The team at 9to5Mac managed to get their hands on a 2015 Hyundai Sonata, a car that’s particularly special in its ability to run both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay side-by-side. Thankfully, they did what every good gadgeteer should with the opportunity: an extensive comparison video. On the surface, both systems seem relatively similar: you plug your phone into the dash with a regular charging cable, and then the phone powers a simplified screen on the dash, letting you do things like read notifications, reply to texts, dial numbers, and do navigation. They both also rely extensively on voice control to try and minimize the number of reds you run.
Apple and Google are back at it again and attempting to bring a safe and friendly mobile experience to your car. Android Auto and CarPlay are the two company’s re-imagining of mobile user interfaces for the car and both are gearing up for a major rollout over the next year. Each system is designed to work with its respective native mobile platform, but there are differences between the two that may appeal to different people. Today we’re comparing Apple’s CarPlay to Google’s Android Auto using the 2015 Hyundai Sonata. This car comes packed with both systems, so you won’t have to compromise either way, but there are some important differences between the two. Apple’s CarPlay provides a very simple experience. When plugging in your iPhone, the CarPlay logo will appear and you’ll have the ability to launch the interface from the car’s in-dash screen. On the home screen for CarPlay, we have the basic options you’d expect: Phone, Music, Maps, Messages, Now Playing, and Podcasts.
