Reading Google maps from a phone balancing precariously on your lap whilst trying to read road signs, steer and operate foot pedals is a skill that only the best multitaskers can manage. Now, however, regular drivers will be able to safely use their favorite Google apps as Android Auto has finally launched in a car under production.
The 2015 Hyundai Sonata is the first vehicle to feature Android Auto which allows you to plug your phone and run Google Maps and other apps through the car's built-in touchscreen dashboard.
The Android system features in the new Sonata, which goes on sale across the U.S. starting Tuesday, May 26, and will be rolled out across other Hyundai models later in the year. Existing owners of the 2015 Sonata with Navigation can drop by a dealer to have their system upgraded to incorporate Android Auto and Hyundai says that car owners will be able to upgrade from home later this summer by downloading the software to a USB stick.
Android Auto was actually launched almost a year ago at Google I/O 2014 and was already available via third-party navigation devices like Pioneer head units, but the Sonata is the first production car to have compatibility built-in.
To use the system the driver must have a phone running version 5.0 (Lollipop) or higher of the Android operating system. However, certain phones on some networks are not compatible, such as the LG G3 on Verizon and the Samsung Galaxy S5 on Sprint and Verizon and the S6 on AT&T. The full list of compatible phones can be found here.
The user connects the phone to the car via a micro-USB cable and can then run a host of apps via the Hyundai's touchscreen dashboard and voice-activated microphone. Android Auto can run Google Maps, Google Now, messaging, phone calling and Google Play Music as well as some third-party apps including iHeartRadio, Spotify, TuneIn, NPR, Stitcher and Skype. The phone screen is automatically locked once connected to Android Auto to prevent driver distraction.
Apple CarPlay is a similar system that runs iOS apps through a vehicle's navigation system. Ferrari says it is already offering Apple CarPlay to customers who request it and 2015 models from Ford, Mercedes, Volvo and others are expected to support the system, although no such model has been released to date.
