Google recently made an announcement where it updated its search with special health based cards for Indian users to provide quick and easy information related to more than 400 common diseases. The very same day Google pushed out an update that its Android Auto system will be up and running in 18 new countries including India.
The announcement was made on Twitter and Google confirmed that users in Brazil, India, Chile, Austria, Colombia, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Russia, Panama, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Peru, Switzerland and Uruguay will now be able to use the Android Auto system in their respective countries.
For those who are unaware, Android Auto delivers useful information from various apps including Google Maps, Google Play Music, access to phone calls, emails, text messages, etc. and organises them into simple cards. One needs to have an Android Auto compatible vehicle or a third party car stereo along with the Android Auto app running on an Android phone running 5.0 (Lollipop) or higher. When you connect your Android phone to car stereo, Android Auto fires up and starts display all the info on the car system. One can run and interact with apps directly from the display of the car, making your smartphone less distracting when driving.
Currently, Android Auto is compatible with a few car brands including Audi, Chevrolet, Honda, Hyundai, Mahindra and Skoda, however it depends on the variant and car model you buy. Third party car stereo makers Kenwood and Pioneer already have products that support the ecosystem but are quite expensive going as high as Rs. 52,000.
Apple also has a similar system called CarPlay which has been in India for sometime now but hasn't seen a keen interest among consumers as most of the users connect their smartphones to their car systems for basic operations like playing music or attending calls, something which almost every Bluetooth enabled car stereo system provides.
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