Google and Apple take pleasure in taking one another on in as many alternative arenas as attainable: cell telephones, maps, cloud storage, music streaming, picture administration, observe taking, good assistants, tablets, smartwatches, calendars, internet browsers, phrase processors, e mail, and extra apart from. In automobiles, we now 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 if you’re driving. It could be a small a part of the Google vs Apple battle, however for normal drivers, it’s an vital one.
Feel and look: Pretty related
On the time of writing, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay each have an analogous look once they’re in your dashboard—maybe there are solely so some ways to prepare an interface like this. Sometimes, 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 for those who want a greater take a look at the route you’re taking or the music that you simply’re presently taking part in. You additionally get indications of your telephone’s sign power and battery degree 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 automobile’s built-in devices have that coated.
In each the Apple and Google interfaces, you’ll discover a sidebar with fast hyperlinks to your most lately used apps, and you may swap to a full drawer of apps with a single faucet if you want to launch one thing else. Scrolling and navigating is all very easy, which after all it must be.
The same old 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, on the subject of the textual content and the icons used. Nonetheless, you gained’t be confused in any respect if you want to swap between them frequently. They work in practically similar methods.
Android Auto does provide you with slightly 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 on 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 in order for you your navigation system maps as large as attainable whereas conserving your media playback controls accessible (that stated, you could properly have bodily controls on the steering wheel in any case).
Apps and options
You’ve acquired an analogous 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 gained’t discover Apple Maps on Android Auto, which is unlikely to bother you for those who don’t have an iPhone. Should you’re a Waze consumer, then you definitely’re coated 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 properly, 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 one of the best 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 assessment them, and extra third-party apps are supported.
Each platforms provide the capacity to choose and select which suitable apps out of your telephone present up in your automobile dashboard. In different phrases, if there’s an app that you simply use in your telephone however not in your automobile, you don’t need to have it exhibiting up within the Android Auto or CarPlay dashboard—and app order might be custom-made in each instances as properly.
One plus for Apple CarPlay is the Now Taking part in icon within the app drawer, which is a helpful shortcut to whichever media app is presently taking part in—it means you don’t need to dig by means of an inventory of apps to seek 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 deal with, 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 properly matched and may deal with the identical sort of duties.
Settings and customization
Android is often considered extra customizable than iOS, and it’s truthful to say Android Auto affords 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 automobile, and whether or not or not audio out of your most lately used app begins taking part in immediately—customization options you don’t get with Apple CarPlay.
Android Auto additionally enables you to select whether or not or to not present previews of incoming messages on display screen, how maps ought to swap between day and night time mode, and whether or not the navigation or media playback controls must be closest to the motive force. These identical settings might be accessed by means of your Android telephone as properly, for those who discover that extra handy.
Over on the Apple facet, you possibly can select between a number of wallpapers, you possibly can drive darkish mode or have it set routinely primarily based on the time of day, and decide to have the Driving Focus mode enabled each time 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 enables you to select which apps set off notifications on the CarPlay dashboard and which don’t—on Android Auto, you don’t get that degree of management, and the identical notification settings might be used in your telephone as in your automobile dashboard. It’s attainable to have Do Not Disturb on Android enabled each time Android Auto begins up, however it’s not fairly as simple to configure as it’s with CarPlay and an iPhone.
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are presently very evenly matched on the subject of how they give the impression of being 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 automobile.
It’s price 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 car, 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.
