Mobile says I should have 5G and 4G LTE at my address. I don't even have anything. 1 blip of 2G or what ever they call it now.

 

[laservet]

I thought it was T-Mobile, but certainly could be wrong. Anyone know which it is?

Edit: Looked it up, you are correct, it is AT&T. What is their coverage in Spokane? Their online map says “not found” when I type in Spokane. Maybe that’s the problem.

 

[jabloomf1230]

Those maps, at least for Spokane, are a lie, or at least mis-represent the actual coverage at any point.

In any case, my T-mobile phone connects much better than our MY. Large pockets of Spokane are no go, and re-connecting once in a good coverage area is spotty at best.

3. Is Tesla on the T-mobile network? I thought they were on AT&T?

Edit: lol. T-Mobile says I should have 5G and 4G LTE at my address. I don't even have anything. 1 blip of 2G or what ever they call it now.

Same here. T-Mobile's maps are wishful thinking. My phone has an eSim slot so I tried out the T-Mobile free trial at my house. I was supposed to get 5G and I barely got 4G.

Tesla is on ATT Enterprise in the US.

 

[laservet]

To put things in perspective

 

[Ratch]

That's great, I'm still happy it works for you. It will be really interesting if you ever take a long trip and have to drive for a day with no connection, especially if you have rain and snow. You might have a different view by the end of the day.

Voice hit and miss for me even with excellent signal.

 

[MashinBenzin]

It does all depend on what you’ve had before. My Tesla has vastly less features than my previous cars.

I love that somebody managed to press disagree to this post that really does sum up the fan boy mentality.

For the disagreer - try cooled seats, heated third row, HUD, 360 cameras, auto-parking as standard, heated windscreen, opening glass roof, 9 USBs, rear video screens, electrically folding seats, air suspension, electric folding side steps, an absolute tonne of storage including two gloveboxes. Then add in that pretty much everything the two have in common was better in the previous car - autopilot type system, audio, infotainment, navigation, wipers, lights, etc etc.

The Tesla is very very poverty spec in comparison. It’s advantage is that it’s an EV and that’s the only one and the only reason for buying it.