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Phone Maker Announces All-In-One Car Platform That Makes Android Auto Look Ridiculous

Apple has CarPlay, Google has Android Auto and Android Automotive, and now another phone company is joining the fun with its very own platform that doesn’t even compare to these products.
OPPO says it will install this system in 15 million vehicles by 2022 6 photos
Photo: OPPO
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OPPO, the Chinese tech behemoth, has announced at the OPPO Developer Conference 2021 that it’s stepping into the automotive business with a platform called Carlink.

While Carlink may sound familiar, it has nothing to do with the famous adapter called Carlinkit, and it’s actually an all-in-one solution whose purpose is to completely digitalize the driving experience.

In fact, OPPO wants Carlink to be a feature-packed platform that brings several systems whose adoption is currently on the rise under just a single roof.

For example, the company says Carlink will allow automakers to equip their vehicles with digital car keys, something whose adoption is improving at a very slow pace these days. Apple has already announced such a feature in partnership with BMW, and Samsung, too, has updated its phones to support similar systems.

But OPPO believes that by offering this system pre-loaded, the adoption of digital car keys would substantially gain more traction.

And unsurprisingly, OPPO is trying to expand on several fronts, so the company is also promising vehicle management systems that would allow owners to control certain features remotely. But, again, this is something that’s been around for a while, though in most cases, carmakers themselves have been offering such functionality through their own dedicated apps.

OPPO will bring similar features right on your wrist by developing compatibility with smartwatches.

The Chinese phone maker says it has already worked with a series of carmakers to prepare its platform for mass adoption, and some companies have already confirmed it’d install it on their vehicles. It remains to be seen if Carlink is ready to expand beyond the borders of China,. Right now, it’s pretty clear OPPO doesn’t want to remain just a regular phone manufacturer.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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