Not too ago, BMW announced that they will be cancelling subscription fees for smartphone mirroring service Apple CarPlay and will instead offer it to their customers at no cost. Given that smartphone users can (broadly speaking) be put in two camps, Apple and Android, it isn’t hard to see BMW’s decision.
But what about Android OS using, BMW drivers? It seems the Bavarians have heard their pleas and will be offering the mirroring service in their cars from mid-2020. It will be demonstrated live for the first time at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020.
“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,” says Peter Henrich, Senior Vice President Product Management BMW. “We will offer this service to our customers starting in July 2020.”
However, there’s a snag. Android Auto will only be compatible with vehicles running BMW Operating System 7.0 which limits usage to just a small selection of high-end Android-based devices which runs Android version 8.0 or higher, such as the Samsung Galaxy S8 to S10+, Note 8 to 10, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P and the Google Pixel range.
Android Auto will be integrated directly into BMW’s digital cockpit, meaning that drivers can access and display Google Maps navigation, calls, text messages and music within the instrument cluster’s Info Display as well as in the head up display.
Patrick Brady, Vice President of Engineering, Google: “We are excited to work with BMW to bring wireless Android Auto to their customers worldwide next year. The seamless connection from Android smartphones to BMW vehicles allows customers to hit the road faster while maintaining access to all of their favourite apps and services in a safer experience.”
For more information on BMW, please visit our Showroom.
