Android Auto for the A3

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So ever since Android Auto was announced earlier this year and even demoed on an A3 I was immediately eager to figure out whether or not this will come as a software update or require us to buy new cars all together. Ive been an Android developer working on everything from kernels to apps since 2008 so I would obviously love to have Android Auto running in my A3.

However, so far, I have yet to get any indications from neither dealers nor Audi directly. Everyone Ive talked to has told me that they simply do not know.

Having studied the MMI unit in the A3 quite extensively I can with a fair amount of confidence say that from a technical standpoint it seems to be perfectly capable of running Android auto in its current form. Both Android Auto and Apple Car can run on QNX systems and the Tegra 3 SoC in the A3 is more than good enough from a performance standpoint.

So it seems like its up to Audi to decide how they want to handle it. Anyone have any more information? Ill keep prodding around and report back once I have more.
 
I'm looking forward to this as well, really hope we get something soon, it does look good.
 
I'd prefer Apple Carplay but each to their own. I feel this mobile OS integration will become the next "big thing" across most brands. Inevitably ending up in a fanboy disagreement as to which is best. Maybe Audi will offer both as options?
 
+2 for Android Auto.

Excuse me if this is a silly line of questions, but is this going to replace, work alongside or be an alternative the Audi MMI software? I'm picturing the Audi system being like Windows on a PC and Google Auto being like Obuntu which can be run on the same hardware as an alternative OS. If the MMI and processor are up to it then, given a suitable 'way in' could an owner not just choose to run the Audi software (think Windows) or Google Auto (think Obuntu)?
 
It's not a replacement OS, it's an extension of Android that uses your car's screen and input controls to interact with apps on the phone that use the Auto APIs.

I would imagine it would be an option in the MMI, either at the top level menu or even under the phone menu, to enable the Android Auto mode, and some way within Android to exit back to the main car interface.
 
And the Linux distribution you are thinking of is Ubuntu, not Obuntu!
 
+1 for CarPlay, would love audi to provide that as an update
 
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Probably wishful thinking... but certainly hope CarPlay / Android Auto are released as software updates
 
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Its totally possible to offer both CarPlay and Android Auto. Volvo is doing this with their new XC90.
 
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Yes please Mr Audi, will make Spotify so much easier :)

Reality bites - it won't be available to existing customers IMO. Hope I am wrong.
 
I emailed the audi press release contact and was told to expect Android Auto in UK based cars in early 2015 and for the US in early 2016.
 
mroberte said:
I emailed the audi press release contact and was told to expect Android Auto in UK based cars in early 2015 and for the US in early 2016.
Click to expand...

The big question here is whether existing cars get it as well through a MMI update or if you need a brand new car/MMI unit.
 
Yes, that was more of the question I wanted to know, but there is no information unfortunately that they will reveal for existing MMI basic and MMI navigation and MMI navigation plus models.

I'm sure they will only add to the later nav models since that version accepts "apps". Makes no sense as it completely alienates the whole Premium line as it only comes with only basic and navigation without apps MMI version.

This is the exact words email, which is nice and vague:
Hello,
I have some questions about Android Auto implementation into the new 2015+ Audi vehicles. Press release states select 2015 models would be getting Android Auto. I’m assuming the newest Audi A3 (US Version) will be getting this first? Is all models included and if so, both MMI systems? Non-navigation and navigation equipped?
Thank you for any information you can provide.
Regards,

REPLY:
Hi,
Android Auto will first appear in a model due in early 2016 in the USA. We haven't ID'd that vehicle yet. It will arrive in late 2015 in Europe.​
 
I'm pretty sure it'll not be available to existing customers as well, which is a real shame. I bet there's no real reason they can't do it, but it's the way things go.
 
Does it mean that, if Audi adopt the Android Auto and Apple Car system, they will have to change to a touch screen system as currently used on all tablets and phones. Using either system with the MMI wheel could be rather silly. VW are one step ahead as they already use a touch screen in the Golf.
 
