A test drive with Android Auto, a simple solution to clunky car software

Google tackles car infotainment, but safety concerns limit third-party apps.

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[flunk]

Looks better than Sync at least to me.

 

[Silellak]

I'm really curious to see what the aftermarket solution looks like. I have an aftermarket Bluetooth stereo in my car, and it's fine, but it's about time for a upgrade.

 

[cabbiebot]

I wonder what can be done to bypass the app type limitation with root.

 

[Silellak]

arkiel[/url]":1vvm8rqi]
I hope there's a dev mode that let's me do whatever I want, but if app support is going to be shitty, the significance of this product amongst other alternatives likewise hampered by paternalistic 'security concerns' is going to be insignificant.

I imagine those "paternalistic security concerns" were table stakes for getting automobile makers to agree to ship cars with Android Auto.

 

[Xavin]

Looks great. I'm sure things will open up over time, but right now car software is in such a terrible state that forcing it to comply with a well thought out design is a good thing.

 

[BMR-777]

The nice thing about the car being "dumb" in this case with everything on the phone is that when you go to sell your car it doesn't have all of your personal information on it. I don't have experience with the newer cars that have infotainment systems, but one of the things I have always wondered about is how much personal data is saved to that and what happens when you go to sell your car and / or lend it out to a friend or take it to the shop?

 

[CUclimber]

The problem is that the in-dash display will still likely cost you $2,300 for the "Infotainment Package" and it will be inferior to a $500 ipad in almost every way.

 

[Windblownclock]

total.wimp[/url]":39jhrs00]"Safety" is misapplied here. It may, in fact, be safer to use only front-ends that are tested to be safe, but if consumers don't get what they want on the car interface, they'll just pull out their phone and use it directly. That's a heck of a lot less safe.

Google and auto manufacturers don't get penalized for what the consumer does on his phone, only for what they put in the car. They have no incentive to make the situation safer overall by building more flexibility into the dashboard product so consumers are less likely to want to use an alternative.

I believe Google's solution for that is self-driving cars.

 

[ModernTenshi04]

CUclimber[/url]":3li92lzj]The problem is that the in-dash display will still likely cost you $2,300 for the "Infotainment Package" and it will be inferior to a $500 ipad in almost every way.

Not everyone has the time or patience to install an iPad in their dash, let alone the know how. There may be a higher cost associated with cars that can use Android Auto, but it's a cost I'd be pretty willing to pay whenever I get a new car.

Besides, plenty of cars have started including some sort of touchscreen interface in their dash for some time now. Should demand for these things increase, they'd likely just become a standard option in most vehicles.

 

[wb]

I personally believe that touchscreens and driving do not mix very well.


Give me tactile buttons that I can differentiate without looking at them while driving, please.



EDIT:

I realize they also offer "voice control" but my experience so far with that has been mixed at best.

Even after rolling up my windows (a necessity) I'm still only batting about 10-20% success rate in voice commands on my android phone.

 

[annomander]

wb[/url]":2zty560v]I personally believe that touchscreens and driving do not mix very well.


Give me tactile buttons that I can differentiate without looking at them while driving, please.

You want a new Ferrari, every major device is controlled by buttons on the steering wheel.

 

[Einbrecher]

Last sentence of paragraph 6...You mean Android Auto, not Android Wear, right?

 

[MisdemeanorMatt]

As long as I can see it in direct sunlight. I don't understand, my $600 dollar full color fish finder works wonderfully in direct sunlight but I have to hover-hand to see anything on dashes of newer vehicles.

 

[MatthiasF]

Can we replace the "Google" voice activation with the word "Computer" so I can feel like Gene Roddenberry's vision is finally a reality?

 

[CUclimber]

I personally believe that touchscreens and driving do not mix very well.

++ I value being able to completely black out the dash backlighting while driving at night, while still retaining the ability to adjust the climate control and stereo by touch alone.

Give me some attractive tactile knobs, dials, and buttons and leave the touchscreens to my portable devices.

 

[0wlie]

As a software engineer implementing this at an American OEM, my opinion is that this is a much needed step in the right direction.

Regulations and insane timelines mixed with software suppliers doing most (if not all) of the infotainment system make it difficult to bring high-quality software platforms to the car. Additionally, the competition between OEMs and their software suppliers frequently leads to each head-unit generation built from the ground up by a completely different set of software engineers - most of the time making the same mistakes as the previous sw supplier.

