We test CarPlay and Android Auto head-to-head. Both offer wireless and wired connectivity and Apple has recently updated CarPlay (iOS 14) to include customisable wallpapers. In this video Paul Maric will run you through a guide on how to connect Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the basic features of each, plus a head-to-head test to see which performs better at basic functions.
We have used the Skoda Superb Scout to show you how all of this works. The Skoda uses a wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto interface. Some cars come with their wired or wireless integrations, the full list of compatible vehicles is in the links below.
Our three head-to-head tests include:
- Calling my aunty...with a very ethnic name!
- Finding an EV charging station near me
- Directing me to a holiday destination 16 hours drive away
Apple CarPlay compatible cars: https://www.apple.com/au/ios/carplay/available-models/
Android Auto compatible cars: https://www.android.com/intl/en_au/auto/compatibility/#compatibility-vehicles
Skip Ahead:
Intro: 00:00
Android Auto: 01:12
Apple CarPlay (iOS 14): 04:42
CarPlay vs Android Auto head-to-head: 07:59
Verdict: 12:09
We review every new car on the market, bust car myths, cover the latest car tech and answer your burning questions.
Whether you need new car advice, purchase validation or simply love learning more about new cars and technology, we are your car experts.
Subscribe to Car Expert: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7DvMhvy3H7ntEgn9n3xQcQ?sub_confirmation=1
You'll find us dropping new video content three times a week. If you'd like to ask a question about one of our videos, simply leave us a comment. If you'd like to give us any feedback on our content, feel free to email us, or alternatively, hit us up on social media.
Finally, we want this channel to grow with your support and feedback. If there's anything you don't like or would like to see us change, we'd love to hear from you!
Follow us on social media to see what we're up to and to ask any questions!
CarExpert:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarExpertAus
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/CarExpertAus
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carexpert.com.au
Paul Maric:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulMaric
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/PaulMaric
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PaulMaric
#apple #androidauto #carplay #android @Apple @Samsung @Proandroid @AndroidAuthority
We have used the Skoda Superb Scout to show you how all of this works. The Skoda uses a wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto interface. Some cars come with their wired or wireless integrations, the full list of compatible vehicles is in the links below.
Our three head-to-head tests include:
- Calling my aunty...with a very ethnic name!
- Finding an EV charging station near me
- Directing me to a holiday destination 16 hours drive away
Apple CarPlay compatible cars: https://www.apple.com/au/ios/carplay/available-models/
Android Auto compatible cars: https://www.android.com/intl/en_au/auto/compatibility/#compatibility-vehicles
Skip Ahead:
Intro: 00:00
Android Auto: 01:12
Apple CarPlay (iOS 14): 04:42
CarPlay vs Android Auto head-to-head: 07:59
Verdict: 12:09
We review every new car on the market, bust car myths, cover the latest car tech and answer your burning questions.
Whether you need new car advice, purchase validation or simply love learning more about new cars and technology, we are your car experts.
Subscribe to Car Expert: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7DvMhvy3H7ntEgn9n3xQcQ?sub_confirmation=1
You'll find us dropping new video content three times a week. If you'd like to ask a question about one of our videos, simply leave us a comment. If you'd like to give us any feedback on our content, feel free to email us, or alternatively, hit us up on social media.
Finally, we want this channel to grow with your support and feedback. If there's anything you don't like or would like to see us change, we'd love to hear from you!
Follow us on social media to see what we're up to and to ask any questions!
CarExpert:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarExpertAus
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/CarExpertAus
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carexpert.com.au
Paul Maric:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulMaric
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/PaulMaric
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PaulMaric
#apple #androidauto #carplay #android @Apple @Samsung @Proandroid @AndroidAuthority
Category
🚗
MotorTranscript
00:00 G'day, I'm Paul.
00:01 Today we're doing something a little bit different.
00:02 Some of you may know that I'm a bit of a tech nerd.
00:04 I've been a tech nerd for years.
00:06 In fact, I found our first computer receipt the other day.
00:09 It's quite comical to see some of those numbers
00:10 that were high-end back then.
