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Android Auto and Android Automotive are getting Google updates, but the long-awaited overhaul isn’t here yet.
Android Auto and Android Automotive fans will still have to wait before enjoying a major overhaul of the OS, despite announcements made at Google’s last annual conference in May 2022.
As a reminder, Android Auto is a smartphone application that allows you to replicate responsive part of the content of said smartphone on the interface of the car, the connection being made via Bluetooth or via a USB cable.
Android Automotive, on the other hand, is an operating system that integrates directly into the car’s infotainment interface. It is therefore not an overlay, but the OS which allows both, for example, to manage its ventilation, access to driving aids, navigation or even its music. For the moment, some vehicles are equipped with it such as the new Renault Megane E-Tech, or the Volvo XC 40 Recharge. But we are expecting a deployment soon on the Stellantis group via the Snapdragon Cockpit platform.
Once parked, Android Auto will unlock access to videos and YouTube.
With Android Auto moving to 8.0, the biggest change is the introduction of a three-part split screen, offering to quickly change media being played or interact with the Google Assistant without hiding the Google navigation. Maps. Also, the redesign of Android Auto is intended to better accommodate the wide variety of car infotainment screen shapes available today. After a few days of beta testing, Google began rolling out version 8.0 through the Play Store. The aesthetic change is not for now, even if some were waiting for the appearance of the Coolwalk redesign.
Finally, on the Android Automotive side, which is now in version 13, the user will also be entitled to a few changes, such as a more precise location of the vehicle or even better accessibility to manufacturers so that they can more easily link Android Automotive to car-specific command lines (reversing camera, automatic light detection, etc.).