Ignore fuel economy, acceleration times or reliability. Exactly what lots of new-car buyers need to know is if they’ll be able to incorporate their smartphone with a vehicle’s multimedia system.
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which allow operation of mobile phone apps for navigation, text messaging and music through their automobile’s dashboard touch-screen, steering-wheel buttons or voice commands, have quickly ended up being essential features for many who are in the market for a brand-new car.
The automobile industry is racing to keep up with the growing need. Less than a year earlier, less than 50 automobiles were providing one or both, or had decided to provide them. For the 2017 model year, the list has grown to over 100, and more announcements are anticipated in the coming months.
General Motors presently provides both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on 30 models. Ford wasn’t even on the list a year earlier, but for the 2017 design year it ends up being the first full-line auto maker to provide Android Car and CarPlay on every car line it offers, including its luxury Lincoln.
Android devices are prevalent in the U.S. mobile phone market, however more 2017 vehicles will be available with CarPlay than with Android Auto. BMW and Porsche will provide CarPlay on many of their designs, but up until now neither has revealed plans to add Android Vehicle. Mercedes-Benz uses both systems on many designs, but you can only get CarPlay on the GLS-Class and SL-Class. The Nissan Maxima likewise has CarPlay just for 2017.
