Does the revamped CarPlay mean the end of Android Auto? | TechBuzz

Apple plans to significantly expand CarPlay in the coming months and Google already seems to be taking this into account. What exactly does this mean for Android Auto? There’s some confusion about the future of the smart car platform, but that doesn’t mean Android Auto is going away completely now, of course.

The confusion comes from somewhere, of course. Recently, Google decided to scrap the Android Auto experience for smartphones. Instead, users can access Assistant Driving Mode. This special mode is available for your smartphone, which you hang on the windshield or dashboard of your car.

Two versions of Android Auto

What some people don’t know is that there are two versions of Android Auto. In addition to the smartphone version, you also have Android Auto, which is standard in a car. You use that system on a built-in screen or a third-party screen. This system is also powered by your phone.

The Assistant Driving Mode thus takes over from the smartphone version of Android Auto; the control system for the car does not disappear. In fact, if you use Auto now, you can assume that you will continue to use the system. It’s just that it’s called differently on your phone.

Is CarPlay causing a stir?

Perhaps Google is doing this because the company feels the hot breath of Apple on its neck. CarPlay is getting bigger and more extensive. We can expect many updates for CarPlay in the future. They then add, among other things, the option with which you manage climate control, while you also see information about your fuel level, speed and temperature.

You can decide for yourself what information you see on the screen, by the way. You can also choose the weather, the navigation system and the level of your smartphone battery. CarPlay can automatically adjust to the resolution of a screen. In addition, it looks a bit like you have mounted an iPad in your car.

In the meantime, many automakers have already announced that they want to work with CarPlay. Ford, Audi, Jaguar-Land Rover, Nissan, Volvo and Polestar, among others, want to get started with the next generation of the car system. Finally, Apple reports that 98 percent of new cars support CarPlay and that 79 percent of people who want to buy a car consider that part before making the purchase.

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