Photo: Mishaal Rahman on Twitter
Android Automotive is Google’s big bet in the modern automotive world, as it comes pre-loaded on the head units installed in cars and offers deeper integration of its services.
On the other hand, Android Auto is the more popular alternative, as it’s already available in more than 150 million cars. It requires an Android smartphone to do its job.
Developer Mishaal Rahman has managed to get Android Automotive up and running on an old Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e tablet, and in addition to the full OS deployed on the device, wired and wireless Android Auto support is also offered.
In other words, if you were ready to give up on an old Android tablet because it sports outdated hardware, this project could breathe new life into it, essentially allowing the device to double as an Android Automotive head unit with Android Auto support.
While generic system images aren’t yet available for download, the developer says the project still requires a lot of extra work. For instance, the location access isn’t yet up and running, Google Maps sometimes crashes, and the weather widget isn’t showing any information.
Most likely, it’s all just a matter of time until all these shortcomings are resolved, so it remains to be seen how many people would deploy the system image on their tablets if and when the project is released publicly.
For the time being, the only way to get Android Automotive in a car is to purchase a new vehicle where the operating system is pre-loaded. It goes without saying that Mishaal Rahman’s project would make the OS a lot more popular, though this isn’t necessarily the most convenient solution for beginners anyway.
If you’re not necessarily interested in Android Automotive and Android Auto and just want the full version of Android behind the wheel, your old tablet can double as a head unit anyway, with plenty of car launchers on the Play Store ready to offer a driving-optimized experience.
Developer Mishaal Rahman has managed to get Android Automotive up and running on an old Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e tablet, and in addition to the full OS deployed on the device, wired and wireless Android Auto support is also offered.
In other words, if you were ready to give up on an old Android tablet because it sports outdated hardware, this project could breathe new life into it, essentially allowing the device to double as an Android Automotive head unit with Android Auto support.
While generic system images aren’t yet available for download, the developer says the project still requires a lot of extra work. For instance, the location access isn’t yet up and running, Google Maps sometimes crashes, and the weather widget isn’t showing any information.
Most likely, it’s all just a matter of time until all these shortcomings are resolved, so it remains to be seen how many people would deploy the system image on their tablets if and when the project is released publicly.
For the time being, the only way to get Android Automotive in a car is to purchase a new vehicle where the operating system is pre-loaded. It goes without saying that Mishaal Rahman’s project would make the OS a lot more popular, though this isn’t necessarily the most convenient solution for beginners anyway.
If you’re not necessarily interested in Android Automotive and Android Auto and just want the full version of Android behind the wheel, your old tablet can double as a head unit anyway, with plenty of car launchers on the Play Store ready to offer a driving-optimized experience.
Google News