Apple CarPlay vs. Android Auto, Which One is Better?

There have been many differences in how cars are built today, but the main differences lie in the infotainment systems used nowadays. The two main players in the industry today are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While both have their following in the community, this article helps you decide which is better for you. Some might argue that buying cars in the olden days was a lot easier. There were not such a lot of variants or options, and the choices were easy. However, with time, this industry has totally changed. While most people focus on the engine and technical changes made, you should not miss out on the interiors as well. Apart from the colour combination and airbag preference, you might think there is not much to choose from, but you forget about the infotainment system. The infotainment system in your car plays an integral role not only in making your car ride more entertaining but also in giving you valuable information like directions and car vitals. If you are on your way to buying a new system or a new car altogether, here are some things that can help you decide better.

Stability:

Stability is an important factor when it comes to car infotainment systems. When you are already driving and focused on the road, you would not want your system to crash in the middle of the process, with you having to start over again. This can get very frustrating quite soon. Well, over months of use and testing, Android Auto has been a lot more inconsistent than Apple CarPlay. The former keeps crashing and disconnecting, which can be quite annoying, especially when you are following directions or are on a call, or simply listening to music. Although this can be fixed with an update to your Android phone, there have been no such efforts from Google, whereas Apple has only been making their product better with time.

User Interface:

When it comes to the user interface, the clear winner is Apple CarPlay. Its simplistic UI with all the necessary features not only makes it easier to understand but better to use as well. On the other hand, Android Auto does not have the same level of polish. While you can find a few novel features on the latter, it only makes the UI look more congested and slows down usability. In addition to that, Apple CarPlay also provides more customizability to its looks which can be a great way to make it more personalized.

Voice Assistant:

Although Siri was first in the race of building a voice assistant, this project from Apple did not receive enough attention through the years. Google Assistant, on the other hand, is very well adept at the Indian road conditions and directions and is better able to follow instructions from the rider. It has a clear technological and performance edge when compared to Apple CarPlay'sSiri. To put it in simple terms, the Google Assistant is a lot more compatible in today's age, with smarter responses and more functionality. In this space, Apple has a lot of catching up to do.

Music playing:

Since car infotainment systems are primarily used for listening to music and podcasts, this is one of the most important criteria for both Google and Apple to crack. Well, to be fair, both systems are quite competent when it comes to music playing. With their proprietary apps for music, YouTube Music for Google, and Apple Music for Apple, they have clearly made sure the user faces no issues in this segment. If you want to use voice commands and control music playback, in-house apps are the best option. However, Spotify was also seen to work pretty well for both brands. Clearly, in this segment, both brands are at a draw.

Which one is better for you?

While there is no right answer for this, it all comes down to preference. If you are more interested in a smooth user interface and better connectivity, Apple CarPlay is the way to go. However, if you do not use the infotainment system in your car much and mainly use it to listen to music, you won't go wrong with the Android Auto. Based on your usage and purpose, both these brands are quite appropriate. However, on the overall testing period, Apple CarPlay showed more promising results than Android Auto.