Android Auto becomes widely used: A look at the new GM infotainment system.

 

Android Automotive, Google's car operating system, has only been used on a small number of high-profile vehicles like the Polestar 2. However, Android Automotive is now becoming widely used, and some of the largest automobile manufacturers are beginning to implement Google's operating system across entire product lines.

While the GMC Yukon of 2022 is the focus of this article, the Android Automotive system developed by General Motors will soon be available on the majority of GM's lineup. The Hummer EV1 is powered by the same fundamental setup. Given that GM shares parts, this system is likely to appear in Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Buick vehicles as well. Google's car operating system will soon be available in all automobiles when Ford and Honda join the Android Automotive ecosystem in the near future.

Let's get rid of the usual disclaimer: Android Auto, Google's tethered phone app and rival to Apple's CarPlay, is not the subject of this article. When fully stated (sometimes referred to as "Google Built-In"), Android Automotive signifies that the automobile functions as a single large Android device. Android is run on a computer that controls the infotainment system of the automobile. Your vehicle's operating system will remain unchanged even if you have an iPhone in your pocket—though it does support CarPlay. Purchasing a General Motors model will require purchasing an Android Car. During setup, a message that reads "By using this car, you agree to Google's terms of service" will appear on the screen.

The concept presented here makes some sense. Why not simply install a smartphone operating system in the vehicle if customers want their car's infotainment system to function and look more like a smartphone? The touchscreen-based swipe navigation that people have come to expect from modern computers will then be available to you. Like phone companies, manufacturers like Ford, GM, and Volvo have signed licensing agreements with Google to use the Android Automotive operating system and a slew of Google apps. Google Maps, probably the most important app for the automotive industry, is built into this vehicle. The Google Play Store for automobiles and Google Assistant voice commands make it simple to access media players like Spotify.

The equipment: With three operating systems and four screens,

It's odd to review a car computer because the hardware is always so old. The development of a car takes about five years, and the computer hardware isn't very exciting when the car finally hits the market. Our Android Car system's hardware is a five-year-old Intel Atom A3960 SoC with an Intel HD Graphics 500 GPU, 6GB of RAM, and 64GB of flash storage. It is internally referred to as "General Motors Infotainment 3.7" or "gminfo37."

We'll classify both cars as "first-generation Android Automotive hardware" because this isn't just a GM issue and because the Polestar 2 has the same CPU but only 4GB of RAM. However, the hardware's age is notable. You can't sideload apps into a production car with Android Automotive, but if you look up Atom A3960 Geekbench scores, you'll see that the computer in this $78,000 car is just a little bit faster than a $35 Raspberry Pi 4. One of the slowest CPUs available today in any form factor is found in the GMC Yukon and Polestar 2.

It's disappointing to see GMC shipping what are essentially budget PC parts from 2016 because I'm sure the Atom A3960 went through a lengthy certification process to ensure it can withstand the heat and vibration of a tough car environment. The company could have started with mid-range or high-end 2016 Intel hardware rather than cheap Atom parts even if the five-year hardware delay was inevitable.