From The Guardian: Battle for the car – will Google, Apple or Microsoft dominate?
The battle for the car between Apple, Google and Microsoft has ignited this year with the launch of Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android-based Open Automotive Alliance.
Car manufacturers are lining up behind their respective technology banners, with each one pledging allegiance to one or another. Some sit across multiple camps, but others are steadfastly pro-Apple or pro-Google, with Microsoft and the others looking like they’ve been left holding moldy cheese.
CarPlay is Apple’s latest move into the in-car entertainment and information systems. It is an evolution of its previous car connectivity, which saw music pulled from iPods and iPhones into car stereos via the dock connector.
It uses Apple’s new Lightning Connector, which means it is only compatible with the iPhone 5, 5S and 5C, but allows far greater connectivity, including the ability to power the navigation system of the car, place calls and read messages aloud as well as command the car and the iPhone via Apple’s voice assistant Siri.
