MUNICH: A few years after adding Apple CarPlay support to BMW vehicles in 2017, the company announced on Wednesday that Android Auto integration, too, will be arriving in July 2020.
BMW began offering Apple CarPlay as an optional connectivity tool that gave iPhone users the ability to pair up their device with the car's built-in display.
However, Android users were limited to using BMW's native infotainment and navigation tools which, while intelligent and practical, may feel unfamiliar to the Google or Samsung smartphone user.
This week, BMW announced that support for Android's CarPlay equivalent will be coming to BMW vehicles in 2020. Android phone owners will be able to wirelessly connect their device to their car to use it in a safe way while driving.
They will be able to use Android Auto to "enjoy access to useful information like suggested destinations and upcoming appointments just when it is needed" as well as enjoy their music, messaging apps, the Google Assistant and other on-device media.
With the service natively integrated into BMW's digital cockpit system, all content will be sensibly distributed between the central screen and the Head Up Display.
A BMW equipped with Android Auto will be on display at the upcoming 2020 CES technology conference in Las Vegas which runs from Jan 7-10. The service will roll out to all vehicles powered by the BMW Operating System 7.0 in July of 2020.