00:12 What I wanted to do today is a comparison
00:14 between Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
00:17 This technology is now fitted
00:18 to so many new cars on the market,
00:20 I thought it'd be worth investigating
00:21 which system is better than the other
00:23 and how they both work.
00:24 Today we're going to do a comparison
00:25 of these two bits of software
00:27 using the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
00:31 and then the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus.
00:34 Each have their respective new versions
00:35 of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto installed.
00:38 And we're going to be using the Skoda Superb,
00:40 which offers both of those platforms.
00:42 So a caveat here, yes, I use an iPhone,
00:45 but I have owned Samsungs before
00:47 and I just love playing with technology.
00:49 So I'm going to keep this as fair as I possibly can.
00:51 Now this is how it's going to work.
00:52 I'm going to run you through the features
00:53 of CarPlay and Android Auto.
00:55 Then I've got a set of tests lined up to compare the two.
00:58 If you do want to skip directly ahead to the tests,
01:00 you can use the time codes up on the screen there.
01:02 Or if you're on YouTube, just use the chapters below.
01:05 And if you haven't done so already,
01:06 make sure you hit subscribe and press the bell icon.
01:08 That'll tell you every single time
01:09 we sit down to play with some tech.
01:12 Let's kick things off with Android Auto.
01:15 This is available on your Samsung phone
01:17 or a phone with Android.
01:19 Just to be a hundred percent sure,
01:20 just double check before you buy your phone,
01:22 whether it comes with the Android Auto technology.
01:25 Likewise with your car, some cars will do Android Auto,
01:28 some will do Apple CarPlay or some will do both.
01:30 We have put a link in the description below
01:32 where you can find out more details
01:34 about the next car that you want to buy
01:35 or whether your phone is compatible.
01:37 Now, Android Auto works on wired and also wireless as well.
01:41 And I'll step you through the process
01:42 of getting everything connected.
01:43 So USB goes into the car
01:46 and then the other end plugs into the phone.
01:48 Now you may already know this,
01:49 but I think it's worth going through it anyway.
01:51 Continue, grant it permissions to connect.
01:54 It'll make a few noises and Bob's your uncle,
01:56 Android Auto is now connected and running.
01:58 So you'll see here on the main screen,
02:00 all of your apps are configured in rows like this
02:04 and then you scroll up and down.
02:06 The good news here with Android Auto
02:07 is that you have a whole lot more freedom
02:09 in terms of the applications
02:10 that you can run on this system.
02:12 So Google allows a whole lot more than you would
02:14 perhaps in the Apple system.
02:15 And that means you have a lot more connectivity
02:18 and a lot more options to run.
02:19 Apps that you might find useful in your day-to-day life.
02:22 So what's the whole advantage here?
02:23 Well, the advantage is that this is effectively
02:26 an entirely new operating system.
02:28 This operates independently of your vehicle.
02:30 That means that when you go to stuff like Google Maps,
02:32 it is using the car to help with reception,
02:34 but outside of that, it's using the power of Google.
02:36 So your maps are newer, you get more traffic information.
02:39 And arguably the best part is for cars
02:41 without decent voice recognition systems.
02:43 Instead of leaning on the car's voice recognition system,
02:46 you're able to forward commands through your car
02:48 and then they're processed on your phone.
02:50 Your phone is far better at understanding what you're doing
02:52 and you're able to send messages,
02:53 make calls a whole lot easier.
02:54 And we'll be testing some of these features
02:56 a little later on to see which system works best.
02:58 Down the bottom of the screen here,
02:59 you have some shortcut buttons.
03:00 So this accesses your voice control.
03:03 This uses the Hey Google service.
03:05 You can hear it listening to me there.
03:07 This button here accesses your notifications.
03:10 If you do have any,
03:11 this is some of the apps that you have open.
03:13 And this opens up the last app that you had running
03:16 or goes back to the home screen.
03:18 So it uses both of those functions.
03:20 If we jump over here to settings,
03:22 you can see some of the things that you can change
03:24 within the actual Android auto menu.
03:26 There's not a great deal you can change here.
