A few years ago buying a car was something relatively simple, only a few variables were taken into account: price, maintenance cost, consumption and mechanical features. Now that there is talk that the car is a ‘computer on wheels’, ‘infotainment’ is the protagonist of the first order.
If before the vehicles were divided between gasoline and diesel engines, now the division is between Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. In practice, both systems do the same thing, transferring the functions of a smartphone to the screens of car radios.
The first is a Google development and the second belongs to Apple, and their big difference is in the type of smartphone users, Google for the Android system and Car Play for iPhone users.
The use of these technologies favors safe driving as it allows the driver to always keep his eyes on the road and avoids distractions with the phone. So, Through the helm controls, the touch screen or voice commands, you can access all the functions of the phone, from the simplest such as making and receiving calls and listening to music, to sending and receiving messages without handling the phone.
For brands, taking this step to incorporate one system or another or make them compatible with their cars had some setbacks. Some would resist implementing the software out of fear or concern for security and privacy. But that is now a thing of the past. Today a new car is inconceivable without Android Auto or CarPlay. Although there are.
As they could not be left behind, the brands will be incorporated into CarPlay and Android Auto. Hyundai, Kia and Chevrolet were some of the first to make Android compatible cars after the software it became available in early 2015.
The first step was to adapt the radios in their vehicles, improve their functionality and incorporate touch screens and choose which software, if Google or Apple adopt, although some, the majority, support both technologies.
This also became a ‘plus’. In Colombia in some entry models it is not present and you have to pay an extra. EITHER in some it only allows very basic telephone functions or the radio screens are not touch-sensitive, something that must be taken into account.
In addition to offering CarPlay or Android Auto, each brand has created its own multimedia or connectivity system. Ford ‘baptized’ his system as SYNK; Media Evolution is that of Renault or Media Nav; Nissan Connect by Nissan; Chevy MyLink; Mazda Connect by Mazda and Connected Drive by BMW, to name a few.
These allow you to control vehicle functions such as starting the engine or air conditioning, opening the doors, raising the windows, and checking the status of the vehicle, among many more. So CarPlay and Android Auto are applications that are inside the radio so that it can connect to the cell phone, but the internet that is used is that of your mobile phone.
