Google revealed a group of updates to the Android Auto experience in the week with Google Assistant, car displays, and Google apps built-in services. Google Assistant driving mode on Android phones was given a replacement dashboard in the week with the keyword phrase “Hey Google, let’s drive.” This new model will deliver “glanceable, tappable cards” for simple use while driving, emphasizing music with Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, Podcast Addict, JioSaavn, Audible, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, et al. within the mix.
Driving modes (as mentioned above and earlier this year) will be delivered to Android smartphones of all sorts within the next few weeks for English, German, Spanish, French, and Italian modes. Driving modes will be the “primary experience for Android phones” in vehicles from now forward.
Android Auto on car displays is going to be recuperating within the very near future also. Google announced that “more than 100 million cars compatible with Android Auto” will get new features that “bring help from Google onto your car display via your Android phone.” Google Assistant will soon send recommendations for podcasts, music, and news. You’ll be ready to “set which app launches” once you start Android Auto automatically, too.
Google also suggested in the week that “in the approaching years, many cars will have Google fully built-in to their infotainment systems.” Notice the shortage of the word “Android” or the term “Android Auto” therein statement. The statement continues: “So you’ll get around with Google Maps, use Google Assistant to show on the A/C, download your favorite apps on Google Play and far more, even without a smartphone.”
A big team-up between Google and Honda was announced that’ll have “future models with Google built-in starting in 2022.” This new Google experience in vehicles (or “Google built-in”) is going to be “available on cars from top brands” aside from Honda, too, including Ford, General Motors, Renault, Polestar, and Volvo.
