BMW News: BMW brings Android Auto to its cars

[Drew Dowdell]

BMW has announced that beginning in Mid-2020, Android Auto with wireless connection will be available to customers in 20 countries for all vehicles with BMW Operating System 7.0 (which is most of their current lineup). Android Auto functions will be viewable in the instrument cluster and heads up display as well as the main infotainment screen. Google Assistant can be activated with the touch of a button on the steering wheel. 

No word yet on how the upgrade will be applied, but most likely you will need to take your compatible BMW to a dealership to have the software updated. 

The list of Android phone compatible with the wireless Android Auto connection are below:

Phone Make and Model	Android Version
Pixel or Pixel XL	Android 8.0 or higher
Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL	Android 8.0 or higher
Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL	Android 8.0 or higher
Nexus 5X or 6P	Android 8.0 or higher
Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8+	Android 9.0 or higher
Samsung Galaxy S9 or S9+	Android 9.0 or higher
Samsung Galaxy S10 or S10+	Android 9.0 or higher
Samsung Note 8, Note 9 and Note 10	Android 9.0 or higher

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[G. David Felt]

WOW, that is very cool but with all the horror stories online about people fighting to get their wireless connection to work, I do have to wonder how good this is compared to plugging in the USB-C cable? ?

@Drew Dowdell @William Maley Any chance you guys can put in a request for one of these BMW and then test out both Apple and Android phones on them as a comparison to what you get in everyone else's auto?

[Drew Dowdell]

1 hour ago, dfelt said:

WOW, that is very cool but with all the horror stories online about people fighting to get their wireless connection to work, I do have to wonder how good this is compared to plugging in the USB-C cable? ?

@Drew Dowdell @William Maley Any chance you guys can put in a request for one of these BMW and then test out both Apple and Android phones on them as a comparison to what you get in everyone else's auto?

I don't think either of us get BMWs to test. But anyway, we'd have to wait until June/July to test Android Auto anyway. 

[ykX]

Welcome to 2017!

[riviera74]

I hope that Android Auto is free, just like Apple CarPlay was NOT until recently.  Just about everybody else has either one or both at no extra cost.

[Drew Dowdell]

12 hours ago, riviera74 said:

I hope that Android Auto is free, just like Apple CarPlay was NOT until recently.  Just about everybody else has either one or both at no extra cost.

I expect it would be since they just made Apple CarPlay free. 

[G. David Felt]

13 hours ago, riviera74 said:

I hope that Android Auto is free, just like Apple CarPlay was NOT until recently.  Just about everybody else has either one or both at no extra cost.

 

14 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I expect it would be since they just made Apple CarPlay free. 

Plus with everyone else giving it for Free, BMW has no market ability to have their customers pay when MB, Audi, Cadillac, etc. gives it for free.