Swedish electric car brand Polestar was among the first to adopt Google's Android Automotive multimedia platform. This includes the same suite of applications as an Android phone, but adapted to the automotive context The actual offering has so far been rather limited, but that's set to change in the coming months.
Google announced in mid-May that a major update for Android Automotive was coming in the near-future. To the Google Automotive Services already present, which include already popular applications such as Google Maps, the Google Voice Assistant and its Play Store app store, other services will soon be added.
Among them are two video-on-demand applications that will be offered to U.S. customers of Polestar, as well as of Volvo, Ford, Acura, Buick and other brands whose models use the Android Automotive system. New additions are HBO's Max and Peacock. The Angry Birds game, very popular in mobile versions, will also be included de facto.
Of course, these new features will only work when the vehicle is stationary, to avoid any distraction for the driver while on the road. Only Porsche has managed to overcome this limitation. The central screen of its Macan EV has a protective film that prevents drivers from seeing the screen when the vehicle is in motion. Front passengers, on the other hand, will be able to keep entertained while the vehicle is in motion.
New application categories
Because a car is not a phone, the Android Automotive system limits the types of applications that can be installed on board to five categories: media, navigation, places of interest, home automation and online video.
New categories will soon be added to the platform. Games, web browsers and weather apps are already in beta mode and should be made official soon. Google will also be adding a communications category, for video calling services such as Microsoft's Teams, Zoom, or Meet (also from Google).
The latter could take advantage of the ability to pair a keyboard, mouse or even stereo headset with the vehicle's multimedia system via Bluetooth, to offer more advanced functions than calls. Here again, we'll have to make sure that the vehicle is not in a risky situation to perform tasks more typical of an office than a passenger compartment.
Android Auto stands out
Many motorists were familiar with Android Auto when Google and a number of automakers announced the creation of Android Automotive, a multimedia system built right into the dashboard. Android Auto, in contrast, is really just a form of copying certain applications from your phone to the dashboard screen.
The arrival of Android Automotive has created a bit of confusion for some motorists, to the point where many are wondering whether this is the beginning of the end for Android Auto. But that's probably not the case.
In fact, Google is reportedly also working on an update to the Android Auto interface to include more natively car-sharing applications, such as Uber. This would enable Uber drivers to display information about their journeys directly on their vehicle's screen, rather than on their phone, which is attached to a cradle glued to the dashboard.
We'll soon know which car brands and which applications are the first to benefit from the two updates. In the case of Android Automotive, it's a safe bet Polestar vehicles will be the first to inherit the system, since the Swedish brand didn't hesitate to adopt it when it launched its first mass-market model, the Polestar 2 sedan.
The launch of the Polestar 3, an SUV derived from this compact sedan, would be an opportune moment to introduce this Google Automotive update...