Android Auto vs. CarPlay: The Battle Is About to Get Intense

CarPlay has long been considered the more reliable and stable alternative to Android Auto, primarily thanks to Apple's walled garden. Because of the millions of restrictions, CarPlay's bug likelihood was significantly reduced, preventing the system from struggling with connection problems and broken features.

The debut of the iPhone 15 pushed CarPlay deep into Android Auto territory from a bug perspective, as users ended up experiencing connection issues due to bad USB-C cables and various other related features.

CarPlay has barely received major changes in the last few years, with all updates tied to new operating system versions. This means that CarPlay can't get new features without an iOS update, and given that Apple has been mostly focused on improving the iPhone experience, the in-car feature lineup remains unchanged.

However, Apple is now at a point where its only option is to become more committed to improving CarPlay in the long term. In the short term, the battle between Android Auto and CarPlay should get intense, especially if Apple starts rolling out CarPlay improvements at a faster cadence.

The main reason for Apple's increased commitment to CarPlay is the Apple Car project.

The development of the vehicle has been abandoned, so Apple is no longer working on a car. Without Project Titan, Apple's automotive strategy will revolve around two products: Apple Maps and CarPlay.

Apple's automotive ambitions came down to a mix of hardware and software, with the Apple Car playing an integral role in the long-term strategy. The Apple Car represented the hardware part of the effort, while Apple Maps and CarPlay were responsible for the software side. Apple planned to combine all these pieces into one product that would have become unbeatable in the automotive space, turning the Apple Car into a hit from the first day of availability.

The hardware effort failed, so Apple's automotive push now comes down to software exclusively. Apple Maps and CarPlay will lead the effort, with the latter expected to receive more significant updates in the upcoming iOS updates.

We've known for a while that Google is already fully committed to its automotive expansion, but compared to Apple, the search giant never planned to release a vehicle. Its strategy always included only software and services, with Android Auto, Android Automotive, Google Maps, GAS, and Google Assistant representing integral products for this push. Apple will follow in Google's footsteps with an increased focus on non-hardware products, so the battle between Android Auto and CarPlay should become more interesting in the next few years.

Apple is already working on the next-generation CarPlay, with Porsche and Aston Martin to pioneer its adoption. The first two models running CarPlay 2.0 will land this year, with Apple promising that more carmakers will adopt the new release in the coming months and years. The automotive world will undoubtedly jump on the CarPlay 2.0 bandwagon and bring the new system to their cars.

Google knows that the arrival of CarPlay 2.0 and the death of the Apple Car is a mix that will make Apple more committed to its software efforts in the automotive space. The search giant is already preparing big updates for Android Auto and Android Automotive, trying to focus on multiple fronts, including expanding the app ecosystem, convincing more carmakers to adopt its embedded system, and adding new features, some powered by artificial intelligence, to the existing feature arsenal.

One particular point that I believe will help improve the adoption of Android Auto and CarPlay is how the two companies handle the expansion of the app ecosystem. Bringing more apps to the cabin is critical in the long term, as drivers want to remain connected when getting behind the wheel.

Choosing between Android Auto and CarPlay is already difficult for someone not committed to one of the two sides, but with a growing number of apps, either platform can win them over.

For example, the restricted YouTube experience is already a hot topic in the Android Auto world, with Google releasing the app on Android Automotive but blocking it on the phone mirroring platform. Users have already found ways to enable YouTube on Android Auto, but doing this on CarPlay is more difficult and typically requires jailbreaking the phone. Someone who wants YouTube in the car will choose Android Auto over CarPlay, and I'm certain Google will take advantage of this by unlocking the application in the car, too. I don't see Apple following in its footsteps (or not too soon).

The increasing rivalry between Android Auto and CarPlay, triggered by Apple's change of focus, is fantastic news for users worldwide. Competition is always a good thing, so while the death of the Apple Car was a big hit for Apple, the company has other ways to expand in the automotive sector if it plays its cards right.