The next step in Android’s continuing expansion has been a slow-cooking one: our cars. Android Automotive is available in a lot of cars, but even if you got one, you might find the app selection to be not great compared to what you have on your phone. Now, this is about to change.
Google is preparing to launch its “Car ready mobile apps program” this February, opening the floodgates for a wave of new apps on Android Automotive. This initiative will allow developers to easily adapt their existing Android mobile apps for in-vehicle use, significantly expanding the software landscape for cars equipped with Google’s embedded operating system.
The program will provide developers with a clear pathway to optimize their apps for the unique environment of a car’s dashboard. Google is initially prioritizing entertainment-focused apps such as streaming services, games, and web browsers, but the program’s impact is ultimately expected to be felt across a wide range of app categories.
One key requirement for participation in the program is compatibility with x86 processors, a common architecture in many vehicles. This can make things a little tricky since virtually no Android phones/tablets use x86 these days (ASUS tried to use Intel chips on some of its phones a decade ago), so Google will also offer a compatibility mode, ensuring that a broader range of apps can function on Android Automotive, even without extensive modifications.
It should be noted that Android Automotive is not the same thing as Android Auto, which has been used on cars for several years. Android Auto allows you to connect your phone to your car and give you a driver-friendly experience so you don’t have to constantly look at your phone, but it’s ultimately not Android running on your car. Android Automotive, on the other hand, functions as a proper operating system for your car’s infotainment system.
A lot of Android apps play nice with Android Auto, but those apps need to be properly ported so they can run on Android Automotive, just like they would be ported to something like Wear OS, which is an entirely different form factor. The full effects of the program will be seen over the course of the next months, depending on how well it catches on with developers.
Source: Android Authority via The Verge
