Android Auto gets a huge free voice control upgrade
Rolling out soon, the update will let drivers do a lot more with just their voice, from sending smarter messages to digging up info buried in Gmail – all without touching the screen or remembering clunky commands.
Gemini is Google's next-gen AI assistant; it's already available on some of the best phones, and it's now coming to cars that support Android Auto, with built-in models to follow later this year. Once active, it goes far beyond transcribing your words. You can speak naturally – 'message Joe in Spanish' – and Gemini will remember to translate future messages automatically. You can also fine-tune what you've said before sending, or have it translated into over 40 languages.
Feeling peckish mid-road trip? Ask Gemini to 'find good taco places along the way,' then follow up with 'what do the reviews say?' or 'is it kid-friendly?' The assistant ties into Google Maps, Spotify, YouTube Music and even Gmail to help dig up info fast, all while you keep your eyes on the road.
There's also Gemini Live – a more conversational mode. Say 'Hey Google, let's talk' and you can use it to brainstorm ideas, prep for meetings, or ask for advice while you drive. For example, 'How do I ask my boss for a promotion?' followed by 'When's the best time of day to bring it up?'
This upgrade is part of a wider push to make Google's car software more useful and human. Gemini will be supported on over 250 million Android Auto–enabled vehicles and more than 50 car models with Google built-in, including upcoming launches like the Lincoln Nautilus, Renault R5 and Honda Passport.
Google's also adding more third-party apps, including games and video (for parked downtime only), and expanding digital car key support to more vehicles from Audi, Volvo and Polestar.
More updates will be shown off at Google I/O next week – I can't wait.
Liked this? I got a behind-the-scenes look at Lego's fully drivable, life-sized F1 car collection
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Stuff.tv
a day ago
- Stuff.tv
I've used Android 16's desktop mode – and now I'm frustrated with my iPhone
Black Mirror suggests a future where we'll never be free from computers, because they'll be inside our heads. Today's headset manufacturers salivate at that thought, but (for now) at least let you peel off the digital layer when you've had enough of their gadgets being glued to your face. Me? I'd settle for something less dystopian: a smartphone as the 'one device to rule them all'. The dream's long felt elusive – until now, because Android 16's desktop mode might finally usher in the future I've long wanted. For years, the whole phone-as-desktop idea was largely the preserve of Samsung's DeX, a feature that sounds more like a washed-up console mascot than revolutionary tech. That's about to change, because Samsung and Google have been in cahoots, welding DeX to vanilla Android. The result now has a far less silly – and far more descriptive – name: connected displays support. I love it (the feature, that is, not the name), and I'll never look at my iPhone in quite the same way again. Mostly because I'm now looking at it with disappointment over this one really big thing it can't do. Windows of opportunity I apologise for nothing. Except perhaps the dust. Setting up the Android 16 desktop mode was surprisingly painless. I'd half expected a womp womp noise and a smallish number of fires and explosions as I cobbled together a mess of tech so visually offensive it made my iMac recoil in horror. Instead, everything just worked. I installed the latest Android beta on my Pixel 9a, unlocked the developer options, turned on 'Enable desktop experience features' and rebooted. Then I dug out a USB-C hub, jammed it into the Pixel, and connected a Raspberry Pi mouse, a portable display, and a Bluetooth Logitech keyboard. The screen lit up rather than blew up. Result! The windowing was stable, simple and responsive. I spent a happy hour resizing apps, setting up multiple desktops, and even getting some work done. All powered by nothing more than my mid-range Android blower. To which I'm sure sceptics are now waving their 'WHY BOTHER, YOU MASSIVE IDIOT?' hats. After all, Android rolls out glacially, so who knows when most people will see this? And who would want to plug a load of junk into a phone rather than just use a laptop anyway? To which I say: pfft! Glass half full Fortunately, my Android desktop is less of a mess than the jumble of tech powering it. OK, I should say more or my editor will shout at me. So, yes, Android rollouts are slow, but desktop mode will now be part of Android's core, not limited to one manufacturer's gear. Laptops are great, but plenty of folks will appreciate the 'use your phone as a PC' approach, simply plugging a smartphone into a telly when they need a bigger screen. And that's arguably greener too, because you may end up buying fewer gadgets, instead more often plumping for cheaper (and long-lasting) peripherals. But even if you disagree, remember this: Android devs will now be strongly encouraged to make apps that support all sizes, shapes and setups of windows – which means they'll support all sizes, shapes and setups of device. Folding phones. Tablets. Keyboards. Mice. That's a win. It may even push Apple to rethink. The company's currently busy congratulating itself for finally fixing iPad multitasking, but I don't expect iPhone to 'do a DeX' – Apple wants you buying more Apple gear, not one device. But if Android 16's desktop ambitions catch on, Apple could follow suit. So don't be surprised if during the iOS 30 keynote, Apple claims it invented the whole thing. We're not there yet, though – even on Android, where the beta remains a bit rough. But as a hint of what's to come, it's exciting. And in the meantime, this feature might just find me using my Android phone a little more and my iPhone a little less.