With this solution, Google and Apple will be able to upgrade and improve the software at lightning speed safely and securely using the cloud infrastructure they already have in place; while the head-unit software complexity is drastically reduced so the OEMs can focus on what they do best - cars.

 

[dagamer34]

total.wimp[/url]":1l81ttch]"Safety" is misapplied here. It may, in fact, be safer to use only front-ends that are tested to be safe, but if consumers don't get what they want on the car interface, they'll just pull out their phone and use it directly. That's a heck of a lot less safe.

Google and auto manufacturers don't get penalized for what the consumer does on his phone, only for what they put in the car. They have no incentive to make the situation safer overall by building more flexibility into the dashboard product so consumers are less likely to want to use an alternative.

"Safety" is definitely the wrong word, but for the wrong reason. It's more important for UIs to be consistent between each other. The play button really should be in the same location for every app, there's almost zero reason for every app to re-invent the wheel.

 

[AnniesBoobs]

total.wimp[/url]":jk6629hs]"Safety" is misapplied here. It may, in fact, be safer to use only front-ends that are tested to be safe, but if consumers don't get what they want on the car interface, they'll just pull out their phone and use it directly. That's a heck of a lot less safe.

Google and auto manufacturers don't get penalized for what the consumer does on his phone, only for what they put in the car. They have no incentive to make the situation safer overall by building more flexibility into the dashboard product so consumers are less likely to want to use an alternative.

I think you have it backwards. Right now, users are doing this:

they'll just pull out their phone and use it directly

Android Auto is designed to provide the safer alternative. I'm actually surprised that messaging apps are supported. I figured it would just be music and navigation apps.

 

[android_alpaca]

total.wimp[/url]":yg1lak39]"Safety" is misapplied here. It may, in fact, be safer to use only front-ends that are tested to be safe, but if consumers don't get what they want on the car interface, they'll just pull out their phone and use it directly. That's a heck of a lot less safe.

Google and auto manufacturers don't get penalized for what the consumer does on his phone, only for what they put in the car. They have no incentive to make the situation safer overall by building more flexibility into the dashboard product so consumers are less likely to want to use an alternative.

If someone crashed their car while fiddling with the dashboard, I'm pretty sure Google/Apple would get flack for it by someone (someone stupid... but there are a lot of stupid people out there).

Is there a UI feature that you think is obviously being omitted? I'm pretty sure if someone came up with a good use case that still looked safe Google (and Apple) would probably allow it (eventually). I don't really see the problem with being conservative with UI design. It's not like app developers can't build it first for a phone in dock mode (i.e. via car holder) as for the near future there will probably be 10,000 more people using a phone docked via hand-free device vs Android Auto / Apple Carplay.

 

[android_alpaca]

AnniesBoobs[/url]":1lozv2np]

total.wimp[/url]":1lozv2np]"Safety" is misapplied here. It may, in fact, be safer to use only front-ends that are tested to be safe, but if consumers don't get what they want on the car interface, they'll just pull out their phone and use it directly. That's a heck of a lot less safe.

Google and auto manufacturers don't get penalized for what the consumer does on his phone, only for what they put in the car. They have no incentive to make the situation safer overall by building more flexibility into the dashboard product so consumers are less likely to want to use an alternative.

I think you have it backwards. Right now, users are doing this:

they'll just pull out their phone and use it directly

Android Auto is designed to provide the safer alternative. I'm actually surprised that messaging apps are supported. I figured it would just be music and navigation apps.

I agree. As for the messaging apps, Android Auto reads you the message out loud and lets you speak your reply. Still not the safest according to some studies, but a decent compromise as most people are too impatient to wait/pull over to answer their texts.

Edited: Update my last sentence to be actually readable.

 

[j0nib3lla]

ModernTenshi04[/url]":1w3gojz3]

CUclimber[/url]":1w3gojz3]The problem is that the in-dash display will still likely cost you $2,300 for the "Infotainment Package" and it will be inferior to a $500 ipad in almost every way.

Not everyone has the time or patience to install an iPad in their dash, let alone the know how. There may be a higher cost associated with cars that can use Android Auto, but it's a cost I'd be pretty willing to pay whenever I get a new car.

