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jeffcarp's avatar
jeffcarp
Explorer
May 19, 2016

Android Auto update creates opportunities for RVers

Yesterday was Google's annual IO conference. There were a couple announcements about Android Auto that I am excited about as an RVer.

First, they announced that an upcoming update to the Android Auto app will no longer require an in-dash head unit to use Android Auto. In other words, you can open the app and interface with your phone using the same interface that you would see on your in-dash head unit if you had one.

If you've never seen the Android Auto user interface you can watch a good video by clicking here.

The main premise behind Android Auto is it allows you to interface with Google Maps, several music apps, text messaging and phone calls, and various podcast apps all with your voice or with only one or two screen clicks of a very simplified user interface. The idea is that the interface is very similar to interacting with your current in-dash touch screen while also adding many things that can be done completely with your voice.

I had already decided to change my navigation solution this season to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 tablet mounted in a ProClip USA dash mount. This new announcement of having Android Auto capability on that tablet is very exciting.

The second announcement is that the navigation app Waze is going to be made Android Auto compatible so now you will have two options, Google Maps and Waze to use within the Android Auto interface.
  • MrWizard's avatar
    MrWizard
    Moderator
    May 19, 2016
    Distraction is not about touching the screen

    its all about looking at the Blasted thing to begin with, taking our eyes off the road

    voice activation is ok, turn on radio, find country music,
    play my music, play Reba, george jones, etc..
    call wife..

    but any time there is a Navigation screen, or something beside 'gauges' to look at for some reason, then there is un-nesscessary distraction
  • jeffcarp's avatar
    jeffcarp
    Explorer
    May 19, 2016
    You can duplicate the home screen without Android Auto but you can't duplicate the use of the individual apps though the simplified interface. You'd be back to interfacing with each app in a phone interface that is native to each app. Not safe for operating while driving.
  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    May 19, 2016
    Not all that big a data plan.. T-mobile for example lets me stream music for free, many videos too.
    I watched the video, and fail to see where it is an improvement on a customized "home page" screen, My phone allows me to have several "home" screens. and it would only take me a couple mintues to duplicate the Android Auto screen.
  • jeffcarp's avatar
    jeffcarp
    Explorer
    May 19, 2016
    accsys wrote:
    Not to mention you are going to need one heck of a data plan if you use it much.


    I think you'd be surprised. I've got 10,000 miles on my 2015 Hyundai Sonata which has Android Auto in it. I have my hometown downloaded offline in Google Maps and anytime I am going to a new city I download that city offline as well. When Google switched to vector maps it really cut down the size of the map data drastically. I use Google Maps almost exclusively when I travel, about 25,000 miles a year, and it is not even in the top 10 of apps that use the most data on my phone.

    The thing that will really add to your data quickly is streaming music and streaming podcast however there are multiple apps that are compatible with Android Auto that allow you to download content offline when you are on a Wi-Fi connection. I have hundreds of hours of music downloaded offline with Google Play Music and I have more hours of podcasts than I could possibly listen to downloaded as well so none of this takes any data while on the road.
  • jeffcarp's avatar
    jeffcarp
    Explorer
    May 19, 2016
    I can appreciate what you're saying about distractions while driving however, until you have actually tried Android Auto or Apple Carplay, I wouldn't pass judgement on it in terms of introducing more distractions. If anything, it actually reduces them.

    Navigation is the first feature that it has. We've all been interacting with in-dash or portable navigation systems for years. If anything, this solution improves the distractions because so much of the capability is voice-activated verses having to touch the screen at all.

    Then there is the music and podcasts capability and again, no different here than pushing your screen to change the radio station. There is very limited functionality that can be accomplished through the interface. There is no increase in distractions compared to pushing your in-dash touch screen now.

    Finally you get to the telephone calls and text messaging. Again, this is an improvement not an increase in distractions mainly because the entire interaction is only voice activated. You can't read a text message on the interface. The actual words do not even appear on the interface. The text message is read to you aloud and you can only respond with your voice.
  • accsys's avatar
    accsys
    Explorer
    May 19, 2016
    Not to mention you are going to need one heck of a data plan if you use it much.
  • fj12ryder's avatar
    fj12ryder
    Explorer III
    May 19, 2016
    Gee, I hate to sound like a Luddite, but do we really need more distraction in the cockpit? GPS app sounds good, but text messaging? Multi-tasking really doesn't work for most people, and even the ones who are only driving aren't doing a very good job of that a lot of times.

    All of it sounds great, but not while trying to drive. Heck I'm still on the fence about Waze since it requires input while driving. :)

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