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Google is making Android Auto available in any Car

BoostBumps

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#1
http://www.autoblog.com/2016/11/08/...pp-update-official/?ncid=edlinkusauto00000016

11/8/2016 - AutoBlog

Android+Auto+Pixel.jpg


Android Auto, like its competitor Apple CarPlay, was developed to free us from terribly designed infotainment systems. It offers a standard, easy-to-use interface that's compatible with many vehicle systems, but it's the compatibility part that has kept many users without newer cars or expensive aftermarket head units from using the app. That's no longer the case, as Google is rolling out an update that brings Android Auto straight to your phone's screen.

Google will be releasing Android Auto 2.0 for any phone running Android 5.0 or newer. The update will allow users to run Android Auto on their phone rather than through an infotainment screen. Simply put, you can run Android Auto in any vehicle, no matter the age, as long as you have an Android 5.0 or newer phone. Even better, if you have a vehicle that has Bluetooth audio, the updated app has a setting to automatically switch to Android Auto when connected.

One of the biggest benefits of Android Auto is the way it integrates with the apps you use every day. That means Google Maps, Messenger, Pocket Casts, and hundreds of others are all controllable through the app. While it won't be available at launch, Google stated that it is working on "Ok Google" voice integration so you can control the app without taking your eyes off the road.

We at Autoblog are big fans of both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Both were finalists for our 2016 Technology of the Year award. Apple won out, but we were still very impressed by Google's product. We've been looking forward to this update to Android Auto since it was announced. If it had come out last year, we might have had a different Tech of the Year winner on our hands.
 


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68
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28
Location
Kent
#2
Time for Ford to go back to the drawing board and spend another year on their update.
 


Messages
44
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2
Location
Jeffersonville
#3
Yes, I'm still waiting for 2.0.......
My Fone is still at 1.6 and my 2016 FiST still don't have it!!
My wifes 2017 Escape has it, we have been promised it....

I want it!
 


OffTheWall503

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Memphis, TN
#4
Now it's just available on a phone screen...cool but not what I want. Hopefully Ford will still release the AA update sometime soon.
 


GoslingOne

New Member
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Hillsborough
#5
What exactly is the advantage of using android auto if it's only on the phone screen?

I thought the entire point was to make the phone controllable through the infotainment screen? Am I missing something or is this basically just a slightly easier to use interface that still requires me to mess around with my phone while driving?
 


Messages
293
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74
Location
Mesa
#6
What exactly is the advantage of using android auto if it's only on the phone screen?

I thought the entire point was to make the phone controllable through the infotainment screen? Am I missing something or is this basically just a slightly easier to use interface that still requires me to mess around with my phone while driving?
For those who have an older car without AA capability
 


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Location
Bedford
#8
I don't see any benefit to having Android Auto on your phone. I figured the point was to bring that all to your dashboard. I mean if you really want the interface I guess you can hang your phone somewhere on the dashboard where it's easy to see without holding it. I'm not about to do that. For me Sync 3 does everything I would need in an infotainment system. I would hope they could release the update to see if any bugs have been fixed. They are supposed to release it by the end of the year, but they are getting a bit close. Last deadline I heard before that was the end of Summer... Hopefully they don't keep pushing it.
 


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Huntington Beach
#9
I don't see any benefit to having Android Auto on your phone. I figured the point was to bring that all to your dashboard. I mean if you really want the interface I guess you can hang your phone somewhere on the dashboard where it's easy to see without holding it. I'm not about to do that. For me Sync 3 does everything I would need in an infotainment system. I would hope they could release the update to see if any bugs have been fixed. They are supposed to release it by the end of the year, but they are getting a bit close. Last deadline I heard before that was the end of Summer... Hopefully they don't keep pushing it.
Like the other guy said, its for cars without a proper infotainment system, but the drivers still use their phone for everything. It is nice for now because it turns everything you would use into a nice UI thats much easier to use. That being said I won't use it until Sync 3 can emulate the screen....and like the other guy said about it, yay Google, boo Ford
 


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Location
Edgewater
#10
Like the other guy said, its for cars without a proper infotainment system, but the drivers still use their phone for everything. It is nice for now because it turns everything you would use into a nice UI thats much easier to use. That being said I won't use it until Sync 3 can emulate the screen....and like the other guy said about it, yay Google, boo Ford
I've been playing around with the on-phone version since the app update pushed and I'm pretty content with it for the time being. There are advantages to having it mirror to the screen (not having to use Bluetooth; not needing a mount for convenient access) but it's way better than any of the third-party speech-to-text apps out there if you're using it primarily for hands-free communications.
 


neeqness

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LA
#11
It's also nice for those without navigation in their cars that use Google maps or Waze instead.

Sent using Tapatalk
 


maestromaestro

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Houston
#13
This is the primary reason why I did not get the NAV in my 2015 FiST - the car navigation is invariably inferior to the real-time Google maps and traffic. To have the phone mirrored by the My Ford Touch screen would be nice - but, given the pre-Sync 3 hardware, it is not a viable option, price-wise. The upgrade cost of almost $1400 makes no sense, considering the value of the car. And, one way or another, you'd have to take your eyes off the road. So, having a bit more optimized phone screen (and, at 6" plus it is almost as big as the MFT 8" one) is good - but, it is incremental and does not add a whole lot of functionality to the existing software.
 




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