Polestar is one of those car companies that made a big commitment to Android Automotive early on as a potentially improved in-car infotainment solution over something they could develop in house. That choice has had positives and also some negatives as their implementation of Android Automative has plenty of limitations. While some of that is arguably due to low-end specs powering the system, the complaints have been heard by Polestar and they are ready to give Polestar 2 owners a new option – Android Auto.
Yeah, that’s confusing to read and I get it. The car runs Android Automotive (AAOS), so why would it need Android Auto? Well, they aren’t the same thing, that’s for sure. Android Automotive is like a base operating system for cars to run that can be customized (like One UI over Android on Samsung phones) to look native to a car company. Android Auto is the wired or wireless projection experience you receive from a connected phone to a car. Again, these are very different in-car solutions because one is customized by a car company for specific cars while the other is Google’s vision for how an in-car projected experience should look and work. Android Auto is Google’s competitor to Apple’s CarPlay.
So back to Polestar here, they announced earlier in the month that in update P3.3.16 for the Polestar 2, they are enabling Android Auto. They’ve had CarPlay in their cars for a least a couple of years now, but likely kept Android Auto away because the car already runs Android Automotive. That’s (finally) changing.
In a private Polestar community on Facebook, a company rep called this “one of your most requested features” and described its implementation in the following way:
This phone-based system projects from your Android device to your infotainment system, from which you can operate hands-free. The app will start automatically your device is connected (wired connection). This automatic start can be deactivated under settings, and you can still go back and use the Google Built-in system (Polestar 2’s native Android Automotive system) whenever you want.
As an owner of a Polestar 2, I cannot begin to describe how welcomed this update will be. The Android Automotive experience in the car is…fine. It’s very limited in what can be viewed at one time on the screen, has limits to the app selection, can be frustrating to navigate, and really lacks in regular updates that might bring improvements. Android Auto, while it’ll be wired in the Polestar 2, at least gives more apps, a better overall UI, and can/will improve as Google sees fit.
The update for the Polestar 2 should bring wired Android Auto back through 2021 models. The update was initially announced as a workshop update (which means installed through service appointments), but should switch to over-the-air. A couple of folks on the Polestar subreddit said they received it OTA and in appointments, but the update has likely been paused for the holidays and should resume in the next couple of weeks. That’s what is happening with similar Volvo EVs getting Android Auto.
Updates in software version P3.3.16
- Enabling Android Auto.
- Improved driving experience at low speed (MY21-23).
- Introducing HD radio.
// Polestar