Hopes for I/O?

[Tom Westrick]

Hey everyone,

Since Google has a session titled "Android Auto for Everyone", I figured it'd be worth starting a discussion on what everyone hopes to see out of this session, and for Android Auto as a whole. Do keep in mind that I/O is a developer conference, and while any developer benefits will trickle down to consumers, the announcements may be specifically for developers.

I hope they announce that the weirdness of using certain phones with Android Auto has been solved and everything "just works." I also hope that whatever new features roll out, old head units aren't abandoned. Those that bought into Android Auto have spent at least $800 on the head unit and installation, and it would anger the hell out of the community if those early head units were left behind.

 

[Rukbat]

I hope they announce that the weirdness of using certain phones with Android Auto has been solved and everything "just works."

If Google made all the phones, maybe, but if they can't even get an old technology like BT to "everything works", don't hold out much hope for AA.

 

[theelite1x87]

I doubt they'll abandon "old" head units. 2015 and 2016 sonatas came with head units from factory that worked. They were the first to support it (first from factory, among the first in general). They are first generation head units as well. If Google drops support for anything it'll kill Android auto immediately. They know that technology in cars moves much more slowly than other tech and factory head units stay in a car for many years. Pretty sure Google acknowledged and planned for that from the outset.

 

[Cant Miss]

As far as head units go... they have relatively little to do with Android Auto; they are simply an interface extension to the phone running over USB.

What I am hoping to see is a new set of API that will let driving apps like Automatic, Dash, and Waze come to the platform, as well as location/route sharing.

 

[fragilemn]

Even though I have a Nexus 5, I also would like to see an effort to eliminate the inconsistencies between different carriers, different manufacturers, in terms of Android Auto. I consider myself fairly techie and can solve some things on my own, or at least know how to find some answers on the web. I can't imagine the average person buying a car and trying to use Android Auto and running into one of these myriad issues of AA because they have a Samsung or because they are on Verizon, or whatever. They go talk to their dealer and get nowhere, they talk to Verizon, etc. Everybody blames everybody else and there they sit with this feature they were promised and maybe was one of the reasons they bought the car in the first place, and they are stuck.

I'm tempted to say Google has never faced quite this much of a test of the fractured nature of the Android Ecosystem, where all the pieces must play together perfectly. It's not working out too well as of yet.

 

[Tom Westrick]

As far as head units go... they have relatively little to do with Android Auto; they are simply an interface extension to the phone running over USB.

What I am hoping to see is a new set of API that will let driving apps like Automatic, Dash, and Waze come to the platform, as well as location/route sharing.

Agreed, I'd love to be able to use Here Maps on longer road trips to avoid data fees.