A new version of the Audi Q8 Sport was shown at the Google I/O developer conference in California on May 17.
The new concept features an infotainment system with a fully integrated Android operating system.
The Q8 concept comes with Spotify, Google Play Music, and Google Assistant right out of the box, running on Audi’s center touch display. Google maps can also be used if you prefer it to Audi’s conventional system, which is also available.
Information from all of these apps can also be seen on the Q8’s virtual cockpit, digital instrument cluster, marking the first time that anyone other than Audi has developed systems for the dash.
“The seamless integration of Android harbors tremendous potential,” writes the automaker in a statement. “The open Android community’s immense breadth of expertise and creativity can speed up the development of new applications.”
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That means that new apps can quickly be developed for the infotainment system. They will have to pass Google and Audi’s stringent requirements, but Audi predicts that infotainment will have a shorter update cycle and a greater diversity of services because just about anyone can develop apps for Android.
Audi also sees a future for this autonomous transit, when focusing on the road isn’t important. In that case, a driver could use any smartphone app on the Android network on the touch screen. So you could play a racing game as you commute to work.
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