Its aim is to work with as many individual smartphone operating systems as possible, and various MirrorLink Android phones are available, although iPhones are not currently supported and you can check which phone models can be connected at the MirrorLink website. Originally developed by Nokia for its own mobile phones, MirrorLink compatible phones are now much more widespread since the tech has been taken over by the Car Connectivity Consortium, which is a non-profit industry body dedicated to safe and simple connections between vehicles and smartphones of any make. The big difference between the three systems is that while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are closed proprietary systems with ‘built in’ software for functions such as navigation or voice controls – as well as the ability to run certain externally developed apps – MirrorLink has been developed as an entirely open source system. MirrorLink has become increasingly popular alongside similar systems like Apple CarPlay for iPhone users and Android Auto, because as smartphone users become ever more reliant on their devices, the advantages of accessing apps, playlists and data on the move have become more and more appealing. MirrorLink is a car-based technology system that is designed to allow users to safely access information, entertainment and communication features of their mobile phone while driving.
