How are CarPlay and Android Auto different?

Currently, both Apple and Google have launched their own in-car smart systems. So what are the differences in the user experience between Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto? What are their unique features?

Google and Apple have similar development strategies in many areas, such as smartphones, tablets, cloud storage, music services, and car networking technology. In fact, both Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto are still in the early stages of development, and many experiences are not yet perfect. They also have some obvious similarities and differences, so let's take a look at them together.

Settings and interface

Both CarPlay and Android Auto require the phone of their respective systems as the interface of the car platform, and currently they are limited to data cable connection. Once the phone is inserted into a compatible vehicle, the car screen will display the home screen. It should be noted that CarPlay supports iPhone 5 and later models, while Android Auto is only available for phones with version 5.0 and above, which currently only account for 10% of Android phones.

As for the interface, CarPlay looks like your iPhone, with familiar icons and sliding pages; while Android Auto uses the card page of Google Now as the main screen, and the task bar at the bottom is designed with shortcut keys for navigation, calls, music, etc. In addition, they both support touch screen operation and their own voice assistants, so users who are used to the two operating systems can get started relatively quickly.

navigation

The most frequently used form of in-vehicle system is navigation. At present, the Google Maps on Android Auto are better than the Apple Maps on CarPlay. However, they both use Internet map navigation, which means that offline navigation is not supported. The mobile phone needs to be able to use the data cellular network normally, which is a shortcoming compared to the car's autonomous in-vehicle system.

Availability and Models

Both CarPlay and Android Auto were released last year, but as mentioned above, their actual progress has not been as smooth as expected. Currently, the models that have been launched with CarPlay include Ferrari FF and Volvo XC90, while Android Auto only has one model, the 2015 Hyundai Sonata. In addition to built-in models, some car equipment manufacturers have also released solutions that can be installed. CarPlay includes models of Pioneer and Alpine, while Android Auto currently only has one model launched by Pioneer.

Platform competition is always accompanied by various hardware brands. CarPlay currently has a slight advantage in quantity, with support from 34 car manufacturers, while Android Auto has 28.

summary

Obviously, both CarPlay and Android Auto are in their early stages and have not shown their own unique features. Their user experience is relatively similar. Of course, their development directions are different. CarPlay relies more on the iPhone's wide market coverage to achieve the development of iOS into the field of car networking, and its target group is slightly single. Android Auto is more open, has a lower device threshold, and theoretically has a wider coverage, but due to the fragmentation of Android, the entire promotion is also challenging.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.