jemikwa

jemikwa, 3 months ago

I saw Windows subsystem and panicked thinking it was the Linux version. Did not know an Android variant existed, that’s a bummer

jemikwa, 6 months ago

Judging by the article and the code snippets found, it’s more about updating your phone rather than the car infotainment hub. Nougat is getting the axe, have to be on Oreo or later.
It would have been better if the headline said “phones” and not “devices”, but that’s not as panic inducing :P

jemikwa, 6 months ago

This looks to be Google ending support for the Android Auto framework on older Android versions, that’s all. It’s not about the car, it’s about the phone.

jemikwa, 6 months ago

If you don’t update Android Auto, maybe. Apps still rely on the framework that makes it work, so you are likely to have those break if they use features that Android Auto didn’t have at the update freeze.

The version they’re cutting off is really old, relatively speaking. You have to be on Oreo or later (8.0+), which came out in 2017.
Many apps you would use Android Auto will likely bump up to this break point soon. Waze, for example, is 7.0+. You’re bound to run into issues being on Nougat or earlier soon, if not already.

jemikwa, 6 months ago

Adding on to a bit from your comment that I missed, it’s not affecting the car itself. The article should have used the word “phone” instead of “device”.
All Android Auto is a screen for your phone that also hooks into car buttons. Your phone does all the hard work with projecting data to the screen. If your phone is too old, Android Auto might not work because apps don’t work properly with the base framework by Google.
You can use a new phone on an older car that officially supports Auto/CarPlay. That’s never been a problem.

jemikwa, 6 months ago

Are you using a phone from 2017 or earlier? If not, you have nothing to worry about. If so, I’m surprised it still works.
The article topic only affects phones with Android Nougat and earlier. If you’re on Oreo or later (8.0+), you’re fine. This has nothing to do with the car and everything to do with the phone doing the screen projection.

jemikwa, 6 months ago

It’s the same kind of deprecation you get with apps requiring a newer Android version. If Google adds new features to Android Auto that Android Nougat (7.x) can’t handle, then your apps won’t have any better time either. Likewise, if Google updates Android Auto but an app stops supporting 7.x and earlier, then that app will certainly break down the road.