The dash of your car is the next software battleground, whileAndroid Autois pretty familiar - Google’s Apple CarPlay equivalent - Android Automotive is something different. While both are Android-based technologies, they offer a very different position when it comes to what they offer in your car.
Quite simply,Android is taking over your car, like it or not. While choosing to use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay is within your power, Android Automotive is something different and started to make real gains in the automotive sector. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
What is Android Automotive?
Android Automotive is an operating system (OS) developed by Google specifically for use in cars. It is a modified version of the Android OS that is optimized for your vehicle infotainment systems. According toAndroid’s website, “Android Automotive is not a fork or parallel development of Android. It is the same codebase and lives in the same repository as the Android shipped on phones, tablets, etc.”
Unlike Android Auto, which is designed for smartphone integration with your car infotainment systems, Android Automotive is a standalone operating system that powers the entire infotainment system of your car. It offers navigation, media playback, communication, vehicle controls, and sensors. “Android Automotive now brings the power of Android to the car, where car makers can create powerful infotainment systems designed for the digital age,” reads Android’s official description of the car OS.
Since Google introduced Android Automotive in 2017, the OS has been adopted by automakers to provide a more seamless and integrated user experience in their vehicles. The idea is to provide a familiar and modern user interface, easily updated over the air, and allowing a high degree of customization for the vehicle manufacturer. As displays in automobiles get larger, and drivers become increasingly tech-savvy, the need for a solution that behaves more like a smartphone has become increasingly apparent.
The advantage for manufacturers is that they don’t have to develop their own software platform or apps if they choose Android Automotive; conversely, the downside is that there’s the potential for less differentiation between vehicles, with the manufacturer potentially feeling like they don’t own the customer experience. For some brands that might be acceptable, for others, it’s a serious consideration.
So Android Automotive just makes your car into a giant Android phone?
Pretty much. And just like Android on phones, there’s a catch. You can have the full Android Automotive system with apps and Google services, which comes in a package called Google Automotive Services - or GAS for short. Those Google services include Google Maps, Google Assistant and access to Google Play apps, just like you’ll find on a phone. You can also have the core offering without GAS, which basically gives you an Android OS, but without those services. That would leave the vehicle manufacturer free to source those elements from other suppliers (like Here or TomTom for mapping), or to develop their own voice assistant.
Volvo - and related brands like Polestar - lead the way in Android Automotive adoption, with the full Google experience included, but other brands are starting to use Android Automotive as the platform, but not taking the Google services. BMW is an example of the latter, for example, which is shifting from its old Linux platform to Android Automotive andrecently told us that it wanted to keep ownership of the experience. In this latter example, Android Automotive then just provides the software platform on which to build the car’s consumer-facing systems.
What app types are on Android Automotive?
The big difference between Android Automotive and Android Auto, is that on the former platform the apps are downloaded and installed on the car. On the latter system, apps are installed on your phone and mirrored on the car. Asbroken down by Android Developers, these are several app categories supported on the OS:
Video, games, and browsers are the app categories that aren’t available on Android Auto, so they really separate the Android Automotive OS from the phone-based version. The idea here is to provide the essentials for driving - media and navigation - while also providing entertainment for charging stops. That’s a major difference that comes with electric cars - you might be parked for 30 minutes on a charger, so providing a video streaming app makes perfect sense.
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Downloading apps on Android Automotive is easy. When you go through the initial setup process, it’ll suggest some basic apps to download, including Spotify and other popular ones. If you want to download other apps, there’s a Google Play button tucked in the menu of your car’s infotainment system. In there, you can search and download apps just like you would from an Android smartphone or tablet.
What manufacturers use Android Automotive?
Several automakers use Android Automotive as their infotainment system in their vehicles. Some manufacturers that have adopted Android Automotive include:
These are just a few manufacturers that have chosen Android Automotive for their vehicles. It’s worth noting that the list is continually evolving as more automakers adopt the platform.
What is Android Auto?
Android Auto is a mobile app developed by Google that allows you to mirror features from an Android device onto your vehicle’s infotainment system. It is designed to provide a safer and more convenient way to access certain smartphone functionalities while driving. Connecting an Android device to the vehicle through a USB cable or wirelessly (with compatible head units oran adapter) lets you access and control various features, including navigation, music playback, phone calls, messaging, and other compatible apps through the vehicle’s dashboard display.
Android Auto emphasizes voice commands and simplified user interfaces to minimize distractions and ensure a safer driving experience.
What manufacturers use Android Auto?
Many automotive manufacturers offer Android Auto integration in their vehicles. Some manufacturers that support Android Auto include:
Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and the availability of Android Auto may vary by model and region.
Android Automotive vs. Android Auto
As discussed earlier, Android Automotive and Android Auto are in-car systems developed by Google. They may serve similar purposes, but their capabilities are different. Here is a comparison between the two:
What is the future of Google in your car?
The continued presence of Android Auto holds excellent potential for the thriving of Android Automotive in the near future.
Despite its many features, Android Automotive has not garnered as much popularity as its counterpart, Android Auto. Yet, we anticipate a shift in this pattern as more vehicles equipped with Android Automotive are expected to be sold in the coming years. Additionally, this presents an opportunity for car manufacturers to personalize the interface without relying on Google apps, enhancing privacy - a notable advantage.
On the other hand, Android Auto and Google Assistant driving modes remain appealing due to their affordability and easy accessibility. This is attributed to the fact that most individuals possess an Android smartphone. Overall, both Android Auto and Android Automotive appear to be sticking around.
Android Automotive and Android Auto have become important OS and apps for modern vehicle infotainment systems. Both serve the same purposes, but their mode of connection and capabilities varies. Android Auto is a smartphone companion app that allows your phone to connect and interact with the car’s infotainment system. At the same time, Android Automotive is a complete operating system built directly into the vehicle, providing a customized and full-featured in-car experience.
Do you really get to choose? No, you don’t. You’ll buy a car, and it might have Android Automotive in it, along with all the Google services. Or you might buy a car that runs Android Automotive, and it’s skinned, so it looks different - there’s a chance you’ll never even know it’s Android underneath.
