[krishsreedharan]

@GTO

Current version is 2.0.642303-release update on 1 Nov 2016.

I got the earlier version when I plugged in my phone into the new Skoda Superb, which I took delivery of last Sunday, for my father, to replace his Accord.

Cheers!

[qr20de]

My playstore still shows me the older app, from May 2016.

I'm seriously psyched to try this new app! No need for expensive HUs anymore. A simple single din with bluetooth should be more than enough

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Debajyoti

Updated version (2.0) is now available on the Indian Playstore.

Originally Posted by krishsreedharan

@GTO

Current version is 2.0.642303-release update on 1 Nov 2016.

Thanks guys! Installed. Love the simple interface with big controls.

Question: On the media screen, this is all I see. Clicking on the headphone icon does nothing. What gives? I do have Spotify installed as well as the standard media player which (I guess) is Android-Auto compatible. How do I play music from this app??? My favourite is Rocket Player - can't control from here? Deal breaker!

[krishsreedharan]

When you click the headphones icon (on the bottom right), it should show you all compatible audio apps. I have Tune-In, Spotify and Google Music and all the three show up. Not sure why your Spotify is not showing up. I do presume that you are on a premium subscription for Spotify.

With regards to Rocket Player, apparently it is still not supported by Android Auto. When you click on the Left Menu and go to Android Auto Apps, I don't see Rocket Player there.

[akp666]

Is there a way to integrate the contacts to this as well? I was using Drivemode before this, and it was possible to add apps to the same. I was searching on playstore & on the net but was unable to find how.

[krishsreedharan]

Originally Posted by akp666

Is there a way to integrate the contacts to this as well?

Apparently, not at the moment. You can however use voice commands to dial any contact on your phone by tapping on the microphone and then calling out the name.

This can be a bit of a hit and miss if you have not already trained your phone to understand your voice. But better than nothing. Worst case, you do have the numeric keypad when you remember the numbers you want to dial

[GTO]

Originally Posted by krishsreedharan

Not sure why your Spotify is not showing up. I do presume that you are on a premium subscription for Spotify.

Yes, I have a premium Spotify account.

This is a deal-breaker for me as I love RocketPlayer (it owns every other player out there) and Spotify. Will perhaps revisit Android Auto once it's matured.

[akp666]

Originally Posted by GTO

Yes, I have a premium Spotify account.

This is a deal-breaker for me as I love RocketPlayer (it owns every other player out there) and Spotify. Will perhaps revisit Android Auto once it's matured.

GTO I suggest to try out drive mode as well. I have been using it for the last one year. I tried Android auto last night, and some features of drive mode trump android auto app for now. You can integrate any app into drivemode. Also music plays and can be controlled in a translucent window open above any other app (including maps) as well, which can be further minimized or maximized depending on what you want to access.

It reads our any incoming notification (duh), and also reads out whatever you are accessing without seeming to be intrusive, hence you can keep your eyes on the road. I have almost stopped looking at my phone while accessing it though drivemode, it is that easy. It uses the entire screen for skip or replay tracks, to accept calls, while in android auto one has to press specific buttons.


https://play.google.com/store/apps/d....android&hl=en

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by GTO

This is a deal-breaker for me as I love RocketPlayer (it owns every other player out there) and Spotify. Will perhaps revisit Android Auto once it's matured.

Originally Posted by akp666

GTO I suggest to try out drive mode as well.

Another app (similar to drive mode) is "Car Dashdroid" (https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ashdroid&hl=en).

The free app has ads, but for a nominal charge, you can buy the ad-free version. I have been using this for a while now, and it is really good.

You can link any app you want to the "big tiled buttons". And in the settings, there are a large number of options for customization and automation. You can open it automatically on Bluetooth connections, exit automatically, choose if the home button takes you here, choose if you want voice controls and read-outs, choose if you want the screen to be always on, if you want the screen lock to be disabled, and many more.

Honestly, I feel that the USP of Android Auto is that it displays everything in the car head-unit display, which is big and nicely integrated into your car and there is no hassle of mounting your phone on dash. I am a huge fan of Android, and was so eagerly waiting for this Android Auto (AA) experience, but honestly, the standalone AA on a phone is not that a big deal. If you anyways have to mount your phone on the dashboard, then AA is just like some other dash app like drivemode or Dashdroid.

