This also depends on the project completing as planned. Borconi-Szdressy is close to hitting his funding target and expects the first dongles to ship in December for $55 each, but there’s always the possibility of delays or other setbacks. You’re backing the project in hopes of getting something in return, not making a pre-order.

Still, this could make Android Auto considerably more practical if you’re willing to take a risk. You might not have to be quite so picky when shopping for a car or head unit. This could be helpful if you’re using an older phone, too. AAWireless only needs a phone running Android 9 Pie, so this might help you delay a device upgrade if wire-free Android Auto is important.

You won’t need to say “Hey Mercedes” before certain actions, like accepting a call, and the voice assistant will take on new capabilities, like instructing passengers on how to connect a smartphone via Bluetooth. “Hey Mercedes” now works in 27 languages and recognizes up to 20 voice commands.

Mercedes-Benz

Users can set personal preferences for radio stations and seat position via their Mercedes me profile, and they’ll be able to access those settings or make digital payments from the vehicle with fingerprint, face and voice recognition, as well as QR codes. All of these features will be based around the touchscreen displays.

Sensors will predict when an occupant is about to exit the car, and if the vehicle’s cameras detect another “road user” approaching a blind spot, the ambient lighting will flash red. The MBUX system can also determine if a child seat is correctly attached to the front passenger seat, and if the driver is showing signs of drowsiness. In that case, MBUX will warn the driver, and if a passenger says “I’m tired,” MBUX will activate “energizing comfort control.”

The changes are clearly driven by a larger touchscreen infotainment trend. We’ve seen large displays in Teslas, of course, and in vehicles like Subaru’s 2020 Outback. But we also called the first-generation MBUX the best infotainment system out there. We can expect good things out of the second-generation system, as long as removing so many physical controls doesn’t become too distracting.

Nearly a year after it was announced at E3, Fallout Shelter has joined the list of games Tesla owners can play on their in-car infotainment systems. After initially launching on smartphones five years ago, the free-to-play spin-off has come to additional console platforms and, now, cars. In this one, instead of trying to survive out in the post-apocalypse wastelands, players try to build the perfect vault that will keep their dwellers safe and happy at home under lockdown. Should be easy, right?

The 2020.20 software update that adds the game — and some new tweaks for the TRAX music-making feature — hasn’t reached most vehicles yet, but Roadshow pointed out this video showing it in action. Also, as Electrek notes, while Tesla added support for gamepads, the version for their cars only works with touchscreen control.

For more modern vehicles from the 90s, including 986 generation Boxster models, Porsche is also releasing a double-DIN unit with a 7-inch display. Like its single-DIN counterpart, the PCCM Plus features USB and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as an SD card slot and an auxiliary port. The bigger unit is also compatible with Android Auto. Moreover, both units include support for DAB+, a digital radio standard that’s popular outside of North America.

At €1,439.89 and €1,606.51 (approximately $1550 and $1729, respectively), the two units aren’t exactly cheap. You could save money by buying an aftermarket unit, but chances are it will stick out like a sore thumb against a classic dashboard. Besides, if you’re wealthy enough to own a vintage Porsche, the price of these units probably isn’t an issue. 

In a way, it’s surprising we haven’t seen more automakers release first-party infotainment systems that match with their older vehicles. Then again, most car companies would probably prefer you to buy one of their newest models to get access to a feature like CarPlay. The two stereo units are available through the German Porsche Classic site, though no word on US availability yet.    

If you own a 2014 or later model Touring, Trike or CVO motorcycle and it’s equipped with the company’s Boom! Box GTS infotainment system, you’ll be able to install Android Auto on your bike by yourself or with the help of a dealership early this summer. If your motorcycle doesn’t have a Boom! Box GTS unit, Harley-Davidson sells as an accessory you can buy separately.

Moving forward, Harley-Davidson says all 2021 model Touring, CVO and Trike motorcycles with Boom! Box GTS units will ship with Android Auto standard. As with Android Auto in a car, you’ll be to navigate using Google Maps, access Assistant and control music playback as long as you connect your phone to the motorcycle’s infotainment system through a USB cable.

Harley-Davidson has supported CarPlay since about mid-2018, so the arrival of Android Auto is something of a long-overdue update. As Android Police points out, in the past it wasn’t uncommon for some people to replace the infotainment system that came with their motorcycle with an aftermarket unit.

