Although Android Auto is Google’s most popular car-related project, we can’t forget about Android Automotive, which will probably be more important in the long term. Let us remember that Android Automotive is Android version for carswhich does not require a connection to the mobile phone as Android Auto does; Therefore, it runs directly on the car’s touch screen, with all the advantages that entails.
The great advantage of Android Automotive is the Greater integration with car systemswhich allows you to offer functions that are not possible in Android Auto; at the same time that it offers access to the same apps such as Google Maps, Spotify or YouTube. The news announced by Google They represent very well the advantages that Android Automotive has, not only with respect to Android Auto, but also with respect to the systems created by manufacturers.
For example, one of the upcoming features of Android Automotive is concurrent multi-user mode; In other words, two people can use the system at the same time. This mode is designed for cars with multiple screens, which are increasingly common, especially in high-end ranges; The driver has access to a central screen, while the passenger has their own dedicated screen on the dashboard. Screens for rear passengers are also increasingly common, usually in the form of seat-mounted tablets.
With the next Android Automotive update, each screen will be able to work independently, showing different sessions and apps to each user. For example, a rear passenger can run a video streaming app such as YouTube, without affecting the operation of the central screen for the driver, which can show Google Maps. For practical purposes, it is as if each user had a screen with an independent system, although in reality it is the same system running on the car’s ‘hardware’.
This multi-user functionality is in addition to the multi-screen functionality that Android Automotive received last year. The multiscreen achieves the opposite effect: that all screens can receive the same content as the main screen; This is useful in many situations, such as for the passenger to help create a route in Google Maps so that the driver is not distracted while driving, or to display the same video on multiple screens so that all passengers see the same movie.
Speaking of multimedia content, the other big news from Android Automotive affects its player, with a renewal of the “Media” app with a modernized and improved interface. Although Google has not shared images of the new app, it states that the redesign is designed for both horizontal and vertical screens. Although horizontal screens are more common in cars with Android Auto, many manufacturers that use Android Automotive, such as Volvo and Polestar, have opted for vertical screens, and now the media player will better fit these.
Other new features in Android Automotive are minor or focus on solving problems discovered in the experience. For example, it is now possible to activate Bluetooth by holding down the push-to-talk (PPT) button on the car’s steering wheel, which will make it much easier to pair new devices such as headphones without having to go into the system settings. Another curious novelty is that the car will be able to change the time automatically, using Google services, if it has a cellular or WiFi connection; something very useful if we make long trips in which we change time zones.
