Android is going places. This can be seen in this year's CES where three companies, Panasonic, Qualcomm, and Google are piloting Andriod to new arenas. The task of Android is now not just running phones or being mirrored on a car's screen. It is now proven that it can act as a standalone in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system that runs on the Android 7.0 Nougat operating system. Everything that is needed to make it operational in a car is included in the system like the hardware, LTE modem, and the operating system.
It has become easier for car manufacturers as they can now purchase the Android system and then customize it with desired appearance and features. It is already a known fact that different phone companies, such as Samsung and HTC, have proprietary interfaces but still run on the same types of Android OS, reported Autoblog.
The Andriod system will not become obsolete in a few years. According to Tom Gebhardt from Panasonic, the system will be more future-proof and it will have the potential for incorporating features beyond that of the next two IVI generations. This is a huge reassurance to the buyers as they can be sure that their car's infotainment won't be outdated within a couple of years. It will be showcased through a demo as to how the system will be able to control apps that run on Android as well as vehicle systems such as the climate control, reported Trendolizer.
Earlier, it was reported that Google was developing a vehicle infotainment system that could access vehicle sensors and diagnostic equipment. This system could recognize things like the fuel level. If the system or a future version of the same has this ability, it could both display information, such as fuel level, and even act on it. The system might be able to use Google Maps and a gas price app to find the nearest and cheapest gas stations when it detects that the gas level is low.
Panasonic also stated that this system has the ability to process video and support multiple screens. This takes the in-car entertainment to a whole new level as it allows each person access to a screen to stream movies or surf the web. Each passenger will be able to adjust the car's audio from their own screen, too.
Android based systems are already a popular choice and this will also make the system quite simple to operate. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are among the easiest touchscreen interfaces to use that are available in the market. If the Android IVI penetrates the market and reaches most car manufacturers, the car users will no longer complain about the complex and ugly OEM infotainment system.
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