Android Auto on a car dashboard. – dpa
STUTTGART: Smartphone systems for cars like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are mostly useless, a magazine, Auto Motor und Sport, has declared.
After a test of smartphone apps in various models from different automakers, it pointed out the Catch 22 of apps which are supposed to bring the broad possibilities of smartphones into the vehicle’s cockpit as easily, cost-effectively and intuitively as possible.
Many car manufacturers only offer buyers the option to link a smartphone to the vehicle when purchasing expensive extras such as a navigation system. But this itself already includes the majority of the benefits and most useful features of smartphone apps.
So why bother? The magazine says this means the apps only offer real benefits for a quite limited range of cars.
They are also helpful to have as cheap sat-navs tapping power from the cigarette lighter in older cars that offer no electronic integration at all.
Another criticism from the magazine is the lack of selection of add-on apps for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Most supported apps come from the vehicle manufacturers themselves, and since the launch of CarPlay two years ago, the number of apps on offer has barely increased.
Keyword: Magazine test damns auto apps from Apple and Android