How Android Auto differs from Apple CarPlay

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If you haven’t noticed, then almost all devices around have become smarter: watches, fitness bracelets, headphones, and even cars.

Not only were the cars stuffed with various sensors, they also gave them a convenient multimedia system interface: somewhere it’s CarPlay, and somewhere Android Auto so you can quickly synchronize your smartphone with the car.

So you can leave the phone in the holder or even put it away without being distracted from the road. And what, in fact, is the difference between the two systems and what advantages do they have? We will talk about this in our article.

How Android Auto works

Apple CarPlay was released in 2014, and Android Auto in 2015. Both systems are the main functions of smartphones, displayed on the multimedia screen of the car, what the driver needs while driving: these are hands-free voice calls, a music player, navigation maps and incoming messages.

At the same time, the presence of a smart system is very different from the analog connection of the phone to the car – in fact, you fully control your smartphone using the buttons on the steering wheel, without looking up from the road.

Both systems work when a smartphone is connected to the head unit

Initially, the driver was asked to connect the smartphone to Android Auto or CarPlay by wire, charging the phone at the same time.

Now all this can be done wirelessly via Bluetooth, but not in all systems: if you decide to replace the standard system in your car, keep in mind that not all smartphones work with Android Auto via Bluetooth. Apple CarPlay has no such problems: all iPhones can be connected wirelessly.

Which Cars Support Android Auto

Currently, all well-known manufacturers pre-install both systems on their cars.

If your car was released not so long ago and has a multimedia system with a touch screen, it is highly likely that it will support both operating systems: when you connect multimedia, it will automatically recognize the OS in your smartphone, giving out the necessary interface.

The situation is a little different with third-party head units: a friend of mine recently installed one in his car and drew attention to the fact that when choosing, you should not waste time on trifles.

The most reliable options cost about 20-30 thousand rubles, so that everything works without brakes.

By default , more than 600 models support CarPlay , almost the same number – Android Auto. At the same time, systems are installed on cars of different brands: from Skoda and Lada to Ferrari and Rolls-Royce. CarPlay can even be found on motorcycles: Harley-Davidson and Honda models appear on the list.

Android Auto Features

The main functions are present in both operating systems, so use

Android Auto and CarPlay have significant differences: for example, Apple’s car OS is not always free: in BMW since 2019, drivers pay for it by subscription or a one-time payment, while Android Auto is free.

A subscription costs about 9,000 rubles a year or 42,000 “forever” – for this money you can install a third-party “head” cheaper and use it for free.

So the company decided to reduce the cost of the car. However, both platforms have common features that everyone will need.

Navigation maps.
Music player.
Voice control.
Answering incoming calls.
Message dictation.

Apple CarPlay brings more apps and content to the screen – for some reason, the multimedia system is less concerned about the safety of the driver behind the wheel, without restricting the use of functions. In both systems, the necessary program icons can be placed on the main screen.

There are noticeably fewer applications in CarPlay and they can only be installed from the App Store

It’s important to note that the advantage of Android Auto is the large number of applications, as well as the presence of Google Assistant instead of Siri.

As expected, programs can be installed from other sources, including various Internet radio stations, as well as podcasts and audio books. The CarPlay interface , in turn, works much smoother, and errors are extremely rare in the system itself: a bug that was noticed in iOS 15 was quickly fixed.