Stuff.tv
3 days ago
- Stuff.tv
You won't believe the battery life on this super affordable tablet
If you're after a budget-friendly tablet that doesn't skimp on features, a good choice can be hard to find. Battery life and the screen are usually first to go in order to cut the price. But Oppo's latest tablet promises quite the opposite. The new Oppo Pad SE is a budget-friendly tablet that manages to squeeze in some surprisingly solid features, with a battery that frankly sounds like it belongs in a flagship device. Read more: Best tablets in 2025 for all budgets The headline feature is the enormous 9340mAh battery. Oppo reckons it'll give you up to 11 hours of video playback or 80 hours of music playback. You could, in theory, watch an entire season of your favourite series, answer some emails, and still have juice left scroll social media afterwards. When it finally does run out of juice, 33W Supervooc fast charging will get you back up and running. It's not just about the battery, though. The Pad SE has an 11-inch LCD display that's designed with eye comfort in mind. With up to 500 nits of brightness, it should be perfectly readable even in direct sunlight. It's also surprisingly svelte at just 7.39mm thick, so it's not going to weigh you down whether you're commuting, sofa-surfing, or handing it over to the kids. I mention handing it to the kids, because there's a definite family-friendly vibe here. Oppo's built-in Kids Mode lets parents set screen time and keep the small people away from the more questionable corners of the internet. Plus, there's integration with Google's Gemini AI, so you can churn out emails, organise notes, and keep on top of your to-do list. Interestingly, Oppo's O+ Connect ecosystem lets you ping files and photos between devices, mirror your phone screen on the tablet, and basically live your multitasking to your heart's content. The Oppo Pad SE is available now in Twilight Blue. Those in the UK can order it directly from Oppo and other retailers for £219. There's no word on US availability yet, and sadly there likely won't be. But if that changes, we'll let you know!
Stuff.tv
5 days ago
- Stuff.tv
I've just driven the super fast Lucid Air Sapphire but I'm left wanting an Audi S6 e-tron instead
It's not every day you get a choice of around sixty different motors to drive, many of them the best electric cars on the market. GTEST Alsfeld 2025, held not far from Frankfurt and currently in its fifth year, had just that to offer last week – and EVs were in just as much demand as the V8 super cars. Queues for the three-motor, 1000+ bhp Lucid Air Sapphire and latest super quick Chevrolet Corvette regularly snaked around the event. Both are entertaining for obvious reasons, but there were plenty of alternatives that would be much easier to live with in a real-world, daily drive scenario. My pick of the lot was the new Audi S6 e-tron, which looked good, came loaded with lots of goodies and drove like a dream. In fact, I think this was one of the best Audi's I've ever driven. It's hard to ignore the brute force provided by the Lucid Air Sapphire though. A stint behind the wheel of a Lucid Air GT the day before was my first experience of the brand; these machines look distinctive from the outside, but the interior is radically styled with a glass roof that seamlessly slopes into the windscreen. The sun visors are mounted directly to the glass. The dashboard area is equally interesting, with a sort of floating touchscreen instrument panel and an upright centre console touchscreen with lots of other controls, including the various drive mode. You can use the screen to pick a mode, or stick with the traditional drive shifter on the steering column. This choice takes on a new perspective in the Sapphire, which gets Smooth, Swift, Sapphire and Track modes to choose from, all of which pack in hidden delights. The Lucid Air GT is fast, but the Sapphire is on another level. It is scarily fast, with zero to 60mph arriving in a mind-blowing 1.89 seconds. There's a whopping 1,234 horsepower and a monstrous 1,430lb ft of torque, which shades the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. It needs to be handled with care. Having two electric motors at the rear and one at the front helps get that power down, but usd carelessly it'd probably result in needing a neck brace, such is the neck-snapping acceleration. The brakes, as I found out whenever they were tapped, provided seemingly unlimited stopping power too. Despite all this mad power, the Lucid Air Sapphire proved very comfortable at sensible speeds and feels nicely poised on the road. That composure didn't fall apart when travelling over less than glass-like asphalt, either. The company has tweaked the suspension for this model, while the enormous wheels have lots of quality rubber. The sizeable full-size sedan would feel large on smaller European back roads, but get one on a motorway and it'll eat up long journeys. Despite the fact it munches through battery power like there's no tomorrow with your foot to the floor, the 118kW battery can deliver up 427 miles of range. It's here where I drop two clangers. First, the price: a Lucid Air Sapphire will set you back circa $250,000. Second, it's not yet available outside of the US. Which left me with a quandary as to what I'd buy from the bumper selection of vehicles at GTEST Alsfeld on a more sensible budget. There were plenty of highlights: the Skoda Enyaq VRS, BYD Dolphin Surf and Mini Aceman to name but a few. The best of my bunch though, was the new Audi S6 e-tron. Oh sure, it's still expensive (at around £100,000), but everything's expensive these days – and it's also a veritable bargain compared to the Lucid. Granted, it's not as fast, but zero to sixty still clocks in at 3.9 seconds and it'll do 149mph while delivering over 400 miles of range. Inside, there's mountains of tech all of which largely works to great effect. Best of all though, I thought the Audi S6 e-tron drove like a dream and felt really capable without being scary. The Lucid didn't feel scary either, but I bet it would if pushed to the max. As for the Corvette I mentioned at the start… it had to be retired from the event early due to some damage to the rear end. The worst part about that, aside from the rumoured $20,000 dollar repair cost? It was withdrawn from service right before my go…
