Volvo and Audi appear to have chosen the Android platform as thetop bet for their upcoming connected vehicles. The companies will be participating at Google’s upcoming I/O developer conference, which is slated to take place in San Jose later in the week. As far as expectations from the events are concerned, the two companies could show off tech that could go well beyond in-car infotainment and extend to giving drivers and passengers greater control over their vehicles.
While we will have all the information once the San Jose event kicks off in earnest, the companies could show off Android integrations that could extend to controlling stuff like the AC, windows, sunroof — all from your smartphone.
Of course, such an announcement would be cause for celebration for Google, since it would put the company’s ecosystem squarely ahead of arch-rival Apple’s as far as cars would be concerned. Automobiles are setting out to be connected in earnest and there is a lot of business to be had there. Apart from the regular stuff, cars could also become data generation powerhouses and considering that data is gold in today’s age and world, Google stands to benefit from all quarters if its Android platform was to become the platform of choice for vehicle makers.
Audi for instance, will be coming up with a Q8 sports car concept at the I/O. The company’s demonstration could include showing how Google Assistant could be used to rive in car processes including infotainment, navigation and other stuff that you do inside cars. Of course, Audi already has its own Here mapping service however, users would also be able to make the switch to Google Maps should they feel like it.
All this fits in nicely with Google’s plan to makes its Assistant central to your existence. Whether it is you using Google Chrome at your office, or deploying your Android smartphone, or using Google Home, or even driving — Google wants to make sure that it has its fingers in every pie. And that folks, is very similar to the kind of strategy that has brought Google to its current position as one of the paramount tech entities of the world.
