BMW nixes Android Auto, wants to build a premium in-car system themselves

At the Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona, German luxury carmaker BMW was not one of the brands being peddled but instead one of those looking around. Car companies have started to make it a point to regularly be in the loop with all things mobile – because the integration between smartphone and car is suddenly becoming ubiquitous and important. And based on this interview, BMW is not convinced that Android Auto is the system for their cars.

In an interview with Tech Crunch, Dieter May – senior vice president at BMW for Digital Services and Business Models – said that they will not be choosing Android Auto for their in-car information and entertainment systems. “We offer CarPlay as an option but not Android Auto,” he said. “We believe the changes that are coming to the inside of the car and the user experience — like self-driving cars — you have to control the customer interface. That’s part of the brand experience and for that, I don’t want to have an Android screen and I especially want to be able to deeply integrate these systems.”

The issue, apparently, is granular control over all elements of the system and May is not convinced that Android Auto will be able to give BMW that in the future. “If you have six screens in the car, you also get gesture control, voice control with a personal assistant, etc.,” May said. “You need to have control over that user experience — maybe you can get away with it if you’re a ‘mass producer,’ but not in the premium segment.”

Instead of Android Auto, BMW will be focusing on its Apps for Auto system, which is part of the company’s ConnectedDrive platform. Here, BMW will aim to have more control and integration with the car, especially as autonomous self-driving cars become the trend of the future.

VIA: Tech Crunch