Volvo, Honda, Hyundai cars to be cross-compatible with iOS, Android
Volvo announced today that it is joining the Open Automotive Alliance and will be bringing Apple's CarPlay and Android Auto to its vehicles in the future. Starting with the new XC90, Volvo's cars will use a brand new Scalable Product Architecture which allows the cars to be compatible with both services.
Hyundai and Honda have also both confirmed that while they are introducing Android Auto to their vehicles in the future, they will still offer CarPlay as well. In Honda's case, the cars will be able to automatically detect the driver's smart phone OS.
Since the introduction of Apple's CarPlay service, the question has hung in the air about if iOS and Android based car integration systems could co-exist. Cross compatibility is important; there are plenty of families with members who have different phones across multiple operating systems.
Beyond just the usability issue, there are market forces to consider. For these in-car control systems to truly take off they're going to need a large rate of adoption. It would be short-sighted for a car company to tell customers who just spent tens of thousands of dollars on a new car that they need to buy a brand new phone just to use of of the car's main features. The good news is more and more manufactures are announcing cross compatibility as they announce their smartphone connectable vehicles. Let's hope for the best.
