[sgm]

Will Android Auto/Apple Car Play on In-car entertainment (ICE) become incompatible after a few version upgrades ?

Car Play and Android Auto have become so popular in the car industry within a short span of last few years. It is almost difficult to image that, just a few years ago, automakers did not like the idea of giving control of the screens in their cars to technology companies. One by one, though, most major automakers rolled out compatibility for either both or at least one of them. Some have even rolled out a wireless version of CarPlay on specific head units like the one in the G20 BMW 330i. There are only a couple of exceptions though, noticeably Toyota where they are just starting roll out one/both of these. They are taking a very cautious approach.Some models like Camry/Corolla in India is yet to get Android Auto and it was a major negative for me while considering Camry. I wonder why is it so? Is it just about security or anything to do with longevity of these features ? I think Toyota has a point, what if your ICE become partially obsolete ? But there is no going back now as almost everyone has jumped into the band wagon. Once you have experienced the convenience and ease, it is really difficult to miss it on any of the new cars that you are planning to get.

How long will these ICE units be compatible as Android auto or Apple Car Play keeps moving forward. We can easily upgrade our smartphone every one or two years but can't do that to our cars or even just the ICE.

My own personal experience is that Android Auto was not stable with my Android phone(Oreo), so I had to switch to a newer model(Android Pie) and now I don't face any issue. I wonder what will happen when Android moves on from Oreo to Pie, then to Android Q and then to next version etc ?

We all know that many car manufactures had rolled out Mirror-link , it flopped and it is dead now. I don't image the same but our ICE can become outdated for one of these features sooner than we imaged.

What do you think ? Will you ICE be good enough to work with Android Auto/Apple Car Play a few years down the line (say 5 years)?

For some cars, down the line when ICE becomes incompatible, may be it is easy to go for an aftermarket HU system with Android Auto/Car Play support. You are up to date again with the latest. For many, the swap is going to be difficult or not possible at all.

On a positive side, even though Bluetooth is now 5.0, the latest smartphones still work well even with the older HU without trouble, certainly some features will be missed, so the HU will continue to work with Bluetooth even if Android Auto stops working. Though you can still do most of the functions, no Google maps will be a great miss. Imagine, after spending a couple of big ones for your car, again you need to dock your phone on your windshield with a mobile holder

[Rehaan]

Interesting question!

2 words : backwards-compatible.

Or at least that's what we'd hope for.

Given that the phone is the real brains here (processor, sensors & network); and the Head Unit is just an interface & display, it shouldn't be too hard to maintain a good degree of backward compatibility for the HU.

I think the more recent Android Auto / CarPlay compatible head units should be good for several years.

To draw a parallel: Your keyboard & monitor from 2005 are still supported by most current desktop PCs.

Originally Posted by sgm

For some cars, down the line when ICE becomes incompatible, may be it is easy to go for an aftermarket HU system with Android Auto/Car Play support. You are up to date again with the latest.

This will happen in the long run, it's inevitable.

To draw another parallel: You once had a cassette player in your head unit, then you had a CD player, and finally USB / SD card & Bluetooth.

Though what we'll see first in the case of Android Auto & CarPlay is a limitation on certain features when an older HU is being used with the latest phone. (eg. HU might not support force-touch, multi-device sensor fusion, etc).

The auto manufacturers probably have some agreement with Google / Apple about how long existing/basic compatibility will be guaranteed.

Another parallel: The latest version of Microsoft Windows 10 still supports programs that were released when Windows XP was launched in 2001.


For now just enjoy how amazing modern technology is. The way things are currently looking, Android Auto compatibility might just outlast the entire concept of car ownership itself!

[landcruiser123]

Think of it like a 720p TV which is over 10 years old. Your laptop or smart TV device can play 3D in Full HD (1080p) or 4K (2160p,) but the content will be played in 2D and 720p.

On the same line, I don't think older Android auto interfaces will support newer phones. Over the years, some features may be limited.