Amazon Alexa Joining Android Auto, Apple CarPlay In Car Infotainment Systems Battle

Amazon is currently planning to place its virtual assistant, Alexa, in automobiles recently. The company is aiming to compete with Google’s Android Auto and the Apple CarPlay. However, Amazon seems to be placing itself in a tough, uphill battle according to analysts and reviewers.

Amazon’s Echo Auto is the company’s jab into the virtual assistant for cars. So far, European car companies like Audi and BMW are adopting Amazon’s technology into their new releases according to a report from Bloomberg. While Amazon is enjoying the advantage of some early adopters, it still has to compete with the long standing services of Google and Apple in this industry.

Amazon is already known for Alexa’s household popularity but has yet to prove itself as the virtual assistant voice in cars. The company is pushing their move into the automobile dashboards hoping that many drivers would trust a familiar voice they could already be using at home.

Analysts see that Amazon is trying to capitalize the potential in the car industry. As of now, large growth was seen in sales in electric cars especially in Tesla. The electric car industry is slowly revolutionizing what goes on the car’s dashboard. Additionally, each electric car has capability to connect itself to the internet with the right tools. No virtual assistant has been the standard for every electric car.

However, Amazon still has to compete with devices with Google and Apple which have the lead in this industry. Both companies have its smartphone OS which means that the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay only requires users to have their smartphone to avail these assistant apps easily.

Meanwhile, Amazon’s Echo Auto is a separate device that only supports this specific road assistant feature and less likely to be adopted by consumers out of convenience. Moreover, reviewers of the device report that Amazon’s current work with their apps and devices for cars are “laughably bad” according to The Verge.

For now, consumers will have to see if Amazon can step up and become a major player in this industry or a pipe dream.