FRom what I've seen from Google I/O, they will stay non-touchscreen and utilize the touchpad on the mmi controller when needed and the microphone. Both systems will, in my opinion of using google now, will rely heavily just on voice commands.
 
h5djr said:
Does it mean that, if Audi adopt the Android Auto and Apple Car system, they will have to change to a touch screen system as currently used on all tablets and phones. Using either system with the MMI wheel could be rather silly. VW are one step ahead as they already use a touch screen in the Golf.
Click to expand...

Please not the touchscreen nonsense again, they have no place in a car and are inherently less safe than a well designed non-touch system such as AMI.

Both the Apple and Android systems will be designed to be operated by a non-touch interface as well as a touch one. The US has already started cracking down on the use of touchscreen interfaces in cars and these new systems are hardly going to bet the farm on a touch-only interface which may end up severely hampered or even outlawed by future legislation.
 
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Agreed, one of the reasons I chose a3 with the mmi tech pack was because the screen is in exactly the right place and it wasn't touchscreen...
 
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h5djr said:
Does it mean that, if Audi adopt the Android Auto and Apple Car system, they will have to change to a touch screen system as currently used on all tablets and phones. Using either system with the MMI wheel could be rather silly. VW are one step ahead as they already use a touch screen in the Golf.
Click to expand...

No, as above, they are designed to work with the input controls that the car already has. I'd be disappointed if Audi started using touch screens. I don't see what would be silly about using the MMI wheel though, seems perfectly capable of driving the MMI!
 
I do like Audi's system compared to the BMW version (on a 2008). So much more intuitive and touchscreens make you take your eyes off the road too much imo because there isn't enough haptic feedback. I'm still adjusting to the surrounding buttons of the Audi MMI (its been only a week of having my car) but I'm getting use to them (some braille type dots would of helped).
 
The new Golf is even worse. You can 'hover' your finger over the touchscreen to reveal more options, meaning you can't even see what you are going to reach for before you do it! You have to take your eyes off the road to move your finger near, wait until the popup appears, work out where you now need to move your finger to and then press that! Total disaster from a safety and usablity point of view IMO. Also, the bumpiness and movement you get from the car moving along the road makes it harder to use anyway.

The MMI system can be operated without looking at where your hands are - just occasionally glancing at the screen to see what's going on - and with your hand in a fixed position (resting your arm on the armrest) making it a lot easier to use on the move.
 
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Couldn't have put it better myself.

The combination of the wheel, mode switches, steering wheel buttons and voice control means you can easily operate most functions without ever looking away from the road. Even the main nav map display, although nice, isn't necessary with voice directions on and/or the secondary DIS display.

Touch screens should be banned in cars full stop, they're just dangerous. Unfortunately until they're actually legislated against, many manufacturers will keep shoving them in because they're "trendy" and look good in brochures and on spec sheets.
 
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I suppose the safest thing is not to play with any of the touch or MMI systems whilst driving. But I doubt people will be convinced not to 'play'. Most drivers cannot even leave their mobile phones alone when they are driving and research has shown than using a mobile in 'hands-free' mode is just as dangerous as using a hand held. The brain is concentrating on the one-one conversation on the phone more than on the driving. Fortunately I'm from a generation that could manage their lives without the need to be constantly in touch with others.

You only have to see the number of people on this forum who try and activate 'video in motion' to see have stupid some divers can be and to the lengths they will go to get round the built-in safety systems.
 
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Whilst there's no doubt that having a phone conversation is distracting to some degree, I personally don't believe it's any more distracting that having a conversation with a passenger and good luck legislating against that one. Don't even get me started on kids either - the number of times I've seen women with kids in the back of their cars (invariably large 4x4s) constantly looking behind them to see what they're presumably screaming about is scary.

The phone analogy is actually an interesting one. With older phones it was actually possible to answer or even place calls without looking at the phone if you could remember which buttons to press as you could feel your way around the phone. With modern smartphones this has become impossible and you need to look at the screen to see where to press and this has made them even more dangerous, combined of course with the proliferation of online services such as Facebook and Twitter on which people feel so dependent that they can't drive two miles without checking them.

This is exactly the difference with touch-screen interfaces in cars. With a good non-touch system like the MMI you can feel your way around the main functions without thinking about it nor looking away from the road, whereas with a touch-screen you can't and need to look where you're pressing. I find it staggering that we hear so much about the dangers of mobile phone use whilst driving (and rightly so) yet nothing is being said nor done about the proliferation of touch-screen systems which are just exacerbating the problem.
 
