After conquering pockets, purses and, more recently, our wrists, our electronic overloards are now moving on to the automobile. You might remember Apple’s hyped CarPlay, an infotainment system that uses their proprietary Siri voice recognition system to make driving safer and communication easier behind the wheel.
And where Apple is, how far behind can Google be?
The search engine giants has released a video demoing its Android alternative to CarPlay, called simply Android Auto. The demo, with a little help from a Kia Soul prototype, is aimed primarily at OEMs and app developers, but we can learn quite a bit about Google’s new technology for cars of the near future from it.
To get started, you visit the Google Play store and download the Android Auto app onto your smartphone. With the app in your pocket now, if you enter an Android Auto equipped vehicle, your phone will activate a Car Mode. This will effectively turn your in-dash display into an Android screen, displaying various functions such as music playback, turn-by-turn navigation, and access to voicemail etc.
Android Auto is still in a nascent stage, but it has seen commitment from established carmakers like Audi, Chevrolet, Honda, and Renault-Nissan. Apple also has its formidable array of marques lined up, including Mercedes-Benz and even Ferrari. Of course, there are some manufacturers who have committed to both. Whichever you choose, one of the two camps has got your back.
Image courtesy: Android Headlines