Google is putting Android and its voice assistant inside of cars — here's your first look (GOOG, GOOGL)

Soon, it will be in your car too.

Google gave demos of two new Android-equipped automobiles at its I/O developer conference on Wednesday.

This is different than Android Auto, the software that allows you to plug your phone into a car and basically control your phone through the car's built-in display.

In this case, Google has actually integrated Android directly into the car, so that you can do everything from accessing car-friendly apps like Spotify and Google Maps to controlling car settings like air conditioning.

It's also an extension of Google Assistant, the voice-powered digital helper that's Google's answer to Apple Siri. With Assistant in your car, you can use your voice to do things like adjust your seat, pick music tracks, or make a phone call.

In some cases, this feels like overkill — Is it really easier to tell your car to lower the air conditioning than to just turn a knob? But for things like navigation, phone calls, and the like, having a virtual assistant as your copilot could be helpful.

We sat inside a new Volvo V90 running Android on its infotainment system. Here's a quick look at how it all works:

This is the Volvo V90. It'll be one of the first cars to come with Android. The car has built-in LTE wireless connectivity to power the Android system.

This is the infotainment system's main screen running Android. It's been modified to match Volvo's design. Here, you see a list of contacts you can call on the touchscreen.

You can also run third-party apps like Spotify, Pandora, and podcast apps.

It also has all the controls you'd expect in a car from seat adjustments to air conditioning.

Here's what it looks like when you're listening to a podcast or music.

Google Maps is built right in. We were sitting in the back seat during the demo so we weren't able to test how well things like pinch to zoom work on the in-dash display. But it looked like the same version of Maps you're used to using on your phone.

Google Maps also gives you turn-by-turn directions for navigation.

But the real magic comes from Google Assistant. When you say the key phrase "Okay, Google," Assistant launches and responds to your commands.

That gray bar at the top of the screen means Google Assistant is listening to you.

You can use Assistant to adjust the AC, choose a song, make a call, get directions, and just about anything else you'd expect to do in a car.

Android won't start showing up in cars until later this year. Audi and Volvo will be the first.

It's still early days for tech companies to take over cars. Many cars are also compatible with Apple's CarPlay or Android Auto, which let you plug your smartphone into the vehicle's USB port and light up the infotainment system with services from iOS or Android.

But this is the first time we've seen a major mobile operating system running natively in a car like this. You don't even need a phone. It's also just one more way Google is injecting Google Assistant into every gadget you use.

Google is putting Android and its voice assistant inside of cars — here's your first look (GOOG, GOOGL)

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