When Cars Became Smartphones: When a CD Changer Was Enough

There was a time when the peak of in-car entertainment was a Pioneer head unit with detachable faceplate technology that made absolutely nobody safer, but made all of us feel very cool.

If you grew up in Bangkok in the ’90s and early 2000s, you remember the era well. Panasonic speakers from Chiang Khong. Alpine Electronics sound systems. Sony Xplod stickers adding at least 15 imaginary horsepower. CD changers hidden in the boot like precious contraband. Subwoofers so large they occupied half the luggage space but somehow still felt practical.

Back then, cousins compared sound systems the way people now compare battery range and software updates. Meanwhile, Uncle Raj would sit quietly in the corner insisting all anyone really needed was FM radio and functioning air-conditioning.

And honestly? It was glorious because cars were still cars.

Today, modern vehicles come with Netflix, Spotify, karaoke, gaming, selfie cameras, ambient lighting, AI assistants, streaming services, massage functions, productivity apps, and enough screen real estate to rival a small condominium television setup.

At some point, the dashboard stopped being a dashboard and became an iPad with wheels attached.

To be fair, technology in cars genuinely improved the driving experience at first.

When BMW introduced iDrive, it felt futuristic. Maps inside the car. Bluetooth connectivity. Parking sensors. Rotary controller wheels that made you feel like you were operating military equipment.

But there was balance. The screen didn’t dominate the drive.

Physical buttons still handled the important things like air-conditioning, radio tuning, seat controls, and volume knobs. You could operate most functions by feel without taking your eyes off the road for more than a second or two.

Car interiors were also naturally simpler then. Fewer options, cleaner layouts, and sometimes those funny blank button covers because your car didn’t come with the higher-spec features.

Nobody complained.

Back then, if your navigation froze, you simply ignored it and continued driving like a functioning adult.

Then Apple CarPlay and Android Auto arrived…

And honestly? This was probably the sweet spot. Proper navigation, calls, messages, Spotify, podcasts, Google Maps, and Waze.

Simple. Useful.

Most people realised they didn’t actually need their cars to become spaceships. They just wanted decent maps and good music on the way to dinner.

Which is why some of today’s infotainment systems feel slightly ridiculous. Because once you already have maps and music, does your car really need karaoke, gaming, meditation modes, facial recognition, and 47 ambient lighting colours called things like “Moonbeam Sapphire”?

Then Tesla happened.

And whether you love Tesla or hate Tesla, the company changed the industry forever.

Tesla proved that software could matter more than horsepower. Suddenly, cars were no longer static machines. They evolved constantly through over-the-air updates. Interfaces changed, range calculations improved, and some owners literally woke up to cars that behaved differently than they did the previous month.

Nobody buys a car anymore. We subscribe to software with wheels.

Once Tesla showed this was possible, the rest of the industry had no choice but to follow.

Now almost every manufacturer wants to become a technology company, until your car starts demanding updates like a smartphone.

But here’s what nobody tells you.

Carmakers LOVE giant screens. Not just because they look futuristic, but because they are significantly cheaper to manufacture than dozens of physical buttons and switches.

One giant touchscreen can replace climate controls, media controls, navigation buttons, lighting adjustments, seat functions, and sometimes even air-conditioning vents themselves.

Car companies discovered that replacing 27 buttons with one screen looked futuristic and saved on costs.

The latest Mercedes-Benz models now come with gigantic “Hyperscreens”—and now even newer “Superscreens.” These are essentially supercomputer displays stretched across the dashboard with processing speeds almost as quick as modern smartphones.

Passenger screens are now everywhere in Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, BMW, and many Chinese brands.

But honestly, why?

Most of them duplicate exactly what the main centre screen already does. Manufacturers now spend additional money making these screens “privacy protected” so drivers cannot see what the passenger is watching while driving. Which feels like solving a problem they created themselves.

And the rear passengers now live even better than the driver.

In the 2000s, we were mesmerised by tiny 7-inch TVs hidden in the roof lining. Then came screens behind the headrests.

Today? The latest BMW 7-Series drops down a gigantic 31-inch 8K “Theatre Screen” from the roof, while the Lexus LM luxury van offers an absurd 48-inch rear display.

Rear passengers now control climate, music, massage functions, blinds, and entertainment from touchscreens hidden inside door panels and armrests.

At this point, some luxury cars feel less like transportation and more like business-class airport lounges trapped in Bangkok traffic.

Some brands are even experimenting with touch-sensitive controls directly on steering wheels to adjust drive modes and infotainment functions.

They look futuristic for about three days before fingerprints, accidental touches, and frustration set in.

Physical buttons may not be sexy anymore, but at least your thumb knew where they were.

Nobody should need three menu screens just to reduce fan speed.

Safety organisations in Europe are already encouraging manufacturers to bring back physical controls because touchscreen-heavy systems can increase distraction while driving.

Ironically, after years of removing buttons, several companies are stealthily bringing them back.

Even mirrors are changing.

Digital driver displays took some time to get used to, but they are mostly acceptable now. However, some manufacturers are now replacing traditional side mirrors and rearview mirrors with cameras feeding live video onto screens inside the cabin.

Frankly, looking at a screen still doesn’t feel the same as looking at an actual mirror. Depth perception feels slightly different, and your brain needs time to adapt.

Sometimes old technology exists because it simply works.

And maybe that’s the biggest change of all.

This is what the car industry is really debating right now: are cars transportation devices, or are they extensions of our digital lives?

Sometimes modern cars feel less like machines and more like giant mobile apps.

Technology itself is not the problem. Some of it is genuinely brilliant.

But perhaps somewhere along the way, the industry has forgotten that many people still enjoy the simple act of driving.

Despite all my complaints, the future is clearly digital.

Cars will become smarter and more autonomous. And yes, while it is impressive, many of us still miss the satisfaction of turning an actual knob.

Somewhere between the cassette player and the AI assistant, the car stopped being something we simply drove, and became something we constantly interacted with.

Maybe that’s progress…

Or maybe Uncle Raj was right all along when he said:

“Too many gadgets.”