Google Adds 3D Navigation to 250 Million Android Auto Cars, Expands Live Lane Guidance
Updated
Updated · Android Police · May 26
Google Adds 3D Navigation to 250 Million Android Auto Cars, Expands Live Lane Guidance
7 articles · Updated · Android Police · May 26
Google said its biggest Google Maps navigation upgrade in more than a decade will bring Immersive Navigation to Android Auto, adding 3D buildings, terrain, overpasses, traffic lights and lane highlighting.
Standard Android Auto setups get the new 3D map through a connected phone, while cars with Google Built-in add Live Lane Guidance that uses front cameras and other sensors to track lane position in real time.
Google designed the view to stay readable at complex junctions: buildings turn semi-transparent when they block the route, and the camera automatically pulls back to show more lanes and interchange geometry.
Material 3 Expressive will also resize the edge-to-edge Maps layout for circular, ultrawide and other dashboard screens, aiming to cut the dead space seen in older Android Auto versions.
The rollout still leaves open how much extra battery drain and heat the heavier 3D processing could cause on phones, especially during long trips over wireless Android Auto.
Is Google's immersive 3D navigation a revolutionary driving aid or just a battery-draining distraction for your phone?
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