I decided that as we've now moved into the year when it was all supposed to happen, I ought to give Audi another chance to update us on progress, this was the response:-

"Thank you for your recent email regarding the Audi A3 Saloon and Android Auto.

I have spoken with our Product Marketing Team who have confirmed that the first models in 2015 to have Android Auto will be the new Audi Q7 and A4.

It is my understanding that our vehicles will only be fitted with Android Auto when a new model is launched.

I hope you remain interested in the Audi A3 Saloon and please remember that this model has the option of Audi connect, our own online media platform."

I was hoping that as the Android Auto was demoed in the A3, that might have been on the list, from the above I'm now resigned to the fact that, not only will the 2015 A3 not be getting it but it's unlikely to be available as a post factory upgrade.

mroberte said:
Yes, that was more of the question I wanted to know, but there is no information unfortunately that they will reveal for existing MMI basic and MMI navigation and MMI navigation plus models.

I'm sure they will only add to the later nav models since that version accepts "apps". Makes no sense as it completely alienates the whole Premium line as it only comes with only basic and navigation without apps MMI version.

This is the exact words email, which is nice and vague:
Hello,
I have some questions about Android Auto implementation into the new 2015+ Audi vehicles. Press release states select 2015 models would be getting Android Auto. I’m assuming the newest Audi A3 (US Version) will be getting this first? Is all models included and if so, both MMI systems? Non-navigation and navigation equipped?
Thank you for any information you can provide.
Regards,

REPLY:
Hi,
Android Auto will first appear in a model due in early 2016 in the USA. We haven't ID'd that vehicle yet. It will arrive in late 2015 in Europe.​
Click to expand...
 
If that's indeed the case, that is horrible. Media outlets and Audi kept saying the 2015 Audi A3 line would come with Android auto as the hardware (Nvidia) is already built into the existing Audi Connect systems. At this point it should and would be just a software implementation, which Audi would have to supply - and who know when that will be with the delays from Google and Audi.

If this doesn't happen, especially at this day and age, it's QUITE disappointing!

mcaddy said:
I decided that as we've now moved into the year when it was all supposed to happen, I ought to give Audi another chance to update us on progress, this was the response:-

"Thank you for your recent email regarding the Audi A3 Saloon and Android Auto.

I have spoken with our Product Marketing Team who have confirmed that the first models in 2015 to have Android Auto will be the new Audi Q7 and A4.

It is my understanding that our vehicles will only be fitted with Android Auto when a new model is launched.

I hope you remain interested in the Audi A3 Saloon and please remember that this model has the option of Audi connect, our own online media platform."

I was hoping that as the Android Auto was demoed in the A3, that might have been on the list, from the above I'm now resigned to the fact that, not only will the 2015 A3 not be getting it but it's unlikely to be available as a post factory upgrade.
Click to expand...
 
That sucks. I bet it'll be possible for a third party to come up with a solution though.
 
I have personally never had any expectations that Audi would add Android Auto or Apple CarPlay to the A3. They don't have a history of adding major updates such as this to cars, they usually add them to new models as they're launched.

This does give rise to strange situations such as the one we have currently where the tech in the A3 is superior to many of their more expensive models. It also leads to the utterly farcical situation in which the R8 is still using the old RNS-E that was fitted to the previous model A3 and TT. Yes you can pay well into six figures for an R8 V10 and you get an older system than pretty much any other model.
 
I have a feeling that once this is finally launched it will be an option that will be extremely expensive. For example if it came to the A3 I think the option would be Android Auto or Apple Carplay for a couple of hundred quid only in combination with Tech pack high with Audi connect.

I don't see car makers (especially Audi as greedy as they are with options) ever putting their own navigation directly in competition against Apple or Android. Nobody would buy stock navigation systems as a result and car makers would be sacrificing what is currently a very lucrative revenue stream, obviously this is based on the assumption that the next generation would have a standard screen across the range (Keeping the lower res screen allows the forced upgrade to make sense).

Who knows guess we'll see how this plays out once the A4 is here later this year.
 
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