Android Auto and Android Automotive are two systems from Google that make your car smarter. Both let you use the app and you can ask questions to the Google Assistant while you drive. So the basics seem the same, but where is the difference? We explain.
What is Android Auto?
In 2014, Google announced a smart operating system for in-car infotainment systems. By connecting your Android phone to a compatible car via a USB cable, you can use popular apps such as Google Maps and Spotify on the go. You always have access to free and up-to-date navigation and listen to your favorite playlists behind the wheel. It works through a convenient touch interface that looks the same on every car.
In the meantime, more and more car brands have started to support Android Auto and since April 2021 the system has also been officially available in the Netherlands and Belgium. Through this link from Google you can discover which car models work with Android Auto.
Android Auto for smartphones
Unlike Android Automotive, Android Auto has also worked for years on our smartphones. The well-known interface of Android Auto worked on phones and then you could very conveniently place your smartphone in the car via a holder. It was a cheap way to use Android Auto in any car, but Google scrapped this feature last year. We know that Google is working behind the scenes on an alternative, but this feature is not yet available.
- Everything you want to know about Android Auto
Please note, because with some makes and models Android Auto is part of a paid option. When you buy a car new or used, you may have to pay extra to use Android Auto. The software can now also connect wirelessly to your phone, but that works with specific car models and in combination with phones that use Android 11 or a more recent version.
The new Android Automotive
As mentioned, there are a lot of similarities between Android Auto and Android Automotive. Both systems make your car smarter, so you can use apps during car journeys. If you want to start navigating or call a friend, just ask the Google Assistant, hands-free.
And yet there are many important differences between the two systems. Google launched Android Automotive in 2017 and it immediately became clear that the philosophy is very different compared to Android Auto. With Android Automotive, manufacturers can build their own operating system based on Android, which integrates the Google Assistant and also includes support for apps.
Personalized software
Android Automotive is open-source, which means that the system is freely shared with car manufacturers. Carmakers can design the interface themselves, giving the infotainment system of a Hummer, for example, a tougher appearance compared to a luxury car from Polestar. In addition, car manufacturers can also integrate other control elements in the software, such as operating the air conditioning and electric seats. That is a capability that is never present in Android Auto.
And then there’s the way Android Automotive works. While Android Auto is always connected to your phone via USB or a direct Wi-Fi connection, Android Automotive cars work completely independently. In many cases there is a built-in SIM card that helps connect cars to the internet. In many cases, car brands do charge extra for that mobile data connection, possibly after a period of free use.
App offerings and supported models
Finally, we discuss the operation of apps and the car brands that use Automotive. It is not necessary that apps optimized for Android Auto also work with Automotive. In fact, there are a lot more Android Auto apps than apps on Android Automotive right now.
Finally, there are also far fewer car brands that already work with Android Automotive, but the number of new brands will increase in the coming years. Google itself does not share a list of models that work with Android Automotive, but you will find one on Wikipedia.
- Everything you want to know about Android Automotive
What do you think of Android Auto and Android Automotive? Would you like your next car to work with the new Android Automotive? Would you like to see a test of Android Automotive on Androidworld? Let us know in the comments at the bottom of this article.
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– Thanks for information from Androidworld. Source