The phone projection system will now completely fill unconventionally shaped screens, in addition to a variety of other improvements. It’s the biggest update in its 10-year history, says VP for Android Automotive Patrick Brady.
This week at I/O, Google rolled out a series of major updates for Android Auto that include better sizing for unconventionally shaped screens, video streaming through YouTube, widget support, and of course, more AI-powered Gemini features. The company also announced some updates for cars that run on Google’s built-in native software, including the ability to ask Gemini questions that are specific to the car you’re driving.
First off, it’s screen size. It used to be that in-car screens all came in the same basic shape. But now the standard rectangle has evolved into a variety of curved, panoramic, swooping, and even circular displays. Google is rising to the moment, announcing a new update that more accurately tailors Android Auto to any size screen.
Previously, phone projection systems behaved similarly to older videos on widescreen televisions, placing a standard rectangular interface inside a larger display area with unused margins around it. Google is now trying to embrace the full shape of each vehicle’s screen, said Patrick Brady, VP of Android Automotive at Google, citing unconventional screens like Lucid Air’s curved display or MINI Cooper’s circular one.
