Here Are The Main Differences Between Apple CarPlay And Android Auto

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Apple and Google have both begun to offer in-car experiences with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but how do they differ?

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The two services are both designed to make driving safer by allowing users to plug their smartphones into the built-in displays on their car's dashboard.

A new video from 9to5Mac's Dom Esposito examines how the two competing services work in the 2015 Hyundai Sonata, a car which offers both CarPlay and Android Auto.

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Android Auto, while still in beta, looks quite polished.

It has an interface very similar to what you'd see on a smartphone running Android 5.0 Lollipop, and it uses a Google Now-style notification system and layout. You can see the weather, dictate and receive messages, make phone calls, listen to music and podcasts, and access navigation with Google Maps.

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Apple's CarPlay features a much simpler interface and relies heavily on Siri for responding to notifications and dictating and listening to messages.

Navigation relies on Apple's Maps app, and podcasts are handled through Apple's Podcast app. There's also third-party apps like Spotify.

For now, both services offers a lot of the same features, so it will probably come down to personal preference. Luckily, if the trend of offering both services in the same cars continues, you'll be able to switch between the two even if you change devices.

You can watch the full breakdown of features in the 8-minute video below.

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