A tablet for your car? Audi shows Android-powered Smart Display at CES

Audi didn’t show a new car today — it showed a new tablet. The so-called Audi Smart Display integrates with the car’s systems via Wi-Fi, letting passengers control the radio and access the internet via the car’s built-in LTE connection (the company just announced a new partnership with AT&T for connectivity yesterday evening) on the 10.2-inch display. It’s also a ruggedized unit that can be used in extremely cold temperatures, so it’s clearly meant to be taken beyond the car once you reach your destination. The Smart Display uses Nvidia’s Tegra T40 processor — a Tegra 4 variant — which means it’s no slouch, but not quite on pace with 2014’s latest and greatest. It offers Google Play, so it has access to the entire universe of Android apps.

There’s no indication that the tablet will actually come to market — or why you would actually buy an Audi-branded tablet, for that matter — but if nothing else, it foreshadows the kind of connectivity with Android-powered phones and tablets that Audi is likely looking to achieve with the launch of the Open Automotive Alliance.