Besides, plenty of cars have started including some sort of touchscreen interface in their dash for some time now. Should demand for these things increase, they'd likely just become a standard option in most vehicles.

I think the implication by the original statement is that, even though this is technically just a connected touchscreen that uses your smartphone for memory, processing, storage and radio communications, car manufacturers may try to reap huge profits on name recognition and the probability that most people will not quite understand that it's essentially a custom-sized dumb terminal.

 

[CUclimber]

Not everyone has the time or patience to install an iPad in their dash, let alone the know how.

Oh, for sure. Neither do I for the most part. But an iPad propped up on top of the emergency brake lever is still a vastly superior option to the built-in displays at a fraction of the cost.

 

[j0nib3lla]

BMR-777[/url]":gj6vl6pw]The nice thing about the car being "dumb" in this case with everything on the phone is that when you go to sell your car it doesn't have all of your personal information on it. I don't have experience with the newer cars that have infotainment systems, but one of the things I have always wondered about is how much personal data is saved to that and what happens when you go to sell your car and / or lend it out to a friend or take it to the shop?

The idea seems to be that all of your data goes *with* you when you leave the car. The system likely has some basic features, like audio control and climate control, but none of the "connected" features will work unless your phone is paired with it. This is actually, in my opinion, much more secure than a traditional infotainment system that stores your favorite addresses (including your home address usually), restaurants, preferences, audio files, etc.

 

[Chemical Tribe]

It's interesting that they had an actual car there for people to try out this system.

I just wish they said something about aftermarket support for it, cause I can't get a new car right now. Heck, it saddens me to see how my 2005 Mazda3 was top of the line for $19.5k, which is now around $28k for the current 3.

 

[j0nib3lla]

There's really nothing preventing car stereo OEMs from implementing integration systems like CarPlay and Android Auto, whereas partnering with a car manufacturer over and above anything else doesn't really make much sense to me.

Sure, it would be nice to get companies to integrate your trojan horse from the get-go, to build that "this is just how infotainment systems look and work" mindshare, but as someone who is pretty familiar with the way the auto industry functions, I can tell you that it will take a good, long time to be implemented, and thus, used by the public. (Seriously, one engineer I know of suggested they paint the valve covers on the engine of a car they were developing with green paint to push the 'eco' marketing message; after over 1 year, dozens of meetings, paint studies, cost-benefit analyses, and market research, it was determined that it would add $600,000 to the development budget, mostly from the necessary special formulation of paint needed, which wasn't worth the projected sales benefit).

I would have preferred to see a partner list with logos from the likes of Pioneer, Clarion, Polk, Panasonic, Alpine, etc.; an in-dash head unit OEM can write new firmware with hooks for these integrations without worrying about whether they can also supply a cable that can be routed in such a way that safety won't be affected, or whether they'll need to re-design a wiring harness. The barrier to entry just seems far lower and more accessible to us mere mortals.

 

[Uthor]

wb[/url]":1ghp7mk1]I personally believe that touchscreens and driving do not mix very well.

I think a touchscreen in a car can offer a lot of added functionality in simplifying settings and adjusting itself to what you are doing (typing in an address, looking up music, navigating the radio), but still want the most used functions to be buttons (volume, mute, change track) that can be used while driving.

I have a touchscreen unit in my car, select an album from my SD card before I set off, and never need to move my hands off my steering wheel while driving as there are steering wheel controls for volume and mute. It's the best of both worlds (except for the touchscreen being a 5 year old OEM affair at this point and a little limited).

 

[Bagheera]

Just like Car Play, the OS lives on your phone and is beamed from the phone to a dumb touchscreen in the car.

That was a very smart move. We don't have to worry about a data plan for our cars, nor do we have to replace our in-dash systems as often as we replace our phones.

A question: Could a "dumb touchscreen" be made compatible with Google Auto *and* CarPlay? It would suck (and lock you further into an OS) if your car wasn't compatible with your phone.

 

[notoriousKTR]

The biggest problem for Android Auto is the barrier to entry: you have to buy a new car.

Hmm...pretty sure this wont be the case. Alpine, Clarion, JVC/Kenwood, Panasonic, & Pioneer are members of the Open Automotive Alliance and are popularly known for aftermarket head units.

