Google-blessed Android infotainment system comes to the car

Google has (finally) formally announced its "Android Automotive" in-car infotainment system. The company has signed a deal with Audi and Volvo to bring a car-focused version of Android to market, with Google building and licensing the OS for car makers just as it does for phone OEMs. Both Audi and Volvo will build Google's version of car Android into "their next generation" of cars.

Today Google's only spot in the automotive market is Android Auto, which is not an operating system. Android Auto is a "casted" interface that runs on a smartphone and uses the in-dash car display as an external touchscreen monitor. This new initiative (called "Android Automotive" in Google's Android compatibility documentation) is a full operating system that runs directly on the car's onboard computers.

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