Andriod Will Be Built Into Future Audis

Cars with computer-like operating systems are certainly nothing new. Over the last few years tech giant Google had been experimenting with "Android Auto," a car-specific variant on its popular Android mobile platform that required the presence of an Android phone for most operations. Now, the company is moving in a decidedly bold new direction and Audi owners are about to enjoy the full benefits of this decision. Google and Audi recently announced that future Audi models will ship with a FULL version of the Android operating system built in at the time of purchase.

Android: Facts and Figures

Before discussing what this shift means for future Audi cars, it's important to contextualize the importance of the Android operating system in the first place. While it may seem like Apple's iPhone (and the built-in iOS operating system) are industry leaders, statistics paint a very different story.

Thanks to backing from Google, Android has handedly become the world's most popular OS over the last few years - it was present on more than 1.6 billion devices worldwide as of February of 2017. Android's own personal share of the global mobile OS market is 87.5%, compared to iOS' 12.1%.

To put that into perspective, an incredible 37.93% of ALL devices worldwide that are connected to the Internet right now are running some version of the Android operating system. With numbers like those, it's easy to see why Android and Audi were a partnership just waiting to happen.

Android and Audi: A Match Made in Heaven

The decision to include the Android operating system as a native feature in future Audi models means that the Google account you've been slowly personalizing over the last decade is about to get significantly more useful. Drivers will be able to use certain features like Google Maps, Google Assistant and others WITHOUT the need to connect your smartphone. Even if you don't have an Android mobile device at all, you'll still be able to access account-specific data right from the dashboard of your vehicle.

While it's true that many Audi vehicles available today ship with the Volkswagen Group's HERE map services enabled by default, future model owners will be able to instantly switch over to Google Maps should they so choose.

Android will also be of significant help, allowing most users to control car functionality like opening windows, enabling and disabling the air conditioning and more right from an intuitive user interface. At the same time this announcement was made, Audi also revealed that it was working on an Android-based "infotainment" system that would allow users to access purchased content like songs and other media in their vehicles much easier than ever before.

Though Audi does not have a hard release date for vehicles shipping with the Android operating system just yet, industry experts predict them to hit streets across the country at some point within the next two years.

If you'd like to find out additional information about what this upcoming shift to Android means for your Audi, or if you have any questions or concerns that you'd like to see answered or addressed, please feel free to contact Audi Fort Myers today or stop by and speak to one of our passionate and friendly representatives.