As a user of both infotainment services, I choose Android Auto every time – here’s why.
As someone who travels a lot for work, I take my in-car experience incredibly seriously. Whether it’s making sure I have the best apps for my listening or that my user interface completely matches the vibe I’m looking for, I’m particular about anything related to my car and how I enjoy using it. So much so that I have both a work phone, which is an Android, and a personal iPhone. Each has its own uses, and I’ll save debating between using the two as phones for another day, but I’m here to say one thing that’s become very important to me — Android Auto beats CarPlay in a big way.
From usability to the wide range of apps available via the Google Play Store, to the settings that can be manipulated with ease, there are several reasons why I choose to run Android Auto over Apple CarPlay more times than not. However, we don’t have that kind of time or space, so I’ve chosen to put on paper (or screen, I guess) the four main reasons why I’ll always choose Android Auto over Apple CarPlay.
Customization is king
One of the biggest Apple gripes makes its way to your car screen
Simply put, you can customize just about everything when it comes to Android Auto, especially if you turn on developer settings. For instance, I’m able to swap the sides of my screen where the media selection and maps appear. The far side of the screen is a bit of a reach for me, and can be distracting. However, how often do you change your maps on road trips? Now, think about how often you change your media software. If you’re like me, you probably fiddle with your media a few more times.
Not only that, but your Android Auto app selection screen background is also your phone’s background more times than not.
