TL;DR
- Polestar 2 vehicles have started getting a new P3.3.16 update.
- The latest vehicle software adds support for wired Android Auto connections.
- Drivers are free to switch between Auto and the built-in Automotive interface.
Android users who connect their smartphones to their cars have been enjoying a nice series of upgrades to round out the year, as Android Auto 13.4 delivers improvements like a refreshed media player and some colorful new screens across the UI. While Android Auto gets plenty of attention and new features like that, Android Automotive doesn’t move quite as swiftly, and the platform baked-in to cars like Polestar EVs is understandably a bit more locked-down than Auto. Luckily, Polestar owners are getting the best of both worlds, thanks to a new update that’s been heading out to drivers.
The Polestar 2 just got its version P3.3.16 update, and in addition to support for HD radio and improvements to low-speed driving, the new release delivers support for Android Auto. That means that rather than just using Android Automotive as Polestar’s configured it, drivers now have the freedom to connect their phones for a wired Android Auto connection.
Considering how Android Auto and Automotive support different classifications of apps, this change means that Polestar owners should be able to enjoy a bit more flexibility in terms of what they can get done with Android on their vehicles.
Polestar offers a little more detail about what this support means in a private Facebook group (via Droid Life):
This phone-based system projects from your Android device to your infotainment system, from which you can operate hands-free. The app will start automatically [when] your device is connected (wired connection). This automatic start can be deactivated under settings, and you can still go back and use the Google Built-in system (Polestar 2’s native Android Automotive system) whenever you want.
If you’ve got a Polestar 2 but haven’t heard anything about an update with Android Auto just yet, just have a little patience — it sounds like the manufacturer may have hit “pause” on distribution over the holidays. Considering how no one wants their holiday ruined by a bad software update bricking their gear, that may be a pretty wise move here.
Have you used both Android Automotive and Auto with a linked-up phone and have a preference between the two? Share your opinion with us in the comments.
