MP3 playback

Being able to plug an MP3 player into a car and select music from the car's own stereo interface makes storage media such as CDs seem quaint, like an 8-track tape. Both Android and iPhone feature built-in MP3 players.

MP3 playback on Android phones has always been a feature, one among many, but not a dominant aspect of the phone. And different phone makers might implement MP3 playback and file structures differently. As such, there are no cars offering specific Android MP3 player integration at this time. Some Androids will work as a mass storage device using a car's USB connection.

Since 2005, automakers have been offering iPod integration in their vehicles, and just about every vehicle we test offers it now. Apple used its iPod technology as a component of the iPhone, so when a car has iPod integration, it works just as well with an iPhone. Here, Apple's early dominance of the MP3 player market with the iPod essentially made it a standard for automakers, and the iPhone piggybacks on that compatibility.

Advantage: iPhone