Drivers Increasingly Prefer Android Auto, Apple CarPlay Over OEM

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The demand for smoother in-car smartphone integration is underway. Consumers favor wireless smartphone mirroring systems for in-car communications over fixed systems, and increasingly feel they’re a “must-have” feature when buying a car, according to Strategy Analytics.

Surveying consumers in the U.S., Western Europe and China, the In-Vehicle UX (IVX) team found access to smartphone apps through an in-car human-machine interface is increasingly important to consumers’ purchase decisions. The team found that free mobile apps are preferred for many navigation tasks, especially for those more advanced. “Consumers find mirrored systems far more preferable to embedded infotainment systems due to stronger visual appeal and better usability for key in-car tasks,” said UXIP Director and report author Diane O’Neill. “We are finding that most consumers are using Android Auto and Apple CarPlay for a majority of their in-car infotainment tasks, often to the exclusion of embedded systems.”

Key report findings include:

  • Interest for mirroring systems has increased in all regions from 2017 to 2018 and remains robust.
  • Android Auto dominates in the U.S. and Apple CarPlay dominates in both Western Europe and China. Globally, consumer appetite for Apple CarPlay as a “must-have” feature is increasing most.
  • A  large majority of consumers, regardless of smartphone ownership or region, are willing to pay for these smartphone mirroring systems.

UXIP Syndicated Research Director Chris Schreiner calls the findings bad news for embedded navigation suppliers and OEMs that want to sell upgraded navigation systems. “While OEMs still offer mirroring systems at lower price points than embedded navigation systems, consumer willingness to pay and appetite for familiar user interfaces suggests that mirroring systems will only continue to rise in preference.”

September 21, 2018