Android Auto, Automotive and GAS
Android Auto
Android Auto is different from Android Automotive, Android Auto is like having a special way to use your smartphone while you’re in a car. You know how you can connect your phone to a TV and see everything from your phone on a bigger screen? Well, Android Auto is a bit like that, but for cars.
When you connect your Android smartphone to a car that has Android Auto, it shows a special screen on the car’s display. This screen is designed to be easy to use while driving and helps you do things with your phone without taking your hands off the steering wheel or looking away from the road.
With Android Auto, you can use some of the apps from your phone on the car’s screen. For example, you can listen to music, get directions using maps, make phone calls, send voice messages, and even ask questions to a virtual assistant.
The best part is that it makes everything safer because you don’t have to use your phone directly. You can talk to the car or use buttons on the steering wheel to control everything. That way, you can focus on driving and still enjoy some of the cool features of your phone.
Android Auto requires a paired Android device connected to a compatible infotainment system to work The car should have an infotainment system, which is the screen or display in the car that shows information and allows you to interact with different features.The car’s infotainment system needs to be compatible with Android Auto. This means it should support the necessary software and connectivity protocols to work with Android Auto. Android Auto is a platform running on the user’s phone, projecting the Android Auto user experience to a compatible in-vehicle infotainment system over a USB connection. Android Auto supports apps designed for in-vehicle use.
Android Automotive
Android Automotive is an operating system and platform running directly on the in-vehicle hardware. It is a full-stack, open source, highly customizable platform powering the infotainment experience. Android Automotive supports apps built for Android as well as those built for Android Auto. Android Automotive is Android. Android Automotive is not a fork or parallel development of Android. It is the same codebase and lives in the same repository as the Android shipped on phones, tablets, etc.
GAS — ( Google Automotive Services )
Google Automotive Services (GAS) is a collection of applications and services that automotive OEMs can choose to license and integrate into their in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems. its like GMS for normal android phones.
Note: Till now, there are few vehicles that have automotive, and most of them have Android Auto only.
About AOSP and GMS
AOSP, which stands for Android Open Source Project, is an open-source initiative led by Google to develop and maintain the Android operating system. It provides the complete source code, documentation, and tools necessary for building Android-based software and devices.
AOSP serves as the foundation for all Android devices, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, wearables, Automotive and more. It encompasses the core components of the Android platform, such as the Linux kernel, device drivers, runtime environment, system libraries, user interface framework, and default set of applications.
If you have the necessary hardware and access to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), you can create your own customized version of the Android operating system. AOSP provides the complete source code for Android, allowing you to modify and build the Android system to run on compatible hardware.
Device manufacturers use AOSP as a starting point to build customized versions of Android for their specific devices. They can modify, optimize, and add new features on top of the AOSP code to meet the requirements and hardware capabilities of their devices. These customizations may include device-specific drivers, user interfaces, pre-installed apps, and additional functionalities.
GMS
GMS stands for Google Mobile Services. It is a collection of Google’s proprietary apps and services that are typically pre-installed on Android devices. GMS includes popular applications like Google Play Store, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Chrome, YouTube, and many others. GMS is not a part of AOSP And GMS are two different aspects of the Android platform:
Is GMS is also free ?
GMS are owned and developed by Google as proprietary software. Proprietary software refers to software that is privately owned and its source code is not freely available to the public.
As a device manufacturer, if you want to include GMS on your devices and provide users with access to Google’s proprietary apps and services, you need to obtain a license from Google and comply with their terms and conditions. This allows you to legally install and distribute these apps on your devices. GAS is same as GMS but for for android automotive.
Android Auto requires both Google Automotive Services (GAS) and Google Mobile Services (GMS) to function properly.
