For as long as there have been smartphones, people use them
while driving. Usually, it is to the disadvantage of driver alertness, but
recent developments in phone in corporate, app mirroring and vehicle
connectivity gives us hope at the bottom of this Pandora's box.
Nowadays, phone mirroring technologies like Android Auto and
Apple CarPlay help to decrease driver disturbance, curating and restructuring
our interactions with media and maps. Later, your phone may bring more
connectivity on the road, balancing safety as skill grows. And may be one day,
your phone may even replace your keys as the primary way you access to your
wheels.
Android
Auto, Apple CarPlay
Apple CarPlay and Google's Android Auto smartphone incorporation
and app mirroring technologies have by now seen a enormous spike in acceptance
since they were introduced in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and now they are usually
found on the standard features list for most models from major automakers. Smartphone
mirroring tech has grown so good and so economical, that we are seeing more
cars offering Android Auto or Apple CarPlay as the only path to navigation,
eschewing embedded nav to keep costs down.
From Tesla to Rivian to Lucid, none of the new EV startups
that have been so troublesome in the automotive industry currently support
Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. The reason for this act is a yearning to pay attention
on firstly bringing more refined, extremely integrated and connected onboard
infotainment and apparent lack of interest from potential initial adopters. In defense
of these companies’, we can say that they lack, onboard software access to data
that mirrored apps, like real time battery status that should be taken into
account when planning a navigation route -- or games you should not play while
driving -- but the Mercedes-Benz EQS, Ford Mach-E and Hyundai Ioniq 5 offer all
of that along with the option for smartphone mirroring. Both Rivian and Lucid stated
that they are open to adding Android and Apple's smartphone tech in future if
their clients ask seriously.
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay have grown significantly now
adding dozens of apps to their supported catalogs, increasing the scope of
their functionality and letting customers more liberty to customize their
experience. In coming years, both technologies should continue to progress
adding new features, capabilities.
Android Auto is concentrating on streamlining the pairing
process with a new feature called Fast Pairing, that allow users to wirelessly
connect their phone to a car with a single tap. The feature is knocked to present
on new BMW vehicles, including the new iX EV, and other makes in future. Google
is also occupied to better integrate Android Auto with other vehicle systems
and beyond just the center screen, for example, developing turn-by-turn
directions in the digital instrument group of upcoming vehicles. The in-car
interface will also get advantage as the Google Assistant voice search function
grows, with new features and interface pinches that will, expectantly, make
interacting with messaging apps smoother.
Google appears to have firm on Google Assistant Driving mode
as its ideal, a low-distraction interface for accessing navigation and media in
cars that do not support Android Auto in the dashboard.
Google's aim for car tech also encompasses beyond the phone;
Android Automotive OS -- which we have seen on the Polestar 2 -- is a version
of Android that lives in the car's dashboard powering navigation, media,
climate controls, instrumentation and more. Android Automotive is distinct from
Android Auto as it does not depend on a phone to function, but the two
technologies play together, and increased adoption of Google's in-dash OS could
allow for profounder, more spontaneous connectivity with phones apps in the
future.
Apple has done a better job delivering the new features that
it's promised with each update to iOS -- versus Google with its constant
delays, slow rollouts and occasional disappearance of promised features -- with
most of the new CarPlay features announced earlier this year rolling out as
part of the iOS 15 beta. There are new themes and wallpapers to choose from, a
new Driving Focus mode that can reduce notifications while CarPlay is active or
driving is detected and improvements to Apple Maps and messaging via Siri voice
assistant.
Apple’s CarPlay's upgrade path is a bit less clear. But, the
rumored project "IronHeart" could see Apple rising its impact over
the vehicle, granting CarPlay control over the car's radio, climate control,
seat settings and other infotainment settings. Such control would to be first fixed
by automakers, but not having to shift back and forth between CarPlay and OEM
software to adjust one's temperature sure sound promising. With the coming of
iOS 15, CarPlay gets upgraded Apple Maps and new customizable wallpapers.
We don't
need keys for cars
The most promising applications of smartphone technology among
automotives is the rise of the phone as an alternative to keys.
It is not a new technology; Hyundai showcased Near-Field
Communication-based phone unlocking techno logy in 2012 with Audi adding the
tech to a production car, its flagship A8 sedan, in 2018. But, automakers like
Hyundai and Ford moved to Bluetooth for secure authentication, unlocking and
starting their cars.
Android Digital
Car Key
Both Google and Apple have announced Digital Car Key
standards initially with BMW. We expect to see more compatible makes over the
next year.
Google
Replacing car keys with phone comes with a lot of advantages
other than having one less thing in your pocket or purse. Automakers tout the capability
to use more complecated encryption technology to enhance security.
A digital car key can be transferred easily than a physical
key and purposes more granular control. Like you can send full driving access
to a family member who wants to run shopping for a day or only grant
lock/unlock access to a friend who just wants to take something from the cabin
or trunk. When they are done, those rights can be automatically revoked.
Lately, both Google and Apple have announced their own
digital car key standards built into Android and iOS at an OS level, which has
the ability to increase security and while also streamlining authentication. Possibly
next year, your friends or family members may not have to download a whole
separate OEM app just to borrow your digital car keys for an afternoon. Because
each digital car key is exclusive, they could theoretically be tied to a user
profile that travels from vehicle to vehicle, for example, taking the
preferences set on your sedan with you when your sibling digitally lends you
their minivan of the same make for the weekend.
The tech
cat's out of the bag
The power of the phone as the final on-the-go technology
makes it a nearly too-perfect match for the automobile, the tech that allows us
to be the most on the go. They are, nevertheless, a difficult pair. The
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration evaluate that there were 3,142
fatalities and 424,000 people injured due to motor vehicle crashes in the US including
distracted drivers in 2019.
Ironically, a smarter application of AI voice assistant tech
and app-mirroring interfaces that show warnings and remove distractions can
make the phone, one of the most promising ways to keep drivers away from using
high-distraction apps on the road and produce safer motoring, both for the
cutting-edge cars of tomorrow or the wheels you own today.
0 Comments