Toyota Selects SmartDeviceLink Over CarPlay and Android Auto

Last year Toyota and Ford declared a partnership in developing and sharing Livio’s SmartDeviceLink platform to be used in their vehicles. SmartDeviceLink is the open-source adaptation of Ford’s AppLink platform or smartphone apps and cars which allows the customer to use apps in their vehicle through voice recognition function. This means that SDL lets you talk to your vehicle to compatible apps and those apps will appear on your touchscreen on the dashboard. Apart from this, there are other automakers and app developers that are welcome to join this collaboration.

Shigeki Terashi, Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Corporation, said: “Developing a safer and more secure in-car smartphone connectivity service which better matches individual vehicle features is exactly the value and advantage an automaker can offer customers. We expect that many companies share our view and will participate in the industry SDL collaboration.”

In August 2011, Toyota and Ford reached a collaboration arrangement for next generation telematics system standardization in vehicles. In June 2015, Toyota made an arrangement with Ford and Livio to analyze SDL addition to its vehicles. Toyota found through their analysis that SDL is acceptable for its in-car app connectivity.

SDL means that carmakers can offer smartphone apps that match each company’s in-car system characteristics. If more carmakers use SDL, apps developers can build apps that are more compatible with diversified automakers’ telematics systems at one time. This means more apps will available to customers in a shorter time.

Toyota’s SDL demonstration can be seen at 2016 CES from January 6th till January 9th.