"[Porsche] Turns Its Back on Advanced Android Auto, It's Google's Fault" - Article

[Tooney]

Cyril Dorsaz, principal product manager at Porsche Digital, recently explained in an interview that the lack of the necessary toolkit makes it impossible for the carmaker to bring similar capabilities to Android Auto, so Porsche had to stick with CarPlay. Additionally, investing in an Android solution didn't make much sense in the first place, Dorsaz says, as most Porsche owners use iPhones. The Android adoption in the Porsche customer base is very low, with Apple's iPhone dominating the mobile space for drivers choosing the German brand.
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...-features-and-it-s-google-s-fault-222258.html

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[WuffvonTrips]

The Android adoption in the Porsche customer base is very low, with Apple's iPhone dominating the mobile space for drivers choosing the German brand.

I'm sure that I'm not alone in shopping for cars, phones or whatever, not by brand, but by fit with my requirements, rather than being wedded to badges, no matter how allegedly "premium". I hope Porsche aren't following the Apple approach to telling their customers what they need.

 

[violuma]

Sad, but I guess it's first and foremost a car. I'm not going to cancel my order over this, but I wish they would reconsider. Dealing with iOS for work is bad enough.

 

[WasserGKuehlt]

If I'm reading this right, "Porsche still offers Android Auto in its cars." It's only the advanced features that won't be on par, because "Google offers more capabilities and deeper integration into the vehicle [...] as part of Android Automotive. Compared to Android Auto, Android Automotive is a stand-alone operating system that powers the infotainment system."

So Google doesn't want to be an SDK, they want to be the OS of the vehicle (a la Polestar/Volvo, possibly others). I, for one, am glad Porsche declined to take this path.

Regarding the "advanced features" already integrated in the Taycan with CarPlay - meh, they're more of a curiosity, and not something I'd consider essential. ymmv etc.

 

[gnop1950]

I'm very pleased that Porsche did not go down the Google Android Auto path. My experiences with Android phones, well really Google in general, have been less than satisfactory. Should Google choose to provide a SDK, as Apple did, I'm sure Porsche would consider providing the same integrations they are currently providing/planning to provide for CarPlay.

In the meantime they still support Android phones, but apparently will be providing a deeper integration for CarPlay. I have to say that suits me fine since I use CarPlay in all my vehicles to provide a consistent interface

 

[Washington]

So the advanced feature is just a tile based UI? Sounds very outdated. I use Android phone (iPhone as a side phone as it's not comparable to the Samsung Fold 5), and Google map. I'm very happy about the Android Auto on my Taycan. It's considered a big advantage offer Tesla to me.

When I bought my first 911, they had only iOS support, and I did mainly use an iPhone as it was way better than Android back then. Even then, I used the Google map directly on my phone.

Anyway, the Android market share is larger than iOS now. It's even larger than Windows. It will be silly for Porsche to not support it, given that it worked very well on Taycan. Plus, have they really done survey recently to claim most their users use iPhone? I mean, in their eyes I must be an iPhone user. I haven't been asked in recent years. And my car doesn't send my personal data to anyone.

 

[gnop1950]

So the advanced feature is just a tile based UI? Sounds very outdated. I use Android phone (iPhone as a side phone as it's not comparable to the Samsung Fold 5), and Google map. I'm very happy about the Android Auto on my Taycan. It's considered a big advantage offer Tesla to me.

When I bought my first 911, they had only iOS support, and I did mainly use an iPhone as it was way better than Android back then. Even then, I used the Google map directly on my phone.

Anyway, the Android market share is larger than iOS now. It's even larger than Windows. It will be silly for Porsche to not support it, given that it worked very well on Taycan. Plus, have they really done survey recently to claim most their users use iPhone? I mean, in their eyes I must be an iPhone user. I haven't been asked in recent years. And my car doesn't send my personal data to anyone.

