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Next year’s ‘Android M’ update might take Android in an exciting new direction

Published Dec 19th, 2014 2:52PM EST
Android M Features

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Google is working on a new Android version that is specifically created to better fit cars, Reuters has learned, and that should offer users a smart car experience regardless of whether or not they connect an Android phone.

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Codenamed Android M, this Android version is not expected for another year, and is supposed to be a completely different take on adding smart features to a car than Google’s existing Android Auto project.

Instead of requiring a smarpthone to be connected at all times in order to access certain apps while driving, Android M will be built directly into a car, being able to work independently from other Android devices.

“With embedded it’s always on, always there,” a person familiar with Android M told Reuters. “You don’t have to depend on your phone being there and on.”

The services could integrate many apps, including Google Maps navigation, in-car information and entertainment, but also smart assists that could make driving easier — like offering immediate gas stations directions once gas level reaches a certain level.

As for Google, tapping into the resources offered by the car ecosystem might be beneficial for its advertising business. “You can get access to GPS location, where you stop, where you travel everyday, your speed, your fuel level, where you stop for gas,” one of the sources said.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.