BMW: Android Auto wird ein kostenloses OTA-Update

From July this year, BMW plans to offer Android Auto in the wireless version in vehicles with Operating System 7.0. Cars equipped with Connected Package Plus / Professional are equipped with Android Auto ex works in the summer, vehicles already delivered will receive the update Over the Air (OTA) for free.

"Many of our customers have signaled to us that they want Android Auto in the BMW [...]", said Peter Henrich, Senior Vice President Product Management BMW, at the announcement in December last year. BMW is showing the service to the public for the first time in an 8 Series Gran Coupé at CES 2020 in Las Vegas. Android Auto is connected to the car wirelessly via WLAN and Bluetooth and projects its content - depending on the car's special equipment - onto all three screens: control display (center console), info display (instruments) and head-up display.

The majority of BMW drivers are iOS users
When it comes to Android Auto, BMW is more of a laggard than a pioneer in direct comparison; for a long time, only CarPlay from Apple was supported, which can mirror apps and services of an iPhone with a customized surface onto the infotainment system. Other car manufacturers have offered Android Auto, sometimes well ahead of BMW. This is partly due to the user base, which in the case of BMW mostly consists of iOS users. That is still the case today, but there has been a shift towards Android without BMW giving specific figures on how the market will be divided.

After BMW has moved away from the sales model with a limited runtime at Apple CarPlay, this will also be the case with Android Auto (test). From July this year, vehicles delivered with small and large navigation systems based on Operating System 7.0 will support Android Auto free of charge in addition to the Apple CarPlay already offered. The service is part of the Connected Package Plus or Professional, the selection of which in turn goes hand in hand with the choice of the navigation system.

Free OTA update from October
Around three months after the offer of Android Auto in new cars, BMW plans to begin rolling out the OTA updates (Remote Upgrade) for vehicles delivered before July. For the update, a head unit with Operating System 7.0 is required, which can either load the update via the SIM card integrated in the car or relies on a data transfer from the smartphone to the car's memory. For example, the update can be downloaded via the home WiFi and then transferred wirelessly to the car. Even with this subsequent installation of Android Auto, the service is not restricted in terms of runtime.