I guess I will have to wait till I buy a new car that has Android Auto support to really experience the true potential of Android Auto. :-)

[qr20de]

Just got the update. It's pretty intuitive and easy to use with dedicated buttons for music, calls and maps. The text is large and easy to read on the go.

But there are still some minor bugs. The maps and music integration failed once or twice. Nevertheless a great start and I'm sure the update will address these issues. Way to go Google!

[LandCruiser]

Now the app can be used from the mobile device itself. But somehow I felt it to be bit slow and not very appealing. The interface will look much better on a 7 or 8 inch screen on the dash. Android also seems to be buggy and bit slow (as the device gets older). Wonder how it impacts the head units.

[hybridpetrol]

It is an interesting "upgrade" to those who use basic cars and there is not much scope for installing a proper head units.

I use an Alto 800 for my commute, and I have installed a basic after market mp3 player which takes CD/Aux/USB inputs. I found using Android Auto as standalone directly from mobile to be interesting.

Few comments:
a) When 4g signal is good, the app functions well. It can take voice inputs for making phone calls, playing music and displaying maps. If there are two or more contacts with conflicting names, then the app asks for clarification, which exact contact you want to call.
b) Music - From the basic configurations I did, it was using the Google Play music, and started playing whatever was present in my mobile. I need to add more music and playlists and do some more experimentation here.
c) Navigation - Indian location names were not understood very well by the app. But the locations that were already saved, such as "Home" worked perfectly. A voice command such as "Navigate to Home" gave me the route to my home from my current location in a jiffy.
d) If internet with good speed is not available, then none of the voice commands would work. So, this app is not something to rely on when you are driving in a remote village.
e) You still need to give some touch inputs (such as tapping the mic icon, attending the call, cutting the call etc). So, it is better to keep the phone somewhere close by in dashboard, rather than far away in wind shield.
f) Basic android stuff such as increasing / decreasing brightness, volume etc still requires one to do things the old way. It would have been better if these also could be done from the same Android Auto screen.
g) The assistant can read out SMS / Whatsapp messages for us. However, the smileys, @phonenumbers are read out as text. Of course, it cannot read out text written in other languages. Useless feature in Indian context.
h) Since the screen is always on along with 4g, using android auto drains up battery very quickly. It is better to connect the phone to car charger while using android auto.
i) UI can be improved and can show more relevant stuff, such as most frequently called numbers. Fonts are extra large and easy to see when driving. This also means that the screen can show very less information, and needs scrolling a lot. Probably better viewed in tablets or larger screens of HU.

While I found this to be interesting, it is not something that I cannot live without. My main concern is the availability of fast internet and battery draining.

[krishsreedharan]

A few more observations:

If you were to scroll through too many songs on a list for example, after the second scroll, it will not let you do anything unless you stop the car. It displays this specific behaviour when connected to an Android Auto compatible head unit.

You can get to the Call history. however, it does not let you get to the addressbook that easily. Better to use voice to dial.

Overall, I am still waiting for the "Ok Google" voice recognition. There is a lot of scope for improvement.

[bejoy]

https://www.android.com/auto/ lists the cars that are supported (also upcoming) by Android Auto. Going by the list, seems like this is going to be a standard in the ICE integration with mobile device.

And it is a matter of time that it goes beyond ICE?

Also it will be interesting to watch how Samsung leverages from the Harman acquisition. Hope there will be a standard interface that will make the seamless operation in all vehicles. (err, except IOS of course)

[petrolhead_neel]

Originally Posted by GTO

Yes,
This is a deal-breaker for me as I love RocketPlayer (it owns every other player out there) and Spotify. Will perhaps revisit Android Auto once it's matured.

Originally Posted by krishsreedharan

With regards to Rocket Player, apparently it is still not supported by Android Auto. When you click on the Left Menu and go to Android Auto Apps, I don't see Rocket Player there.

Apparently, its Rocket Player that doesn't support Android Auto yet: https://productforums.google.com/for...c/A99rdzCkCgAJ

As of now, the following apps have enabled support for Android Auto. Hope to see the list increase soon.

Link

Rocket Player is my favourite player available on Android too and I hope JRT Studios adds support soon.

Neel