I have to say, considering how Google half-asses things I’d have no confidence in this product. That said, a half-assed effort by Google is still probably better software than the full-ass software effort by carmakers.
My real dream is to get these things fully modular. Let my lift up the touchscreen to access a cavity where a little infotainment-SBC is wired into a couple of USB ports and a mini DisplayPort. What’s it got to run? Audio, touchscreen, GPS, phone-over-Bluetooth? That stuff is well-known. Basically the only place where I expect standard interfaces to fall on their face is climate control. As an API fallback, have the built-in car-computer run a private web-server for controlling the car’s non-standard hardware. Then just have the SBC use a browser for those screens. Only API needed is “what URIs do I show for what features like climate or trip-odometer or whatever screens can’t be standardized at the infotainment level”.
Car components talk via CAN bus. There are many aftermarket head units that includes CAN bus support and has presets to talk and retrieve information from multiple car models (climate control, lights, speed, engine status, etc). The problem is, most cars manufactured in the past several years don’t allow aftermarket head unit installation anymore, so you’re basically stuck with whatever entertainment system the car manufacturer put in the car for the rest of the car’s life.
My worry is that google once obtaining the monopoly/duopoly, will do what they did with android, kill all of its “open” values in the name of security and push their own services
Android Automotive and Android Auto are different things. Google will ultimately abandon Auto in favor of Automotive because Google and car manufacturers will largely benefit from locking you down using Automotive.
I know Audi has been using Linux based infotainment systems for years now, so I can see VAG moving towards this as a way of reducing development costs. I just hope the implementation is better than what’s in Volvo cars because right now the customization sucks around it.
Perhaps your car has poor Android Auto, but for me it works great. I bought an after market stereo which included wireless android auto. No more random disconnects when the usb-c cable is bumped. I turn my car on and within a few seconds my phone automatically connects. Its simple, does the job of giving me media control and maps from my phones, and at least on my 4 year old after market head unit runs real smooth.
Car manufacturers keep cheaping out in the wireless though. So dumb for what is probably $5 in additional costs.
Android Automotive is different: Android Auto streams from your phone, and Android Automotive is the car’s actual OS. If it’s not the cars OS it’s the infotainment center’s OS.
Honestly, it’s a far superior approach for European car makers than developing subpar software, pouring millions into it, and marketing it as a grand design while failing to get even the basics right.
Strategically, for Volkswagen, it’s crucial to test and consider using Android Automotive as an alternative to their proprietary software to remain competitive.
The data gathered by a smart phone is limited to what you do on the smart phone.
The data available via CANBUS isn’t something that is available basically anywhere else, and has the benefit of probably half a dozen cameras pointed at you, and your garage and house, and every person you drive by on the street and every place you go. They could determine if you saw a billboard on your drive to work. They could ID you walking into an abortion clinic across state lines or hear you picking up your prescription at the pharmacy.
Your car (especially one marketed with ‘smart’ features) is basically a giant collection of sensors and cameras. I’m not saying that it’s worse, but adding all that data in with all your other data certainly IS worse.
Laughs hysterically in Google. Oh my God, I’m going to have cramps. What would Google possibly want with massive data dumps from people buying new porsches??
Neither company has a monopoly anywhere but the mix of Android and iOS varies greatly by region.
Thankfully, most cars that support phone projection support both, probably because of that fact. Easier to develop a single configuration that works for everyone.
Personally, I still prefer Android Auto (i.e. phone projected onto car screen) to Android Automotive (Android built into the car infotainment system). My phone gets way more updates than my car, and it’s cheaper to buy a new phone once it stops getting updates.
I have the same sentiment towards smart TVs vs plain old “dumb” TVs + a streamer.
Android Automotive (the car OS) does support phone projection (Android Auto and CarPlay).
From what I’ve seen in reviews of cars that have it, Automotive is pretty solid, and I’d take an EV that had it as long as CarPlay were an option. (So no GM for me).
They can’t gather data from my use of the built-in apps if I don’t use them.
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