For one, you can expect over-the-air firmware updates to provide a steady stream of improvements. As with an increasing number of rival brands, you won’t have to struggle to keep your car current. The underlying architecture is also billed as five times faster than before, and can handle screens up to 12.3 inches across at up to 15 megapixels (greater than 4K). And if you like voice control, there’s a new recognition engine that supports natural voice commands with a “hey Chrysler” keyword.

You can expect wider support for many creature comforts. It brings built-in Alexa support, support for pairing two phones at once and wider compatibility with wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (100 percent of North American cars). Navigation will come from TomTom, which will supply traffic data, EV charger features and other services in an upgraded system that offers easier search, last-mile walking directions and over-the-air map updates.

Uconnect 5 will show up in vehicles later in 2020, although Fiat Chrysler hasn’t said which ones will get first dibs. This will be a crucial improvement wherever it shows up, at least. In addition to acknowledging that cars are increasingly connected, the Android platform should help Fiat Chrysler transition to electric and hybrid cars, where this kind of modern interface is absolutely vital.

Straight lines are so last year. Introducing the first curved OLED in the industry, with over 38″ diagonal of total display on the 2021 #Cadillac #Escalade. First look February 2020, available late 2020. pic.twitter.com/AoW4SvXhYA

— Cadillac (@Cadillac) December 16, 2019

Most infotainment systems occupy a space in the center of the dashboard, and even the largest are typically no bigger than a tablet. Cadillac’s video makes it look like this screen will stretch across the interior of the car.

As Autoblog points out, the teaser video suggests that the 2021 Escalade will have semi-autonomous driving technology, indicated by the green light across the steering wheel. We won’t have to wait too long to learn the specifics, as the reveal is scheduled for less than two months away.

We’ve asked BMW about support for wired Android Auto as well as the possibility of upgrading older vehicles.

This won’t be ideal if you’re driving a slightly older BMW or prefer a phone that simply won’t get support. Nonetheless, it’s good news if you’d rather not switch to an iPhone just to avoid BMW’s media and navigation features. It also reflects a growing trend among automakers to offer both Android Auto and CarPlay — they’re acknowledging that customers would rather not declare allegiance to a particular brand just to use a phone-based interface in their cars.

Another major selling point of Sync 4 is compatibility with a greater variety of screen sizes. According to Ford, the platform will work with touchscreens as small as 8 inches and as big as 15-inches. As you can see from the screenshots, Ford also plans to start making portrait-oriented touchscreens. The larger displays will ship with a new multitasking feature called Adaptive Dash Cards. Essentially, these cards are dashboard widgets you’ll be able to tap on to access certain features quickly. For instance, one of the Dash Cards will allow you to pause and skip songs without having to go into Ford’s music app. Meanwhile, the new 12-inch screens Ford plans to ship inside some of its upcoming vehicles will allow you to split the screen into smaller windows so that you can access multiple apps at the same time.

If you purchase the company’s optional FordPass Connect add-on, your Sync 4 vehicle will also be able to connect to the cloud. This will allow you to take advantage of voice commands to ask for directions and send SMS and email messages.

Alongside Sync 4, Ford announced that starting in 2020 some of its vehicles will be able to receive over-the-air (OTA) software updates. The automaker didn’t say which model will launch with the feature first, but did note that it plans to add the functionality to both its upcoming gas and electric vehicles.

Ford estimates it will deliver its first set of software updates approximately six months after its first OTA-capable vehicles are on the road. When an update does arrive, it will install in the background. Ford claims it is the first automaker to build an OTA platform that includes this type of capability.

Among conventional automakers, Ford is the second company behind GM to embrace what’s traditionally been a feature that’s most closely associated with smartphones. In a lot of ways, today’s announcements see Ford playing catch up Tesla, and other conventional automakers like Volvo that have been quicker to adapt to what people want from their cars.

This being Volvo, there’s also a safety angle. Google Maps data will help improve the XC40’s driver assistance by identifying curves and speed limits. You can also expect some tie-ins to existing services, such as Volvo On Call’s ability to find your car in the parking lot or share it with friends using a virtual key.

Volvo officially takes the wraps off the electric XC40 on October 16th. It still has to answer key questions about range, availability and price. However, what info it has dribbled out so far suggests that it’s using the electrification as an opportunity to rethink some aspects of the overall XC40 design.