Audi & Google To Bring Android Based Infotainment To CES 2014

By Ganesh

Updated: Saturday, January 25, 2014, 12:18 [IST]

German car major Audi, also the number one luxury carmaker in India, is rumored to be working together with tech giant Google in developing car infotainment systems that run on the latter's Android operating system. The two are said to make a partnership announcement regarding the same at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2014 in Las Vegas that starts on January 7.

According to The Wall Street Journal's sources informed about the matter, Audi and Google have also roped in other tech companies, including Nvidia Corporation to help develop the project.

Audi vehicles equipped with infotainment systems running a variant of Google's Android mobile OS will be able to perform much like Android smartphones, capable of running various applications, along with Google's music and video services. Not to mention, Google navigation services.

Google's partnership with Audi is a step towards challenging rival Apple's iOS in the Car, a similar announcement that the Cupertino company made in June last year during the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).

Integration of Apple's iOS in the Car provides features such as iMessage, eyes free Siri activation, hands free telephone commands, satellite navigation, music control and more. Apple has already announced partnership deals with Mercedes-Benz, Honda, General Motors and BMW.

Unlike iOS, however, Android will provide automakers with a greater flexibility when it comes to designing the interface. This will allow them to design a different infotainment system based on car models, both in terms of interface and feature set.

More details about Android based infotainment systems in Audi and other car tech which will debut at CES 2014, coming soon.