14 DAY TRIAL // The battle between Google and Apple doesn’t just come down to Android versus iOS, as the two companies are also fighting for domination behind the wheel with their very own Android Auto and CarPlay, respectively.
And according to a new survey conducted by J.D. Power, Apple is the one winning this fight, as for some reason CarPlay has a higher satisfaction rate than Android Auto.
The survey shows that on a 1,000 point scale, CarPlay beats Android Auto 777 to 748, despite unsurprisingly, most drivers preferring Google Maps over Apple Maps.
Google’s mapping service is the navigation solution that 56 percent of the drivers use, while only 23 percent picked Apple Maps. Traffic navigation app Waze is third with just 16 percent.
“Factory-installed navigation systems are easily replaced by another device. In fact, 19% of new-vehicle owners who have factory-installed navigation don’t use it and, of these, 70% use another device instead, almost always a smartphone,” the survey reveals.
CarPlay versus Android Auto
As for the reasons CarPlay comes out ahead, there’s no doubt that this happens as a result of most people participating in the survey owning an iPhone. Otherwise, when comparing CarPlay and Android Auto side by side, the latter is without a doubt the more advanced choice in several regards, including functionality and app support.
Apple’s walled garden is impacting CarPlay’s capabilities as well, and for instance, no other navigation app can be used inside a car beside Apple Maps. Apple has promised to allow Google Maps and Waze to run on CarPlay after the release of iOS 12, but no specifics were provided, such as when this is expected to happen.
On Android Auto things are completely different. Not only that the Google Play Store is the home of a plethora of apps that can be used with the car’s infotainment system, but the developer community is also constantly expanding the standard capabilities with their own apps.