03:27 Most of it is actually done on the phone.
03:29 I'll show you what that looks like in a second.
03:30 But you've also got access to phone functions here.
03:32 While you can dial numbers,
03:34 you're better off just using the voice recognition,
03:35 but this is a good way to find your call history.
03:38 If you are driving and you just want to be able to dial back
03:40 the last person that you spoke to or the second last,
03:41 all of that information will be easy to access
03:43 here on the screen.
03:44 And then you have the rest of the favorite apps
03:46 that you have installed.
03:47 Now jumping over here to the phone.
03:49 So you have a lot more control
03:50 over the settings here on the phone.
03:52 If you go to settings and then we find Android auto,
03:55 this shows you which cars connected at the moment,
03:57 which cars you've previously had connected.
03:59 You've got a help screen there as well.
04:01 And then a few more settings in terms of how the phone
04:03 will interact with the car.
04:05 But have a look at this secret menu.
04:06 If you tap this 10 times,
04:08 it'll ask you if you want to enable the development menu,
04:12 you hit okay.
04:14 Now you go up the top here, select developer settings.
04:17 This is where you're actually able to set
04:18 whether you want a wireless
04:20 and also what resolution this pumps out at.
04:23 So it can go all the way up to 1080P,
04:24 which means you can get a super high resolution display
04:27 on your car and you're able to get the phone
04:29 to dictate what displays on the car
04:31 as opposed to vice versa.
04:33 So there are a lot of functions here
04:34 and a lot of customizability and knowing Apple,
04:37 we probably won't have the ability to change
04:39 as many settings as we can here on the Android device.
04:42 Righto, moving on to Apple CarPlay.
04:44 This is available on all Apple phone devices.
04:48 Same story here, it's either wireless or wired.
04:51 If you wanna see a full list of the cars
04:53 that are compatible with wired and wireless Apple CarPlay,
04:55 just go down to the description.
04:56 So let me show you how this works.
04:58 We get the USB and plug that in.
05:01 Then we plug the other end into our phone
05:03 if it's a wired system.
05:05 That will come up saying that it's trying
05:06 to establish a connection.
05:07 It'll come up asking you whether you want to allow the car
05:10 to use CarPlay while your phone's locked.
05:12 I always go allow because otherwise you'll need
05:14 to pull over each time to unlock your phone
05:15 when messages and stuff come through.
05:17 So you can see here that this screen
05:19 is super high resolution,
05:20 just like that Android Auto system.
05:22 But it's a different layout.
05:23 Instead of having rows of apps that you scroll up and down,
05:27 you scroll left to right here.
05:28 So it's very similar to the phone screen
05:30 in the way that it's set up.
05:32 And then they have a home screen here that has your map
05:35 and then also shortcuts to music,
05:37 navigation and voice control.
05:38 So just like the Android Auto system,
05:40 this has its own type of voice recognition.
05:43 It's called Siri and you access that by pushing
05:46 and holding this button here.
05:47 Or alternatively, you can use your car's
05:52 voice recognition button to forward commands through.
05:54 It's the same story there.
05:55 It sends them through the phone
05:56 and it's processed by the cloud.
05:58 So you get a whole lot more accuracy
05:59 in terms of the commands and how they go through.
06:01 Unfortunately though, you don't have much freedom
06:04 in terms of the applications that can run on Apple CarPlay.
06:07 So Apple is in charge of what it approves here
06:09 and there's not a huge list.
06:11 Yes, the apps are expanding and with the latest version,
06:14 which is iOS 14, Apple has integrated the ability
06:17 for developers to come up with apps that service EVs,
06:19 restaurants, food delivery,
06:21 that is going to become more and more critical now
06:23 in terms of delivering features on CarPlay.
06:26 In terms of shortcuts, on the side here, you have the clock,
06:29 how your phone is connected to the network and the strength,
06:31 the apps that you've recently opened,
06:33 setting shortcut and then a button for home.
06:35 So if you're in your settings menu, you press that,
06:37 that'll take you straight back to home.
