Photo: BMW
Carmakers removing certain non-critical systems from their cars in an attempt to deal with the constrained chip inventory isn’t necessarily something new.
The ongoing semiconductor crisis that’s been wreaking havoc in all industries out there since 2020 has forced companies to turn to all kinds of aggressive measures to keep their production lines up and running.
And the removal of certain systems not considered to be critical was one of these desperate ideas to reduce the number of chips used on every new vehicle.
Android Auto and CarPlay, therefore, seem to be the latest victims of the chip shortage, as BMW has decided to drop both of them on select new models.
The German carmaker has changed its chip suppliers in an attempt to deal with the constrained semiconductor inventory. But as it turns out, the new chips that are now installed as part of the latest supply deal do not come with support for Android Auto and CarPlay.
In other words, the vehicles they are installed on won’t be fitted with such capabilities, though BMW says it plans to ship an update specifically to add Android Auto and CarPlay at some point in June.
As per a report from ANE, the new chips also come without Wi-Fi support, but at this point, it’s not exactly clear what are the models shipping without the said capabilities and how many units could eventually be impacted.
But on the other hand, it looks like the BMW models lacking Android Auto and CarPlay support have already been shipped to customers in both the United States and several European markets.
Given BMW plans to release an update by the end of June, the lack of support for the two features seems to come down to a software issue, with the required hardware already there. If you’re the kind of driver who wants to see the glass half-full, this means you won’t have to go to a dealer to get Android Auto and CarPlay in your new BMW.
And the removal of certain systems not considered to be critical was one of these desperate ideas to reduce the number of chips used on every new vehicle.
Android Auto and CarPlay, therefore, seem to be the latest victims of the chip shortage, as BMW has decided to drop both of them on select new models.
The German carmaker has changed its chip suppliers in an attempt to deal with the constrained semiconductor inventory. But as it turns out, the new chips that are now installed as part of the latest supply deal do not come with support for Android Auto and CarPlay.
In other words, the vehicles they are installed on won’t be fitted with such capabilities, though BMW says it plans to ship an update specifically to add Android Auto and CarPlay at some point in June.
As per a report from ANE, the new chips also come without Wi-Fi support, but at this point, it’s not exactly clear what are the models shipping without the said capabilities and how many units could eventually be impacted.
But on the other hand, it looks like the BMW models lacking Android Auto and CarPlay support have already been shipped to customers in both the United States and several European markets.
Given BMW plans to release an update by the end of June, the lack of support for the two features seems to come down to a software issue, with the required hardware already there. If you’re the kind of driver who wants to see the glass half-full, this means you won’t have to go to a dealer to get Android Auto and CarPlay in your new BMW.
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