Google and Apple get pleasure from taking one another on in as many various arenas as attainable: cell phones, maps, cloud storage, music streaming, picture administration, be aware taking, good assistants, tablets, smartwatches, calendars, net browsers, phrase processors, e mail, and extra moreover. In automobiles, now we have Android Auto and Apple CarPlay vying for management of your dashboard.
We felt it was time to take a deep dive into the present state of play on these two platforms—which apps and which options can be found on every, the place the strengths and weaknesses are on each, and which is the higher selection once you’re driving. It might be a small a part of the Google vs Apple battle, however for normal drivers, it’s an necessary one.
Feel and appear: Pretty related
On the time of writing, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay each have the same look once they’re in your dashboard—maybe there are solely so some ways to prepare an interface like this. Usually, you’ll have your maps app in a big widget, your media app in a small widget, and fast navigation shortcuts in one other small widget.
Each platforms allow you to put any app full display screen if you happen to want a greater take a look at the route you’re taking or the music that you simply’re at the moment taking part in. You additionally get indications of your cellphone’s sign power and battery stage whilst you’re driving in each Auto and CarPlay, which is useful to know whilst you’re on the go. Solely CarPlay really exhibits the time, however we’re assuming your automotive’s built-in devices have that lined.
In each the Apple and Google interfaces, you’ll discover a sidebar with fast hyperlinks to your most not too long ago used apps, and you may change to a full drawer of apps with a single faucet if it is advisable launch one thing else. Scrolling and navigating is all very easy, which in fact it must be.
The standard aesthetic variations between Android and iOS are additionally evident in Android Auto and Apple CarPlay: The previous is barely extra chunky and easy, and the latter is barely extra detailed and refined, relating to the textual content and the icons used. Nonetheless, you received’t be confused in any respect if it is advisable change between them often. They work in almost equivalent methods.
Android Auto does provide you with somewhat extra when it comes to customizing the structure: You may put fast controls for apps down on the backside of the display screen if you wish to, in a taskbar-style widget. In different phrases, playback controls to your media app can nonetheless be seen when your mapping app is taking on the remainder of the display screen.
That’s not attainable on Apple CarPlay, aside from on the default multi-widget structure. It’s a small distinction, however it makes life barely extra handy if you’d like your navigation system maps as huge as attainable whereas retaining your media playback controls accessible (that stated, it’s possible you’ll nicely have bodily controls on the steering wheel in any case).
Apps and options
You’ve bought the same set of apps accessible on each Android Auto and Apple CarPlay—the standard suspects within the maps and media classes. Google Maps and Apple Maps are each accessible on Apple CarPlay, although you received’t discover Apple Maps on Android Auto, which is unlikely to bother you if you happen to don’t have an iPhone. For those who’re a Waze consumer, you then’re lined on each platforms.
Apple Music is obtainable on Android Auto, as it’s on Android. You’ll additionally discover Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, YouTube Music, and lots extra. You get a smattering of messaging apps as nicely, together with WhatsApp, Fb Messenger, and Google Chat. Neither platform helps video streaming apps, for apparent causes.
Over on Apple CarPlay, there are all the identical audio apps that we’ve simply talked about. There’s much less help for third-party messaging apps—WhatsApp is the perfect third-party possibility when it comes to CarPlay help, however you possibly can’t browse an inventory of messages and may solely work together with the app through Siri. Whereas Android Auto solely exhibits messages in third-party apps which have arrived whilst you’ve been driving, it’s simpler to evaluate them, and extra third-party apps are supported.
Each platforms provide the potential to choose and select which suitable apps out of your cellphone present up in your automotive dashboard. In different phrases, if there’s an app that you simply use in your cellphone however not in your automotive, you don’t must have it displaying up within the Android Auto or CarPlay dashboard—and app order may be custom-made in each instances as nicely.
One plus for Apple CarPlay is the Now Enjoying icon within the app drawer, which is a helpful shortcut to whichever media app is at the moment taking part in—it means you don’t must dig by means of an inventory of apps to search out the one which’s lively. There’s no such display screen on Android Auto, so you must delve into particular person apps every time.
Each Google Assistant and Siri are current on their respective platforms, able to take motion in your voice instructions: Navigate to an handle, cease the music taking part in, let you know the climate forecast, make a name, ship a message. When it comes to in-car use, they’re each fairly nicely matched and may care for the identical form of duties.
Settings and customization
Android is often thought to be extra customizable than iOS, and it’s truthful to say Android Auto gives just a few extra settings than Apple CarPlay does. For instance, you possibly can set whether or not or not Android Auto begins up routinely along with your automotive, and whether or not or not audio out of your most not too long ago used app begins taking part in immediately—customization options you don’t get with Apple CarPlay.
Android Auto additionally helps you to select whether or not or to not present previews of incoming messages on display screen, how maps ought to change between day and night time mode, and whether or not the navigation or media playback controls ought to be closest to the driving force. These identical settings may be accessed by means of your Android cellphone as nicely, if you happen to discover that extra handy.
Over on the Apple aspect, you possibly can select between a number of wallpapers, you possibly can pressure darkish mode or have it set routinely based mostly on the time of day, and decide to have the Driving Focus mode enabled at any time when CarPlay is activated—that provides you loads of management over which apps and which individuals can distract you whilst you’re on the transfer.
iOS additionally helps you to select which apps set off notifications on the CarPlay dashboard and which don’t—on Android Auto, you don’t get that stage of management, and the identical notification settings shall be used in your cellphone as in your automotive dashboard. It’s attainable to have Do Not Disturb on Android enabled at any time when Android Auto begins up, however it’s not fairly as straightforward to configure as it’s with CarPlay and an iPhone.
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are at the moment very evenly matched relating to how they appear and the options they provide. There are small variations, however nothing meaning one platform is considerably forward of the opposite when it comes to what you’re capable of do within the automotive.
It’s value mentioning that Apple has a big improve for CarPlay within the works for late 2023. The corporate introduced it plans to combine CarPlay additional with the devices fitted to your automobile, in addition to providing extra widgets, help for a number of shows, and a built-in FM radio app. We’ll have to attend and see when these options roll out, and the way broadly they’re going to be supported.
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