Motor Trend has claimed that the 2017 Porsche 911 model will not include Android Auto because the add-on app collects too much data for the German automaker's convenience.
The software reportedly sent data measurements from various key vehicle functions, such as vehicle speed, throttle position, temperatures, and engine RPM data, back to Google every time the system was activated.
In a statement, Google dismissed these claims: “Android Auto needs to know whether the car is parked or in traffic to determine whether to display a keyboard for searches or rely on voice input. It needs to know whether it is day or night so that Android Auto can improve display options during the day or night.”
The statement ended with the following sentence:
"We take privacy very seriously and do not collect the data mentioned in the Motor Trend article.".
Any information Android Auto collects about vehicle operation, as Google points out, “is protected under the Android usage rights model, so the driver will be informed and must opt in to providing such data about their car to a specific app (including Google services, as well as third-party apps). This will happen the first time a user connects their Android phone to a compatible vehicle.”
Following Google's denial, a Porsche spokesperson confirmed that the company will offer compatibility with CarPlay and not Android Auto.
Ultimately, even after this statement, the result is that Porsche will not include Android Auto.
