HUDWAY Cast — Safe Driving 4+

Car: 2015 Infiniti Q50 limited.
Phone: iPhone X

*I’ve only given this app 2 stars because I believe you can do better, addressing these concerns. Once improvements are made I will happily upgrade my rating in the App Store.

Feedback:
1) I can’t fit it directly in front of me so I had to mount it in the centre. On an angle. And the mounting pad sort of drips off the dash. Not as pretty as o would have like it.

2) Your app keeps crashing when I try to launch Spotify. Makes me re-log-in / approve control by Hudway since my Spotify account is linked (logged in) through my Facebook account.

3) Nowhere does it state in the instructions or forums that you need to be first connected to the WiFi/AirPlay of the HUD before you connect to the Bluetooth of your vehicle, in order to have the audio stream through the car while casting video to the device. I figured it out but would have been a helpful / simple instruction to include.

4) Waze is my preference for map directions because of the live traffic info. The issue is that when you select it as a preferred map within the app, it only launches Waze and sets directions - thereby mirroring my phone screen to the HUD. What it should do is launch it inside the app frame so that Hudway app can still maintain the secondary control panel face on the phone.

5) Where is the text messaging option? My phone favorites do not show that control option.

Hi! We are incredibly grateful that you took the time out to leave us this note. We've submitted it to our dev team. If you have more suggestions for our device improvements or any questions about it please write us to support@hudway.co. Thank you in advance!

Let us also leave here a few comments on your message about the app performance. First of all, thank you for sending us a bug report! We're glad to say, that Spotify issue has been fixed in version 1.1.2, so please update the app

As for messaging option, we wish it were in the app, but unfortunately, we won't implement it for IOS version of HUDWAY Cast app, because Apple firmware doesn't let us change its design of messaging services, so the field for inputting your text is too small to see anything, especially while driving.

As for Waze — we won't be able to integrate them. The only cooperation opportunity they offer for third-party developers like us is to launch their application from our application. But in this case the map won't be reversed to produce the right reflection on the windshield — we're unable to take their map data and apply our visualisation algorythms. We tried reaching out to them inquiring about individual cooperation — but they didn't respond. We'd like to get the live traffic info as a feature of our own app someday, but it's a long way to go.

Hope, that we managed to cast some useful light on the matter. If there's anything we can help you with further — just email us back, we'd be happy to do it :) Have a great day!

The app is same as it was in day one. The physical unit is fine but the connection keeps getting lost. Using the app while driving is distracting because of the lost connections.

Just to add another bit: the app keeps working in the background which is a huge drain on the battery.

Hi, we're sorry for causing you so many troubles! Thanks for the feedback. We'll test this issue out and try our best to improve the app in these regards. The battery is discharged due to the constant search for your location and application work. If you have any further issues to discuss, please let us know better at support@hudway.co. Thanks!

I’ve been using this with the linked HUD device, so my review will reflect that, though I won’t go into my thoughts on the hardware here.
My main reason to get the HUD + app was so I could have a speed display that I wouldn’t have to take my eyes off the road to see, and the HUDWAYCAST delivers on that. The main screens I use are the digital speedometer, the turn-by-turn guide, and the information screen. A nice feature is the ability to cast one screen to the HUD and display another on the phone.
Digital Speedometer:
-big, readable digits that show up clearly on the HUD in most lighting conditions
-fairly accurate, depending on your phone’s GPS, though it can have difficulties with sudden speed changes and can give “phantom speed” readings when you’re stopped
-because I got this largely as a precaution against wandering into speed traps, I’d like a way to display when you’re over the limit for the current road
Turn-by-turn:
-clear directions with a high degree of precision (includes smaller side streets that don’t always show up on other GPS displays, gives a good indication of what lane you should be in)
-the speed display on this screen is harder to read than the dedicated speedometer, requiring more attention which reduces the utility
-doesn’t show street names when not guiding you to a destination, and is zoomed in at an angle making it not particularly useful unless you’re using it to find an address
-searching for an address works fairly well, and you can favourite specific addresses, though I’d like the ability to nickname favourites beyond Home and Work (doctor’s office, parents’ house, etc.)
-using an app for guidance besides the built in app just opens that app on your phone, negating most of the benefits of using the app
Info Screen:
-time, local weather, “eco score”
-eco score seems a bit arbitrary
-I’d like to be able to customize the info displayed here, I seems a bit anemic

I don’t have much to say about the other screens, since I don’t use them. I would like the ability to turn on and off the HUD hardware only screens without being connected to the hardware, though. Aside from that, the app can be a bit finicky connecting to the hardware, and sometimes doesn’t engage the GPS properly, requiring you to close and open the app (which is a REALLY BAD IDEA in traffic), though that could just be a factor of the phone and not the app itself.
Aside from those points I’d like addressed, I really like this app and am satisfied with its performance.

Hi, thank you so much for your words, appreciate it! Moreover, we noted your comments, we'll think what can be done, for sharing more ideas, feel free to contact us at support@hudwayapp.com any time. Happy to help you always!