06:39 Now in terms of settings,
06:40 you have a little bit more flexibility here
06:41 over and above Android Auto for the phone settings
06:44 while you're connected to the car.
06:46 You can determine here whether you wanna enable
06:47 do not disturb while you're driving.
06:49 That'll basically send a text to people if you're driving
06:51 and they try and text you.
06:53 So you're not going to get distracted.
06:55 All your text messages appear here as they come through
06:57 as well if you don't have that enabled.
06:59 New to Apple now with CarPlay
07:01 is the ability to set different wallpapers.
07:03 So if you don't like the standard design,
07:05 you can pick a different wallpaper.
07:07 But outside of that,
07:08 there's not really a whole lot you can do with this.
07:10 It is very much as Apple says it is.
07:12 What Apple does have coming though, which excites me
07:15 and is kind of already available on my Tesla
07:18 with the app that Tesla gives you,
07:20 but Apple has developed a system called CarKey
07:22 and the first car to get this technology
07:24 will be the BMW 5 Series.
07:26 And it'll allow you to approach the car
07:27 with your phone only to unlock the car.
07:29 You can send keys to other people.
07:31 So if your partner has lost their keys,
07:33 you can forward a key to them
07:34 and set expiry dates and that kind of thing.
07:36 Now in terms of the settings menu on the actual phone,
07:39 I'll show you what that looks like.
07:40 So if we go to settings and just search for CarPlay,
07:43 you can see here there isn't really a great deal.
07:45 It just tells you the cars
07:46 that you've recently been connected to.
07:48 So at the moment we're connected to the Skoda.
07:50 It just tells you here whether you've allowed CarPlay
07:51 to work while unlocked.
07:53 And it also lets you customize features
07:55 such as the apps that appear on the screen
07:58 as Apple adds them.
07:59 Okay, here's the bit I've been waiting
08:00 for the comparison test.
08:02 I have three tests lined up.
08:05 I have a call to my ethnic auntie.
08:07 She has a very tricky name.
08:09 So I'll be keen to see if these systems
08:10 can actually pick up her name.
08:12 I wanna find an EV charger near my home.
08:15 So that'll be another test to see how well,
08:17 not only the voice recognition works,
08:19 but how good the search functionality is.
08:21 And finally, I wanna go somewhere,
08:23 a place I'd rather be,
08:24 sunny Northern Territory this time of year
08:26 would be fantastic.
08:27 So for each of these tests,
08:28 I'm gonna use voice recognition.
08:29 We've got the Apple phone hooked up first.
08:31 Let's give this a shot.
08:32 First up, let's call my auntie Blazhenka Shecherov.
08:37 It's a nice ethnic name.
08:39 Here we go.
08:40 Call Blazhenka Shecherov.
08:42 - Calling Blazhenka Seserov mobile.
08:46 - Okay, perfect.
08:50 So that worked.
08:51 It picked it up,
08:52 although it was read back to me in a very strange way.
08:55 Let's see how it goes on the Android device.
08:58 Call Blazhenka Shecherov.
09:01 (phone beeps)
09:03 - Not sure how to help with,
09:05 call Blazhenka's chat off.
09:06 - Okay, that didn't work.
09:08 Let's try once more.
09:09 Call Blazhenka Shecherov.
09:13 - Calling Blazhenka Seserov mobile.
09:18 - Okay, there we go.
09:19 That worked.
09:20 I just needed to say it a little slower,
09:22 but I think the Apple won that one.
09:24 Okay, test two.
09:25 I'm an EV driver.
09:26 I wanna know where the nearest ChargeFox charging station
09:29 is near my place.
09:30 So I'm going to give this a shot.
09:32 Find a ChargeFox charging station in Caulfield, Victoria.
09:38 - One option is ChargeFox on Chebok Terrace in Ocean Grove.
09:44 Let me know if I should call one of them
09:45 or get directions for you.
09:47 - Nope, that isn't going to work.
09:48 So for those of you who don't live near me,
09:50 that's nowhere near me.
09:50 Let me try Google Maps instead.
09:53 We'll give this a shot.
