The Verge -- For years, the center consoles of cars have been dominated by “infotainment” systems, which are designed to control everything from music, to navigation, to climate systems. Though they’ve gotten better over the years, these systems have been almost universally terrible, with confusing interfaces, slow response, and an overwhelming number of options. As a result, the best in-car navigation and entertainment system is often the smartphone in your pocket.
Google and Apple are well aware of this, and that’s why last year both companies announced new in-car systems — Android Auto and CarPlay, respectively — that use your smartphone for navigation and music, bypassing the car’s native user interface. The idea behind both systems is that if drivers are going to be using their phones for entertainment and navigation, they might as well use the displays and controls already built into their cars. And in doing so, Google and Apple can limit the dangers of distracted driving caused by focusing on a phone while behind the wheel.
Android Auto is finally rolling out to production cars, starting with the Hyundai Sonata. Android Auto does not fully replace the Sonata’s interface. Instead, it essentially runs as an app on top of it, launching when you plug in a compatible phone (Android 5.0 or newer) into the car’s built-in USB port. It turns the car’s infotainment system into the conduit for controlling Google Maps navigation, receiving messages, and playing music or listening to podcasts. It also lets you use Google’s voice search from behind the wheel, using the existing buttons and microphones already built into the car.
I spent two weeks behind the wheel of a Sonata equipped with Hyundai’s optional Tech Package and Android Auto to see if this is the future of driving (before the eventual takeover of self-driving robots, anyway). There were some bumps along the way, but for the most part, if you use an Android phone, you’re going to want Android Auto in your next car.
Firing up Android Auto is easy. Once you install the app on your phone, you plug it into the Sonata, pair it over Bluetooth (which happens automatically and is required for phone calls), and press the Android Auto icon on the Sonata’s 8-inch resistive touchscreen. Next, you’re presented with a familiar, but stripped down version of Android. At this point, the phone itself becomes rather useless — its interface is completely locked out in favor of an Android Auto splash screen. Google wants you to do everything through the car’s controls when you’re driving, so you might as well put the phone in a cubby hole and forget about it.
Read more here: http://www.theverge.com/2015/5/26/8659671/android-auto-in-car-system-review-smartphone-hyundai-sonata
