Photo: BMW
After the Apple CarPlay fiasco, the BMW Group decided to drop the $80 and $300 subscriptions over tons of criticism for the German automaker’s cash grab. Now the Bavarians double down on smartphone connectivity with Android Auto.
Because it’s wireless just like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto may be affected by the same problems as other BMWs with CarPlay. Checking the forums real quick for iDrive 7.0 bugs is an easy way to understand how many improvements have to be made, and adding functionalities without resolving current issues truly spells trouble for a complicated piece of technology like in-car infotainment.
Hoping for the better, BMW has promised that Android Auto will roll out to their cars and SUVs in mid-2020. That sounds like the 2021 model year to our ears, and as expected, the Google Assistant is built into the Android Auto suite.
“Many of our customers have pointed out the importance to them of having Android Auto inside a BMW for using a number of familiar Android smartphone features safely without being distracted from the road, in addition to BMW’s own functions and services,” declared Peter Henrich, the senior vice president of product management. “We will offer this service to our customers starting in July 2020,” and the first markets to get Android Auto are the United Kingdom and the United States.
In addition to being particularly late to the game, Android Auto is a must for BMW in China as well. Porsche owners are slowly but steadily abandoning iOS for Android, and BMW is always out on the prowl for new customers with plenty of cash to spare. Choosing between an 8 Series Gran Coupe with Android Auto or the Panamera with only Apple CarPlay isn’t exactly hard, don’t you think?
To be demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2020, Android Auto for BMW is nevertheless a welcomed addition to the iDrive 7.0 infotainment system. Android Auto’s functions can also be shown on the digital instrument cluster and head-up display, an all-encompassing integration that should help bring the driver closer to his favorite Google-based services and apps.
Hoping for the better, BMW has promised that Android Auto will roll out to their cars and SUVs in mid-2020. That sounds like the 2021 model year to our ears, and as expected, the Google Assistant is built into the Android Auto suite.
“Many of our customers have pointed out the importance to them of having Android Auto inside a BMW for using a number of familiar Android smartphone features safely without being distracted from the road, in addition to BMW’s own functions and services,” declared Peter Henrich, the senior vice president of product management. “We will offer this service to our customers starting in July 2020,” and the first markets to get Android Auto are the United Kingdom and the United States.
In addition to being particularly late to the game, Android Auto is a must for BMW in China as well. Porsche owners are slowly but steadily abandoning iOS for Android, and BMW is always out on the prowl for new customers with plenty of cash to spare. Choosing between an 8 Series Gran Coupe with Android Auto or the Panamera with only Apple CarPlay isn’t exactly hard, don’t you think?
To be demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2020, Android Auto for BMW is nevertheless a welcomed addition to the iDrive 7.0 infotainment system. Android Auto’s functions can also be shown on the digital instrument cluster and head-up display, an all-encompassing integration that should help bring the driver closer to his favorite Google-based services and apps.
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