Photo: Polestar
Navigation apps like Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze, or even the solutions that are integrated into the systems installed in new cars, have become a must-have for drivers out there.
And we’re not the ones saying it, though getting around the nightmare traffic in our crowded cities would be a huge pain in the neck without the likes of Waze, but a survey recently conducted by Germany’s Bitkom association.
More specifically, 87 percent of the respondents said that what they’re looking for when buying a new car is support for some sort of navigation solution. 98 percent of the new car buyers would be particularly interested in safety, while 92 percent of them said that what they care about the most is comfort.
Only 58 percent of the people participating in the survey said they consider Internet access for the infotainment system a must-have when buying a new car.
Interestingly, integrating smartphones in the driving experience is playing a more important role for drivers these days than it did in the past, with 69 percent of the users claiming they do want to be able to use their phones on the head unit. In other words, they want Android Auto or CarPlay to be available in their cars and thus get the full package when syncing phones with head units.
The adoption of Android Auto and CarPlay has indeed skyrocketed in the last few years, but at the same time, tech giants are also hoping for deeper integration of their services in new cars.
Google, for example, is insisting on the adoption of Android Automotive, a more advanced platform that would offer its services pre-loaded and provide additional functionality, such as seamless updates, new-gen navigation with support for vehicle specifications, as well as upgraded infotainment capabilities based on the available services.
On the other hand, Android Automotive is still in its early days in the car market, as only Polestar has embraced it until now, though a series of other brands are projected to install it in their new models beginning with 2021.
More specifically, 87 percent of the respondents said that what they’re looking for when buying a new car is support for some sort of navigation solution. 98 percent of the new car buyers would be particularly interested in safety, while 92 percent of them said that what they care about the most is comfort.
Only 58 percent of the people participating in the survey said they consider Internet access for the infotainment system a must-have when buying a new car.
Interestingly, integrating smartphones in the driving experience is playing a more important role for drivers these days than it did in the past, with 69 percent of the users claiming they do want to be able to use their phones on the head unit. In other words, they want Android Auto or CarPlay to be available in their cars and thus get the full package when syncing phones with head units.
The adoption of Android Auto and CarPlay has indeed skyrocketed in the last few years, but at the same time, tech giants are also hoping for deeper integration of their services in new cars.
Google, for example, is insisting on the adoption of Android Automotive, a more advanced platform that would offer its services pre-loaded and provide additional functionality, such as seamless updates, new-gen navigation with support for vehicle specifications, as well as upgraded infotainment capabilities based on the available services.
On the other hand, Android Automotive is still in its early days in the car market, as only Polestar has embraced it until now, though a series of other brands are projected to install it in their new models beginning with 2021.
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