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Between Apple CarPlay and Android Auto both systems offer provisions for native apps including Phone, Maps, Calendar, Music, News, Podcasts/Audiobooks, and Settings. Similarly, you can also get third-party integration for apps like Spotify for music and Waze for mapping, along with a variety of other music streaming, podcast, internet radio, messaging, and navigation apps.
To avoid distraction, voice assistance in the car is a more basic version of what you might expect on your phone or home smart speaker. You can ask questions like ‘what time is it in London?’, ‘What’s the temperature outside/in Sydney?’, or ‘how long will it take me to drive to Yass?’ but you won’t be able to ask for a recipe for chocolate cake, or for a history of landmarks you see on the road, for example.
While both smartphone mirroring platforms allow notifications, Android Auto is more discreet in announcing incoming calls, texts, and messages. Apple CarPlay’s voice assistant will disable the screen and read out a notification, while Android Auto simply minimises the notification and reads it out. This means you can continue following navigation while having messages read out, for example.
As part of the Drive content team, Tom covers automotive news, car reviews, advice, and holds a special interest in long-form feature stories.
He understands that every car buyer is unique and has varying requirements when it comes to buying a new car, but equally, there’s also a loyal subset of Drive audience that loves entertaining enthusiast content.
Tom holds a deep respect for all things automotive no matter the model, priding himself on noticing the subtle things that make each car tick. Not a day goes by that he doesn’t learn something new in an everchanging industry, which is then imparted to the Drive reader base.
Read more about Tom Fraser
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