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Consumer Reports joined Into Tomorrow this week with their thoughts on in-car infotainment systems:
Love everything about your car except its infotainment system? There’s an app for that. Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto are infotainment alternatives, but they aren’t without pros and cons, so says Consumer Reports. Their electronics spokesman James McQueen is here to explain.
Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto systems bring the familiar function of smartphones to the car’s screen. All you need to do is plug your Apple or Android phone into any car that supports the system, and a modified version of your smartphone screen appears on your dash monitor quicker than you can ask Siri for the score to last night’s baseball game.
CarPlay and Android Auto work well for phone calls and reading back text messages. These systems provide voice-activated navigation, being easier to use than the systems installed by most manufacturers. Another advantage are the cloud-based maps, points are always up to date and eliminates the need for a costly map updates.
Although CarPlay and Android Auto have many advantages there are also some minor drawbacks. Both systems will not work in older car models without an aftermarket head unit. And though more than 100 models since 2016 support them, that’s only about one-third of new vehicles on the market Furthermore; CarPlay’s music player can be cumbersome and hides the outside temp display. While Android Auto’s, Pandora and Spotify rob unique features.
For more info on this story, visit ConsumerReports.org.
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