Huawei found a new market in which to attack Apple and Google, that of automobiles, and here we are talking about something that should be not only an alternative to CarPlay and Android Auto, but something more, called HiCar. In the video clip above, you have a presentation for HiCar, and unlike what we see at Apple and Google, Huawei thought here of a much more complex solution, directly connected to many car functions.
Huawei does not want to offer drivers only the possibility to see on the car's entertainment system information from phones, and the possibility to listen to music or make phone calls. HiCar is a much different solution, which starts with detailing information on the car's condition, directly in a phone application, of course, and continues with a control of some functions that can normally only be controlled from the car, or a dedicated application of the manufacturer, which Huawei wants to replace.
Huawei creates HiCar to control your car from your phone
Hicar facilitates the driver's access to the car by unlocking the doors, setting the temperature from a distance, controlling the windows, or even starting the engine. Of course, HiCar can be controlled by the phone directly from the car's entertainment system, and in the video clip above we can see how Huawei presents this system on a Volvo car model, and how Volvo is owned by Geely, a Chinese company, understandable why we see this presentation.
Huawei wants to offer more than Apple and Google can offer, and that's normal because a partnership with a manufacturer like Volvo can make the HiCar system very visible. Of course, the adoption will be limited, because Volvo is not exactly a manufacturer with huge sales, but even so, Huawei could force other partnerships between Apple, Google, and other car manufacturers to allow us to control more of the functions cars.
Hicar is, basically, an extremely good idea, but in the context in which Huawei's credibility is being discussed at a global level, it remains to be seen to what extent systems of this kind will be allowed in Europe and the USA.
