There are no fewer than five new Google partners in the Android Auto hardware category, set to manufacture and release Android Auto receivers at some point in the future. However, there really isn’t much information available for any of those on the companies’ official websites as of this writing. In fact, the only OEM that has a model currently released, the ASUS-owned company UniMax, doesn’t appear to even have the product listed on its webpage either. It’s been speculated that may be because of a typo in the model name listed at the Android Auto site for the hardware partner but that hasn’t been confirmed. It may be just as likely that the product – model number F2-AVX7MX – was simply added to Google’s site before ASUS had a chance to update its own page. The company apparently confirmed certification for the program just last month.
Moving down the list of new manufacturers that have been added, prominent consumer electronics maker BAUHN has also been added to the list of upcoming OEMs getting involved with the in-car receivers. Having said that, none of the other companies on the list have any further information about pricing, release date, or brand-specific features. That’s a bit disappointing since companies such as the more budget-savvy Jenson are also included as soon-to-be Android Auto-makers. Axxera is another prominent head-unit manufacturer said to soon be releasing in the category, with the final OEM being the lesser known car stereo brand Dual Electronics. As mentioned above, though, there really isn’t much detail to be had about any of these units.
That doesn’t mean there’s no information at all about the more general features that come packed in with Android Auto connectivity. The vehicle-specific variant of Google’s Android OS has undergone its share of updates and improvements over the past several months. The most recent of those was completely unannounced and still hasn’t been clarified but added the ability to access the connected smartphone as a smartphone instead of being limited to the Android Auto U.I. Effectively, users with a handset plugged into their vehicle can now swipe to access their full phone instead of just the applications optimized in-car use. That’s a useful feature to have alongside the numerous other entertainment, apps, and media streaming options available on the platform.