Android Auto is one subject I am passionate about. I spend a lot of time in my car commuting to work and having a decent entertainment system that is easy to use, functional and looks good is essential for me. Today, via their blog, Google have announced the next step for Android within the automobile.
Android Auto is designed to give the driver access to all the information they require while minimising the distractions. Voice automation with a semi-functional Google Assitant improved that recently. The problem with Android Auto is that it is basically a projection of your phone’s app onto the display of the car and as such is unable to control the cars functions from within Android Auto.
Today Audi and Volvo have announced that they will be building Android into their upcoming cars. Essentially, this means that Android will be used to control not just the infotainment system but also various functions throughout the car such as the air conditioning, seat warmers, sunroof, well, everything. This Android will also have a built in Google Assistant which will hopefully be more functional than the Android Auto one — think Google Home for your car.
Both manufacturers have stated that the switch to running Android will allow for faster updates and upgrades to their software as well as the added functionality of future in-car apps. They will both have vehicles on display this week at Google IO 2017 and both Dan and I hope to get some hands on time with them. For those at home the session at Google IO can be livestreamed.
While this is not new, the fact that it is no longer concept and heading out to cars is new and something I am definitely looking forward to. You can check out the hands on video from 9to5Google from last year below. Let us know your thoughts on it in the comments below.
Using Tasker to give some contextual settings would be nice. Like having the car automatically turn on the seat warmers and heater when starting up on cold winter mornings, but knowing not to do it during the rest of the year.