Android Automotive review

Written

Damien Wilde

Your next car OS?...

Android Automotive is the next iteration of in-car entertainment that takes the common Android Auto and builds it out specifically for vehicles.

Adaptive Charging improvements

Android Automotive is completely standalone and unlike Android Auto, doesn't need your smartphone to work correctly. Instead, it relies on your Google Account.

Being a completely separate system does bring advantages such as not being tethered to your smartphone and, therefore, eligible for greater expansion of updates and tuning — among plenty of other benefits.

Google Assistant in your car The killer addition has to be the addition of the best AI voice assistant on the market. You can control in-car functions like air-conditioning or heating completely hands-free!

Play Store access

At the moment the selection of apps on the Play Store that you’re probably used to with Android Auto is somewhat lacking here. I’d probably call the store a little empty in all truth.

Limited customization Unlike your smartphone, you can’t do a whole heap of customisation with a four-section grid being the main view pane that you’ll have from the get-go.

Only Google Maps for navigation...

Unlike Android Auto, you're only able to navigate with Google Maps right now but expect more options to arrive like Waze.

...just open the Settings app, opening “About phone,” then “Android version.” From this page, tap the “Android version” until the easter egg pops up.