Can someone tell me whether a 2019 ES 350 that has Apple CarPlay would automatically have Android Auto compatibility?

A particular car I am considering is advertised as having Apple CarPlay but nothing is said about Android Auto. It has the Navigation / Mark Levinson Premium Audio Package.

Thanks in advance.

 

It will have Apple Carplay, but not Android Auto. Android Auto is being introduced to the ES for model year 2020, and only on vehicles produced after October 2019.

There are rumors that MY2019 ES vehicles may able to be updated to get Android Auto, but that hasn't been confirmed and there's no info on what's required or the cost.

 

So to be perfectly clear once and for all, NO 2019 MY ES 300/350 CARS HAVE ANDROID AUTO INSTALLED. THE 2020 MY VEHICLES MAY HAVE APPLE CAR PLAY AND AA INSTALLED ON VEHICLES BUILT AFTER OCTOBER 2019 AS 2020 MODELS...

Existing 2019 MY ES cars might be able to get Android Auto installed sometime in the future by Lexus. THERE IS NO OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT AND NO ONE KNOWS WHEN OR EVEN IF LEXUS WILL DO THIS HERE IN THE U.S.A....

 

Thanks AllinCLE and bc6152 for your reponses. They clarify a point of confusion for me. I was under the impression that cars compatible with Apple CarPlay were also compatible with Android Auto -- but apparently that's not true from what you write.

I was temporarily happy when I saw that the car I'm considering has Apple CarPlay, thinking that meant I could use Android Auto as an alternative. Now it looks like I'll have to wait and hope for a future development.

 

An alternative, if it's very important to you to have AA, is to switch to an Apple phone and give up on AA... I also have an Android phone (like 3/4 of others on the planet) but have no use for
Android Auto or Apple Car play...

 

Thanks, bc6152. The main reason I am hoping for Android Auto on my 2019 ES 350 is to be able to have Google Maps (or Waze) appear on the 12-inch display and use it as an alternative to Lexus Navigation, which reportedly is markedly inferior in terms of accuracy.

You're right that I could switch to an Apple phone, but I really don't want to, and maintaining a second phone just for this purpose seems like overkill.

 

Cross your fingers and maybe it'll happen...We'll see...

 

Yes that would be ridiculous, don't get a second phone for the car or even switch just to use that feature! I am primarily an Android user, my personal phone is a Pixel 3XL so I'd be in the same boat as you if I didn't carry a second phone for business which happens to be an iPhone. It's neat to be able to have my "phone" on that big screen but the literature is misleading. It's not exactly "mirrored" and only a handful of apps are accessible. Trust me, while it is useful, it's not as life changing as the marketing and media write ups make it out to be. Just wait until you're on a chatty group text and it keeps interrupting your music or audiobook to try and read you every new message....

For what it's worth, I don't think the Lexus navigation is bad as long as you have an address to put in. It's main downside to google maps is ease of finding destinations and inputting them, and real-time traffic data if you don't pay to keep that subscription current. It comes with over-the-air map updates I believe, so I assume the maps would be reasonably current.

 

Thanks, AllinCLE. Very encouraging, very informative, and very reasonable information. Gotta keep things in perspective in terms of the big picture.

 

I think it really comes down to how often you use your phone while driving. I disagree and do think it's life-changing considering you no longer have to touch or look at your phone. My monthly average of text messages is over 20k used for family and business and I would say at least a quarter of that is done while I'm driving. Prior to having Carplay, I had to pick up my phone like a barbarian Before getting very skilled at texting and driving there were a few times that I nearly caused an accident. iOS also offers a feature called "Do not disturb" which can be automatically activated when it detects Carplay. At which point, all notifications will be suppressed or you may set certain contacts like family to be made visible. Now that I have been exposed to Carplay I wouldn't consider purchasing a vehicle without it.

 

I had to laugh at your statement regarding sending 20 thousand texts a month. I send about 20...What wasn't funny was that you were doing this while driving...

" before getting very skilled at texting and driving there were a few times that I nearly caused an accident."

Texting and driving is a very dangerous thing to do..." There's almost nothing that can't wait until you can pull over and use the phone... And, in most states it's illegal...

 

You send 20,000 texts a month, while driving? I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that most folks can't relate to that. I definitely don't text while I'm driving, that's craziness. I log about 30,000 mi per year between commuting and some work trips and I generally need to get where I'm going in one piece. If it's important they know know to call me, business and personal.

Yeah....yikes!!

 

My girlfriend has me beat by almost double that amount. Her side of the family is much larger than mine and she also uses her phone for work.

I completely agree it's very dangerous and also illegal here in California. Unfortunately, the fine for that type of citation is minimal and therefore most people continue to do it.

 

Sez who? I bought an iPhone just for the car and I couldn't be happier. There's no way I could enjoy my new car nearly as much as I do NOW without it. It's a much better alternative than playing the if/come/when waiting game with Lexus.

So am I.

It's more than neat. There's no comparison with holding your phone in your hand or putting it in a mount.

True there are limitations, but that's not the issue. The question is how does it compare with holding your phone in your hand or putting it in a mount.

That never happens to me.. My new iPhone is permanently on Do Not Disturb. Problem solved.

Yes it is. Google maps is far superior.

 

Hands free texting works pretty flawlessly in the ES so not sure why you would ever pickup the phone while driving anyway.