Cars Under 20 Lakh with Wireless Android Auto and wireless CarPlay in India

Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay have become quite an important feature for car buyers in India. The convenience of having the same UI as your smartphone is much better than the clunky and rather unintuitive software that car manufacturers are still putting in cars. 

Both Apple and Google continually enhance these systems, making them ideal for modern car displays. While there’s talk of tech giants collaborating with carmakers on infotainment systems, Android Auto and CarPlay are here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future.

Until a couple of years ago, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay were still more of a premium feature. Today, however, many cars under the ₹20 lakh range come with wireless phone mirroring. In some cars, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are only limited to the higher variants, but it is much more accessible as compared to a couple of years ago.

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My Experience

Now my experience with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto has been quite a straightforward story. I like wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay better. And I don’t say this only because of the convenience of wireless. With wired Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, you need a specific type of wire, so not every wire will work.

Furthermore, there is literally no advantage that wired Android Auto brings apart from the ability to simultaneously charge your phone. But then, who doesn’t carry a charger in their cars anymore?

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Cars with Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in India

Here’s a breakdown of car models offering wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, organized by brand and price:
Here’s a breakdown of car models offering wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, organized by brand and price:

Wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay FAQs

What’s the difference between wired and wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay?

Essentially, the only difference between the two is the wire – presence or absence of it. Apart from that, nothing else is different in terms of the amount of features or the mirroring possibilities in the two.

But of course, there is a difference in terms of the experience. As mentioned above, wireless mirroring can drain your phone’s battery because the GPS and multimedia is running on the phone, and being mirrored on the car screen. With wired, this problem does not exist since the wire keeps charging the smartphone as well. 

But then again, cables are bound to fail or go bad over time. And then, to keep your phone juiced up, many cars are coming with wireless charging so the move towards a wireless experience is happening.

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Can I add wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay to my car later?

Bringing wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay to your car afterwards is very much possible through multiple ways. First and foremost, there are aftermarket systems that offer wireless mirroring – an appealing option for those who don’t have any kind of smartphone integration in their cars. Then, there are these dongles that are bringing wireless to cars that already have wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. 

However, among both these popular methods, the reviews have always remained mixed. Some people have a good experience using aftermarket infotainment and dongles, while some have had horrible experiences. 

Do I need Wi-Fi for Android Auto/Apple CarPlay?

No, you don’t need a wi-fi connection in order to connect your phone with the car screen. To use the smartphone features on the screen, however, you do need an internet connection, as with a smartphone.

With wired Android Auto, you don’t even need to connect your phone to the car’s Bluetooth. Just plugging in the smartphone will mirror your screen on the infotainment display.

Which apps work on the car screen?

Most of the apps you need while driving will work on your car screen. WhatsApp, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Google Maps are some of the apps that work. The UI, however, is optimised for driving conditions. In many cases, users are also able to watch YouTube videos on their car infotainment, which is highly dangerous and should not be a thing.

How do I connect to wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay?

To connect your phone wirelessly via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, you only need to connect your smartphone via Bluetooth, and then the car shows you the option. After an initial setup which barely asks for a couple of permissions, you are set to go!

Are over-the-air (OTA) updates available?

Since Android Auto and Apple CarPlay mostly mirror your smartphone, there are no OTA updates on the car. Yes, at times manufacturers bring wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay via OTA updates to the car’s software, but the Android or iOS running on your car is linked to your smartphone’s software, which does get OTA updates.

Do these cars have integrated voice assistants?

No. Cars mostly either have their own in-house voice assistants or come with built-in Alexa, like we have seen on some recent cars from Kia. The Google Assistant or Siri kick in when you connect your phone with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

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