09:57 Find a ChargeFox charging station in Caulfield, Victoria.
10:01 Boom, there it is.
10:09 That is the one near my house.
10:10 Okay, so it did work.
10:11 It just needs Google Maps.
10:13 Apple Maps is pretty terrible.
10:14 So you can set that as the default search,
10:16 and that is what I would be recommending.
10:18 Let's try it out on the Android.
10:21 Find a ChargeFox charging station in Caulfield, Victoria.
10:26 (computer beeps)
10:29 - Showing results for Find a ChargeFox charging station
10:32 in Caulfield, Victoria.
10:34 - That's really cool. I like that.
10:35 So you can see the charging station there,
10:38 but the best bit is it actually shows you
10:40 the charging types available plus a support phone number.
10:45 That is seriously cool.
10:46 So both of these have used Google Maps,
10:48 but the results are so much better on the Android.
10:52 The search is better as well,
10:53 'cause I don't have to then go
10:55 and manually specify Google Maps.
10:56 So that is a win for Android Auto for that test.
10:59 Final test.
11:00 I wanna go somewhere that's nicer than Melbourne
11:04 at the moment.
11:04 So I've picked Bitter Springs in Northern Territory.
11:07 It's a bit of a drive,
11:08 but let's see if we can find our way there.
11:11 Take me to Bitter Springs in Northern Territory.
11:14 - Getting directions to Bitter Springs, Arizona,
11:18 the United States.
11:19 (laughing)
11:22 - Yeah, okay.
11:23 So we can't get directions there
11:25 because that is in a different country
11:27 that we can't drive to
11:28 because there's a whole lot of water
11:29 between Australia and the US.
11:30 So that is a fail there.
11:33 Let me try what I did last time with Google Maps instead.
11:36 I'll see if that makes any difference.
11:38 Take me to Bitter Springs, Northern Territory.
11:41 There we go. That's actually worked.
11:47 Okay, so Apple Maps is not helping the team here.
11:50 So that is a fail for Apple CarPlay.
11:52 Let's try it on the Android.
11:54 Take me to Bitter Springs, Northern Territory.
11:58 - Navigating to Bitter Springs.
12:02 - Boom. That's taking me where I wanna go as well.
12:05 So Android Auto, actually way better
12:07 than I thought it was going to be.
12:09 Right-o, so one win to Apple, two wins to Android Auto.
12:13 Okay, so look, this wasn't a very scientific test.
12:16 And if you're an Apple fan boy
12:17 or a Samsung Android fan boy, don't get too tied up.
12:20 Don't get your knickers in a twist
12:21 and just having some fun here.
12:23 I think the biggest letdown here is Apple Maps.
12:25 It's clearly just not a very good system.
12:27 It's trying to send me to Arizona.
12:29 There's like a massive body of water
12:30 between Australia and the US.
12:32 So that's clearly not going to work.
12:33 Whereas if you set the default to Google Maps,
12:35 it'll have the same functionality as the Android did.
12:38 But it goes to show you, these phones are now so powerful.
12:41 I love the fact that you can simply plug this into the car
12:43 and you extend the functionality of your infotainment system
12:46 so you don't need to spend mega bucks on a car
12:48 to get good infotainment.
12:49 Most new cars on the market now come with this technology,
12:52 which means you can easily plug it up and extend it
12:55 and be able to do things
12:56 without taking your eyes off the road.
12:58 I really love this stuff.
12:59 Now, let me know in the comments section below,
13:01 which one do you use and which do you prefer?
13:03 Do you like Apple CarPlay or do you prefer Android Auto?
13:06 Let me know if you found any cool apps for both of these
13:08 that you are using as well.
13:10 If you did enjoy this video, please make sure you share it.
13:13 Also press the like button.
13:14 And if you haven't done so already,
13:15 press subscribe and the bell icon.
13:17 It's going to tell you every single time
13:18 we do one of these fun tech things.
13:20 Let me know what else we can test with these phones and cars.
13:23 I'm keen to get into a bit more of this stuff.
13:25 So thank you so much for watching
13:26 and until next time, take it easy.