First look at the new Google Assistant and Android Auto’s redesign

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Nearly every Google product received attention at Google I/O this year. Surprisingly, Android Auto was the subject of several big announcements. The platform is getting a big redesign later this Summer and Google Assistant is playing a much bigger role on Android Auto for phones. Google also demoed a car with Android Automotive, which is different from Android Auto. XDA TV’s TK Bay had the chance to check out all these things.

First up, Google Assistant’s new Driving Mode, which will be replacing the Android Auto mobile app. The mode can be initiated by saying “let’s drive.” This opens up a new interface with a bunch of information relevant for driving: info about your commute, directions for calendar event locations, picking up a podcast, etc.

Android Auto XDA Forum

Next is the Android Auto redesign, which now features a more traditional app drawer and a dark theme. The new navigation bar puts things at an easily reached location, including the improved Assistant integration. TK notes that this redesign will be pushed as an update to your phone, so you don’t need any update on the car itself.

Lastly, TK took a look at the Volvo Polestar 2 with Android Automotive. Unlike Android Auto, which relies on a connection with your phone, this is basically Android built into the car itself. The vehicle has a much larger display and it has more powerful integrations. One thing TK mentions is the ability to display the battery range for an electric car. Check out the video below to see all of these cool auto products.