 

[shav]

"A back bar at the bottom handles navigation"

A black bar*

 

[Tan68]

Uthor[/url]":1hydvbq7]

wb[/url]":1hydvbq7]I personally believe that touchscreens and driving do not mix very well.

...

I have a touchscreen unit in my car, select an album from my SD card before I set off, and never need to move my hands off my steering wheel while driving as there are steering wheel controls for volume and mute. It's the best of both worlds (except for the touchscreen being a 5 year old OEM affair at this point and a little limited).

I think buttons will make a return (when = ?).
A mixture of buttons and glass seems best...

 

[ronamadeo]

Einbrecher[/url]":2tx2y1zu]Last sentence of paragraph 6...You mean Android Auto, not Android Wear, right?

Haha. Whoops. Fixed. I'm working on the Android Wear review and you can tell where my mind is right now.

 

[Tan68]

arkiel[/url]"eosarbh]Since Google is undertaking to protect us from ourselves, ... I hope there's a dev mode that let's me do whatever I want, but if app support is going to be shitty, ...

I am sure Google cares about the operator's safety.
It is also possible they care about the safety of other people.

I don't think of it as Google protecting you from yourself as much as I think of it as Google protecting me from you. Nothing personal, of course. If I knew you better, I would be more concerned with your safety. As strangers, I only wonder what it is you need to do while a car is moving other than the stuff GoogleCar allows... AngryBirds or movies or Amazon or Calendar/Tasks or ??

 

[Tan68]

ronamadeo[/url]":2ubutj5f]

Einbrecher[/url]":2ubutj5f]Last sentence of paragraph 6...You mean Android Auto, not Android Wear, right?

Haha. Whoops. Fixed. I'm working on the Android Wear review and you can tell where my mind is right now.

And this was only an article about cars and infotainment systems...
Think what could have happened if you had been driving and thinking about Android stuff !!?
"Whoops", indeed :^|

 

[ikon8]

j0nny5[/url]":2mw6nlvx]
I would have preferred to see a partner list with logos from the likes of Pioneer, Clarion, Polk, Panasonic, Alpine, etc.; an in-dash head unit OEM can write new firmware with hooks for these integrations without worrying about whether they can also supply a cable that can be routed in such a way that safety won't be affected, or whether they'll need to re-design a wiring harness. The barrier to entry just seems far lower and more accessible to us mere mortals.

They did, if you see the Open Automotive Alliance graphic from IO they have Alpine, Kenwood, Pioneer, Panasonic, Harmon Kardon, Clarion.

 

[Tan68]

android_alpaca[/url]":13ec29sz]

AnniesBoobs[/url]":13ec29sz]

total.wimp[/url]":13ec29sz]"Safety" is misapplied here. It may, in fact, be safer to use only front-ends that are tested to be safe, but if consumers don't get what they want on the car interface, they'll just pull out their phone and use it directly. That's a heck of a lot less safe.

Google and auto manufacturers don't get penalized for what the consumer does on his phone, only for what they put in the car. They have no incentive to make the situation safer overall by building more flexibility into the dashboard product so consumers are less likely to want to use an alternative.

I think you have it backwards. Right now, users are doing this:

they'll just pull out their phone and use it directly

Android Auto is designed to provide the safer alternative. I'm actually surprised that messaging apps are supported. I figured it would just be music and navigation apps.

... Android Auto reads you the message out loud and lets you speak your reply. Still not the safest according to some studies, but a decent compromise ...

I agree it is a good compromise.

I don't think there is anything wrong with a conversation in the car, either on the phone or with the passenger. Trouble is when the conversation requires real thought. Thinking of dates or considering different outcomes before forming an opinion. Stuff like that can be a distraction whether it is passenger talk or phone talk. It is possible a passenger will see you becoming distracted, so I guess passenger talk can be a little safer... Anyway, I believe those studies. I have gotten into some work calls and had to realize it was time to pull over or call them back. Too much time spent thinking about the conversation... Just because the message is read to me and I am.. 'hands free' don't mean my mind is in behind the wheel.

 

[Torchwood]

As long as Google Auto plays nice-nice with iPhone, and vice versa, this is a good thing due to reduced cost due to scaling. I just hope that alternative navigation applications are supported in addition to useful driving apps such as GasBuddy. The problem is, with development cycles, we won't see this for a few years. (Sigh).

 

[sinewav]

Here's hoping it gets adopted by manufacturers soon.