Google is looking to make Android Auto even more useful, as evidenced by newly discovered climate controls. Hidden within new code for the latest build of Android Auto, new climate controls could help drivers (and vehicle passengers) change temperatures, turn on heated seats, and more.
Obviously, your vehicle will need to support this and we don’t yet have a list of supported vehicles, but this is a big step for Android Auto. Android Automotive, which ships with cars, is already capable of such things. We’re curious how this will actually work for Android Auto. The assumption is that you’ll need a relatively newer car, something that has the necessary hardware to receive the commands from Android Auto.
From the UI, we can see that dual zone climate will be available, so both the driver and passenger can control their own area. A sync climate button is also available when supported. Buttons for both heated and cooled seats is also present, as well as controls for defrosting, fan speed, etc.
There’s no telling when Google could launch this, but maybe the Android Auto team will share something at Google I/O? Anything’s possible. All I know is, these controls wouldn’t look too hot on my car’s tiny 8-inch screen.
// Android Authority
