By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Are you driving an iPhone or an Android? While  we don’t think about our vehicles that way today, it is definitely our future.

As smartphone makers spread their ecosystems beyond handheld devices, they are looking to other indispensable areas of user’s lives to lock into.

The idea behind this is sound, if you get your users to enjoy their smartphone features and app on other utilities they rely on, like their cars, then the harder it will be for them to make a switch to another platform in the future.

We may keep our phones for a year or two but our cars tend to stick around longer than that. Smartphone makers are preparing for the next showdown and new cars will likely run either Apple’s CarPlay car infotainment system or Android’s Open Automotive Alliance.

Sure, there are companies like Ford and Chevy that have their own infotainment systems and these work too but they don’t offer widespread access to apps and voice-enabled recognition. I got to see Apple’s CarPlay running on a Ferrari during the World Wide Developer’s Conference and was quite impressed that you could navigate, find nearby restaurants and play specific songs in your playlist hands free.

If you don’t have a $130,000 exotic sportscar, you can still get CarPlay using Pioneer’s installable head units which replace your car’s standard stereo.

This will turn your old vehicle into a smart, connected vehicle that can navigate, search, entertain and run specific apps through simple and direct voice control.

With carmakers choosing sides, the next batch of vehicles will be allied with Apple or Google and for the most part, consumers will have to decide what works for them now and in the near future. For iPhone loyalists, choosing a car with CarPlay is a no brainer. Their smartphone experience will translate in the most seamless way, no learning curve whatsoever.

Same for Android users who want to enjoy their apps and Google Services while on-the-go. Choosing any partner carmaker will enable quick and easy access to their phone from their car.

The industry as a whole is bracing for this evolution of mobile. At the International Consumer Electronics Show 2015, 10 carmakers are showcasing products and models in their booths, the most ever for a consumer electronics-focused industry show.

I expect to see dozens of stereo manufacturers and third party companies come out with solutions to make vehicles smarter as well as integrate, mount and route our mobile technology from our pockets to our dashboards.