FrankReynoldsCPA

I thought this was a nifty infographic explaining which automakers are adopting what platform. Guess I won't be buying any Toyotas in the future.

Sulu

How do you implement both? Do you offer 2 separate headunits and give the buyer of one or the other? Or do you make one standard and the other optional. Seeing that the rest of the VW Group is going with AndroidAuto, would Audi make AndroidAuto standard and iOSCarPlay optional?

Or would they implement both on one headunit and give the driver the option to use one or the other?

LexLaw

I'd like to see 2 of my favorite brands Toyota (Lexus) and the Jaguar/LandRover move over to the OTHER side. This should be interesting....But yeah it would behoove all automakers to be on both platforms. Unless of course, Apple or Google is throwing a ton of money at them for exclusivity.

FrankReynoldsCPA

My thought on these interfaces is that these cars are going to be driven longer than either OS will be supported. My family still drives vehicles built in the nineties. Can you imagine if they had Windows 95 booted onto the head units?

Allen K

iTrader: (4)

From my (limited) understanding, they run off the phone, so the interface might just depend on which phone is connected to the head unit

spwolf

new Toyota systems already offer android screen mirror feature, i doubt they wont offer this

swajames

That's the whole point....

The apps run on the phone. All the head unit does is handle UI and display. As you upgrade your phone or OS it should still stay compatible with the head unit. You won't be stuck with anything out of date...

1sWt2GS

iTrader: (6)

Toyota should totally be on the Android side...

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

I'm hearing rumors that headunits will have dual capabilities. If that's the case we're all good

JessePS

Many car manufacturers will offer both, seeing I read a few articles already, seeing they don't want someone to walk away because of their cell phone not being compatible with their cars.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

^ agreed. Doesn't make sense.

Scenario

Salesperson: "You want the Apple equipped Civic or the Android equipped Civic?"
Customer: "Android Civic"
Signs, does the paperwork leaves lot.
Weeks later, Android is dropped in the toilet ironically playing Unblock Me
New iPhone6 comes out so guest goes back to dealer and takes massive hit just to get a compatible system...

and so it repeats

Sulu

But if all the headunit does is mirror what is playing on the smartphone, there would not be a need for a special Google unit and a separate Apple unit. A specially-built vehicle infotainment operating system (Microsoft or QNX, for example) that is able to mirror both Android and Apple phones (as well as Microsoft and BlackBerry phones) should do.

I suspect that there is more than just phone-mirroring at play in the AndroidAuto and iOS CarPlay (and AndroidAuto won't work with the iPhone and CarPlay won't work with Android). Makes me somewhat glad that I use BlackBerry -- it won't run with either new system.

swajames

Right, the head unit essentially becomes the portal into compatible apps running on the phone. Supported apps such as navigation and music players all run on the phone. The head unit obviously does more than just mirror what's on the phone, it provides the UI and integrates/links the car's own systems and data with the phone, but all processing etc takes place on the phone. The head unit is tied to the OS on the phone to the extent that the actual integration for Android Auto and CarPlay is different. As you say, the smart vendors will offer both, but they will have to have and run two separate integrations. And yes, it's somewhat ironic that many of these systems may run on QNX but won't support Blackberry....

As an aside, BlackBerry's new Passport looks like it could be an awesome phone. Loved my prior Z10 and this looks like a great piece of kit.

xioix

I'm surprise Maserati and Bentley is on the left side and not in the middle or the right side as their target audience is most likely iOS users

http://fortune.com/2014/06/27/apples...ch-as-googles/

http://www.businessinsider.com/andro...le-maps-2014-4

nabbun

Android fanboy here: Bring on the Google App Suite to my Lexus!!! And that insane display the Tesla has!