Photo: Google
The adoption of Android Auto is on the rise, with more and more carmakers bringing it to their new models, but at the same time, there’s also a shift in terms of supported versions.
A continuously increasing number of brands are going for the wireless version of Android Auto, therefore dropping cables and making it possible for users to run the app without even pulling the phones out of their pockets.
The latest to do is Audi, which announced earlier this week that most of its 2022 MIB 3-equipped models would only support the wireless version of Android Auto, including Audi Q3, Q5, Q7, Q8, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, e-tron, and e-tron Sportback.
And according to Google, more and more companies do the same thing. The search giant revealed at its I/O conference earlier this month that the “vast majority” of cars come with support for the wireless mode of Android Auto.
And at the first glance, it all makes sense.
Running Android Auto with a cable has long been quite a challenge, mostly due to the so many low-quality cords out there. This is the reason lots of users are actually struggling with connectivity problems, blaming Android Auto but without knowing the cable powering the whole thing is actually the culprit.
Then, Google itself has been working on a feature to help deal with bad cables. A troubleshooter has previously been spotted in earlier Android Auto versions, but at this point, it’s not yet clear if the company still wants to bring it to users out there.
And last but not least, Google itself has prepared for a future where Android Auto wireless spearheads the adoption of its car-optimized experience. The release of Android 11 has unlocked the wireless mode of Android Auto to all phones, therefore removing a restriction that previously limited the availability only to the Google Pixel and high-end Samsung devices.
So right now, pretty much any Android 11 phone can run Android Auto wirelessly as long as the device supports 5 GHz Wi-Fi.
The latest to do is Audi, which announced earlier this week that most of its 2022 MIB 3-equipped models would only support the wireless version of Android Auto, including Audi Q3, Q5, Q7, Q8, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, e-tron, and e-tron Sportback.
And according to Google, more and more companies do the same thing. The search giant revealed at its I/O conference earlier this month that the “vast majority” of cars come with support for the wireless mode of Android Auto.
And at the first glance, it all makes sense.
Running Android Auto with a cable has long been quite a challenge, mostly due to the so many low-quality cords out there. This is the reason lots of users are actually struggling with connectivity problems, blaming Android Auto but without knowing the cable powering the whole thing is actually the culprit.
Then, Google itself has been working on a feature to help deal with bad cables. A troubleshooter has previously been spotted in earlier Android Auto versions, but at this point, it’s not yet clear if the company still wants to bring it to users out there.
And last but not least, Google itself has prepared for a future where Android Auto wireless spearheads the adoption of its car-optimized experience. The release of Android 11 has unlocked the wireless mode of Android Auto to all phones, therefore removing a restriction that previously limited the availability only to the Google Pixel and high-end Samsung devices.
So right now, pretty much any Android 11 phone can run Android Auto wirelessly as long as the device supports 5 GHz Wi-Fi.
Google News