Android Auto is very similar to Apple CarPlay, but is for Android phones. You'll still get audio and messaging functions, and navigation features on your infotainment screen.

CarPlay shows compatible apps from the connected iPhone on the car's built-in display, applying simplified interfaces that are optimized for use while driving. Eliminate app interactions on iPhone when CarPlay is active. Interactions with your app need to occur using the car's built-in controls and display.

Ford: Almost all Ford models now offer Apple CarPlay, including the popular F-150, Mustang, and Fusion. 5. Honda: Honda has a wide range of CarPlay-compatible vehicles, such as the Civic, Accord, CR-V, and Pilot.

Each system offers similar functionality, but there are some important differences.

• Overall Findings.
• Interface: Customization vs. Slick UI Design.
• Apps and Navigation: Android Auto Has Better Navigation.
• Voice Assistant: Google Assistant is More Powerful.
• Final Verdict: Android Auto Has an Edge, But CarPlay is Very Strong.

The usual aesthetic differences between Android and iOS are also evident in Android Auto and Apple CarPlay: The former is slightly more chunky and simple, and the latter is slightly more detailed and refined, when it comes to the text and the icons used.

While Bluetooth functionality can let you pick up calls on the move, CarPlay allows access to a lot more features, in a more convenient way. Here we take a deep dive into how you use CarPlay, how you can check whether your car and phone support it, and what apps you can use with it.

It offers fewer distractions, a car-optimized app experience, the convenience of Siri through your stereo, the ability to set up reminders, built-in GPS navigation, voice-to-text, audio streaming and more.

Apple introduced CarPlay in 2014 as a way to integrate the iPhone and a car's dashboard.

For those who do not know, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are essentially a combination of hardware and software designed to make your driving smarter and safer. These platforms bring some of the key apps from your phone to the car's display so as you can focus on driving instead of using your phone.

Apple CarPlay, on the other hand, is a bit more sophisticated, especially in that it can connect to the infotainment system of the car through a cable OR wirelessly, depending on what your particular model of car supports.

But CarPlay and Android Auto are wildly popular; Apple says nearly 80 percent of new car buyers insist on the feature before making a purchase, while independent surveys suggest slightly lower but still robust levels of demand. The rest of the auto industry gets it.

A report from Straits Research found that 98% of newly produced vehicles were compatible with either CarPlay or Android Auto. Meanwhile, 80% of prospective car buyers strongly preferred having these smartphone-based infotainment systems in their new vehicles.

Bluetooth does not have enough bandwidth to support the CarPlay traffic. CarPlay uses wifi to steam from your phone but is limited to CD quality audio (16bit/44.1kHz); still higher than Bluetooth quality. If you want the best audio quality for your system, you'd need to play music at 24bit/192kHz.

But CarPlay and Android Auto are wildly popular; Apple says nearly 80 percent of new car buyers insist on the feature before making a purchase, while independent surveys suggest slightly lower but still robust levels of demand. The rest of the auto industry gets it.

Does apple carplay use your data? Anything you do in CarPlay that requires Internet access will use data. Maps, streaming pandora, Apple Music, etc. CarPlay is just a simplified interface for your phone.

CarPlay is available in more than 800 models across dozens of manufacturers, starting with the 2016 model year in some cases and 2017 in others. While it started out as a niche feature, CarPlay is available in most new cars alongside Android Auto.