Five things we like (and don’t like) about Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto… It's a contentious topic in the automotive world. I'm not quite convinced that smartphone mirroring is the be all and end all for communication, navigation and more in cars – no matter how much people rave on about it.

Here’s five things to consider as we compare some of the pros and cons of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compared to in-car sat-nav and factory infotainment systems.

Apple CarPlay/Android Auto is appealing due to the ability to quickly connect your phone by plugging it in via a cable instead of having to fiddle around with Bluetooth connections/authorisations, especially if you have multiple drivers. 

You still get all the basic benefits of Bluetooth such as music and phone communication functionality.

Plus with smartphone mirroring, you can quickly access other compatible apps, like calendar, podcasts, messaging and more without having to touch your phone because it’s all accessible on your infotainment screen in a visual and easy-to-use format.

Google Maps users will like being able to quickly type in details on their phone and connect maps to the car instead of using the sat-nav where you have to slowly and painfully select letter-by-letter until you get close to what you want.

Instead of awkwardly leveraging your phone in your cup holder (which I have been known to do) or utilising a phone holder to prop up your phone for view, you can view your navigation details directly on a screen that is likely to be larger than that of your phone.

Additionally, when it comes to real-time traffic updates, Google Maps is pretty spot on. Not all cars offer live traffic updates with their sat-nav, and more often than not the information is less accurate.

That said, there are some car navigation systems that are ‘powered by Google Maps’, for example the Tesla Model 3 and Audi Q7.  

In a world where accidents are more often than not caused by people being distracted by their phones, the use of smartphone mirroring may assist in limiting the temptation to look at your phone.

If you do get a text message your car/Siri can read it out to you, and you can respond via voice.

I’ve never had a message that I’ve needed to reply to instantly or that couldn’t wait until I had stopped, but for some this feature might encourage safer driving practices.

Though I will admit it’s pretty funny listening to Siri try and read out my WhatsApp messages, and that’s entertainment enough in itself.

If your car doesn’t have speed sign recognition, Google Maps is slowly rolling this out so you could also get that functionality through Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.

You could argue that a simplified experience could be a pro or a con depending on your user preferences.

When premium cars are involved, using Apple CarPlay and Android Auto actually reduces the infotainment experience that you are likely paying extensively for already.

For example, in the 2020 Audi Q7 you can utilise the Maps functionality which is integrated into the digital dash, infotainment screen and head-up display or you could use Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and get a sub-par visual experience and a complete loss of Map view integration/map view on the dash.

It can be less convenient and less helpful to downgrade to Apple CarPlay/Android Auto when some vehicles can handle more and integrate the experience better utilising their own systems, which are built to improve your overall driving experience.

Following the above point, Mobile apps that you download on your mobile device and connect with your car are becoming more common. Connected Apps serve to be convenient and in many ways are also time saving.

With phone integration now, you can argue that the convenience saved from typing the map details into your phone is worth the downgrade in experience, but what if I told you that you could still type your destination on your phone and then send those navigation details to your car?

With some mobile apps such as BMW/MINI Connected this is possible.

When you get in your car the navigation is pre-loaded, so all you have to do is push start on your infotainment screen to activate.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is alluring because of its simplicity.

In cheaper and more affordable cars, this offering makes sense and often is a far more satisfying experience than the clunky factory standard in car sat-nav and infotainment systems. They are often visually horrendous, navigation information can be sub-par, and they’re certainly less convenient to get running.

However, in prestige vehicles a lot of what you are paying for is the technology. Why not enjoy the premium experience at your fingertips rather than settle for a comparatively sub-par system and let all that tech go to waste?

What do you think? Do you prefer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, or do you think that quality in-car infotainment systems can do it better?

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