Integration Issues will Result in Consumer Frustration

Boston, MA – November 05, 2015 – While Android Auto and Apple CarPlay work well as standalone systems for consumers, these systems do not provide all the infotainment sources consumers want; though declining, usage of and interest in traditional radio is still primary. Apps such as iHeartRadio and TuneIn could eventually fill this void but consumer awareness and usage of these apps is not yet widespread. Using large amounts of monthly data allowances to stream local radio is also unlikely to sit well with consumers. Given this, it is imperative that mirrored solutions are integrated well with a native infotainment system. Users need to be able to easily move from one system to another, and actively receive notifications for features in the system they are not currently in. Failing to do so can take two systems that individually work well, but create confusion and frustration when together.

A new user evaluation from the In-vehicle UX (IVX) group at Strategy Analytics ( www.strategyanalytics.com ) has assessed Android Auto with the 2015 Hyundai Sonata. Users need to have the latest Android Auto software for it to work; understand what Android Auto is; understand how Android Auto duplicates features already present on the native system; and understand which features and functions of the native system will be disabled if Android Auto is enabled. This heavy reliance on the consumer themselves may lead to a confusing and frustrating experience for those who might have trouble differentiating between what Android Auto can and cannot do, and which features require the native infotainment system.

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Chris Schreiner , Director, IVX and report author commented, “The main long-term issue regarding Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is whether they will make navigation and other native connected infotainment features obsolete. In our benchmark for tasks which could be handled by both Android Auto and the native infotainment system, consumers overwhelmingly preferred the user experience provided by Android Auto. The interactions were smoother, quicker, and had fewer usability issues.”

Continued Schreiner, “Participants saw the native system as dated and the POI database as less accurate. In this regard, particularly given the abilities of mirroring solutions to push updates to fix bugs, OEMs should beware.”

Kevin Nolan, VP, UXIP added, “The user experience of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay will only be this seamless if users do not want to access features supplied only by the native infotainment system.”