Chevy is Offering Both CarPlay and Android Auto in 2016

Chevy announces it will feature CarPlay and Android Auto in 14 models arriving in 2016.  The first to accommodate the new systems will be the Tahoe, Suburban and Volt.

The demand for onboard functional systems is great but unfortunately, previous and existing types of systems fail to impress car buyers.  According to JD Power, customers complain more about the infotainment system than any other part in the car.

Consumers want the technology in their cars to update as quickly as their cell phones do.  Acknowledgment that the smartphone is an essential part of our everyday lives was the first step to solving this problem.  Enter CarPlay.

Your Apple and Android Now Have a Home On Your Interface

CarPlay, an Apple product, is described as the smarter safer way to use your phone while in the car.  Plugging your phone into a cord, not the USB, and a screen similar to that on your phone appears on the interface.

With buttons and icons large enough to push without being too specific limits the amount of time your eyes are off the road.  Siri is still voice activated and coming along for the ride to help you remain hands free and less distracted.

Using Siri’s voice commands to read, write and deliver your text will comply with most state’s Hands Free policies and ensures your eyes stay engaged in the drive and not your iPhone.

Because of the speed at which smartphones get upgraded is exponentially greater than that of your car’s on board technology, there simply isn’t any way to for manufacturers to compete.  GM, Chevy’s parent company, understands this and has been working with Apple and Android.

“Partnering with Apple and Google to offer CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility across the widest range of models in the industry is a great example of how Chevrolet continues to democratize technology that’s important to our customers.”

Chevy is the first to offer both Android as well as Apple systems.  

Simplicity and Flexibility

Unlike car systems that forced the customer to learn their particular system which would become outdated almost as quickly as it left the lot, this new interface operates like your cell phone does.  It’s almost exactly the same as the screen on your phone so you’re immediately familiar with how it works.

The interface is offered in two screen sizes, one at 7” and the other 8”.  Currently Android users only get the 7” screen to choose from, but that is due to change.

Way of the Future

Chevy is confidently heading forward with both systems.  “A year or two from now, why wouldn’t you have this?” says Chevy’s director of user experience, Dan Kinney.  Though they don’t expect this system to fully replace OEM (original equipment manufacturer) features like AM/FM radio and climate control won’t be controlled by CarPlay.

Like your cell phone, CarPlay or Android Auto needs a connection for use of certain applications and features, like navigation.  There’s also the possibility that something could happen to your phone; damage, breakage, or being lost.

Figurative bumps in the road.  However, those who strive to solve these problems are who make this technology available in the first place.  I’m confident it’s only a matter of limited time before we see these minor issues resolved.

Given this is the direction our car systems are headed in, why not just go ahead and get familiar with it now?

Chevy dealers in Lexington, KY want to answer any questions you may have and even put you in a test drive to experience how safe and comfortable the future feels for you.