📱 2022-08-23 23:36:00 – Paris/France.
Splitscreen is now two months late and counting
We've been waiting for Google's planned Android Auto redesign to hit cars everywhere for nearly a year. After a premature leak unveiled a split-screen UI last fall, we saw an ongoing project turn into an official announcement at I/O this spring. And yet, with Labor Day weekend fast approaching — a marker for the end of summer and, more importantly, the end of the summer travel season — he is nowhere to be found. Now a new Android Auto update is rolling out, and despite what you might expect, it's bound to disappoint drivers everywhere.
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On paper, Android Auto 8.0 seems like the perfect opportunity to ship the promised redesign for this year - codenamed 'Coolwalk'. It's a round number, after all. Like it or not, we've all been used to expecting bigger changes when the version hits a round number – which is why we expect so much more from Android 13 on Android 12.1. So while Google is simply following Android Auto v7.9 with the next issue online, it's easy to see why some users would expect big changes from this version.
Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case. As the folks at 9to5Google noticed, Android Auto 8.0 is currently rolling out globally, with no signs of "Coolwalk" or other design changes. Instead, it seems likely that this release will be another round of bug fixes after a particularly choppy year for the platform. After testing it for myself, I couldn't spot any changes or additional features. Presumably, this update consists of all behind the scenes changes or, if we're lucky, groundwork for more changes in the future.
When Google announced its revamped user interface in May, the company claimed it would arrive in cars before the summer begins, presumably timed to get everyone rushing on car journeys. Although "Coolwalk" is still MIA, it's entirely possible that it will be rolled out to the drivers via a server-side update, activated by Google once it's finally ready. At least right now, though, this latest update just isn't what we've been waiting for all summer.
It's another chapter in the ever-messy saga that is Android in cars. Along with delayed updates and blank displays, Google finally killed Android Auto on phone screens for good. This has left drivers relying solely on assisted driving mode, an inferior service in almost every way and still missing some much-needed features. As Apple continues to develop its next-generation CarPlay platform, Google absolutely needs to step up in this competition. After all, iOS has supported split screen in cars for almost three years.
SOURCE: Reviews News
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