BMW cars are synonymous with cutting edge technology. Equipped with innovative parking assist features, the iDrive infotainment system, and groundbreaking electric powertrains, they’re a tech-lover’s dream. However, there’s one thing you won’t find in a new BMW SUV or car at BMW Silver Spring any time soon: Android Auto.
The news comes from an interview with Dieter May, BMW AG SVP of Digital Services and Business Models. In conversation with Tech Crunch, he explained that the changing technology in today’s cars, coupled with the high standards BMW sets for its cars, made the pairing unlikely.
That raises a question: Apple CarPlay is available in most new BMW models. Why not Android Auto? May states that “you have to control the customer interface,” since it’s integral to how the driver uses and experiences the car. Because Apple CarPlay is a closed ecosystem (compared with the open source nature of Android), the company likely feels that kind of openness is leaving too much to chance, and this is one company not known to leave anything to chance.
Even Apple CarPlay isn’t a primary focus; it’s been backgrounded in favor of A2A (Apps for Auto), a proprietary cloud-based platform that May says is faster, more secure, and more stable than the alternatives.
An added bonus: BMW AG can innovate at its own pace, rather than waiting for a third party developer to get around to it. That gives them much-needed agility. Another consideration: given that Apple has been known to abandon even some popular products, that’s likely a smart move.
If you can’t live without your gadgets even behind the wheel of your car, visit BMW of Silver Spring. We’ll show you in-car technology done right, or help you to get the most out of the technology in the BMW vehicle you already have. Visit us today at 3211 Automobile Blvd in Silver Spring, MD today!