Not in the US: Tech Republic

• iOS: 62.13%
• Android: 37.47%

And, according to Porsche not among Porsche owners. But I don't think that is why they aren't supporting the advanced features on Android that they plan on supporting for CarPlay. If I'm reading the article right Google does not provide a SDK for Android Auto like Apple does for CarPlay so they'd have to replace the PCM software with Android Automotive (another Google power play). Since I'm definitely not a Google fan I'm happy they haven't decided to go down that path.

 

[Washington]

I don't know why did you quote the USA number (btw the September 2023 ratio became 56% vs 43% in the US on gs.statcounter.com) as if it could counter mine. Porsche is not a US brand, or only make cars for the US market, and US delivery was only 25% of Porsche global deliveries (https://www.best-selling-cars.com/b...-porsche-worldwide-sales-by-model-and-markets).

Not in the US: Tech Republic

• iOS: 62.13%
• Android: 37.47%

And, according to Porsche not among Porsche owners. But I don't think that is why they aren't supporting the advanced features on Android that they plan on supporting for CarPlay. If I'm reading the article right Google does not provide a SDK for Android Auto like Apple does for CarPlay so they'd have to replace the PCM software with Android Automotive (another Google power play). Since I'm definitely not a Google fan I'm happy they haven't decided to go down that path.

Plus, I don't think Porsche knows what mobile OS I use at all. They could probably find out a percentage of cars using Android Auto vs CarPlay, but don't forget they had a long period of time that only CarPlay was available. The sample is biased.

I don't want to see they replace PCM with a google system either. The more variety they support for users the better. I was just saying I don't see much added value of the so called advanced features that are only available in CarPlay. I'm quite happy with what the Porsche Android Auto already provide: precise Map & easy navigation, split screen to control your music & audiobooks, phone source control (I separate corp and personal phone). Intuitive UI. Changing to some tiled UI IMHO is a downgrade to Android's split screen with options.

 

[gnop1950]

I don't know why did you quote the USA number (btw the September 2023 ratio became 56% vs 43% in the US on gs.statcounter.com) as if it could counter mine. Porsche is not a US brand, or only make cars for the US market, and US delivery was only 25% of Porsche global deliveries (https://www.best-selling-cars.com/b...-porsche-worldwide-sales-by-model-and-markets).



Plus, I don't think Porsche knows what mobile OS I use at all. They could probably find out a percentage of cars using Android Auto vs CarPlay, but don't forget they had a long period of time that only CarPlay was available. The sample is biased.

I don't want to see they replace PCM with a google system either. The more variety they support for users the better. I was just saying I don't see much added value of the so called advanced features that are only available in CarPlay. I'm quite happy with what the Porsche Android Auto already provide: precise Map & easy navigation, split screen to control your music & audiobooks, phone source control (I separate corp and personal phone). Intuitive UI. Changing to some tiled UI IMHO is a downgrade to Android's split screen with options.

I have no doubt that the metrics collected by Porsche include how many people connect to their car with iOS versus Android.

As for the US stats, well, we are both in the US so I felt that was a relevant statistic. No offense to my foreign Porsche brethren but I tend to focus on the conditions in the country where I live

I don't think the sample is biased. While only CarPlay was available for a while that was likely do to market research showing that the majority of Porsche owners used iPhones. Heck, while I was still working, my company was almost exclusively engineers, software and electrical for the most part, and it was very rare to see anyone with an Android phone. Anecdotal evidence for sure.

There is also market research that suggests that iPhone users earn more, engage more with apps, etc. Another thing Porsche and Apple have in common is their enormous profit margins. But, since this is a Porsche forum I'm guessing that price isn't a huge factor for most of us when picking out a phone.

We seem to agree on not replacing the PCM with Android Automotive. My point was that with the CarPlay SDK Porsche can start offering, as they've done in the 2024 Cayenne, a deeper integration with CarPlay. Phones, like cars, are mostly a matter of personal taste. In an ideal situation Google would offer a SDK for Android Auto to permit the same types of integrations they are planning for CarPlay without manufacturers having to replace their infotainment OS with Android Automotive.

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