Hot! Android Automotive & Apple CarPlay Deep integration

[Centurion]

This week BMW announced that Android Automotive integration will roll out to iDrive 8 cars from next year.

It‘s a big step towards car manufacturers allowing users to choose their car OS. Android Automotive just like CarPlay deep integration, manage climate control, instrument cluster and many other features in the car.

I think it will become a big selling point and sought after feature by users, especially if you can access Netflix, YouTube and other apps while the car is stationary. Couriers and taxi firms can create apps that deeply integrates into the car and collect data on fuel consumption etc.

 

[Centurion]

CarPlay experience will be announced in late 2023, with committed automakers including Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Volvo, and others.

Apple Launching All-New CarPlay Experience in 2023 With These 5 Key Features

At WWDC 2022 in June, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio,...

www.macrumors.com

 

[Rolf]

CarPlay experience will be announced in late 2023, with committed automakers including Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Volvo, and others.

Apple Launching All-New CarPlay Experience in 2023 With These 5 Key Features

At WWDC 2022 in June, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio,...

www.macrumors.com

Very interesting and sure will be a much better solution for many car manufacturers that develop their own systems

 

[CrunchSlaughtered]

Very interesting and sure will be a much better solution for many car manufacturers that develop their own systems

Better for the customers - most probably, better for the car manufacturers- in no possible way.

 

[klier]

better for the car manufacturers- in no possible way.

Gives them time to fine tune the actual car instead of having to worry and spend R&D on their own (usually crappy) OS systems. So that is at least one possible way

There is no way OEM car manufactures will be able to match this, and the gap will only increase as time goes by.
Only downside for Apple is there will be no reason to buy a potential future Apple car if the software of the other brands is all CarPlay too, LMAO. It would actually be a downside buy an Apple car because an Apple car will have no Android.

 

[Centurion]

Gives them time to fine tune the actual car instead of having to worry and spend R&D on their own (usually crappy) OS systems. So that is at least one possible way

Agree. Why spend millions on developing a non-upgradable infotainment system that customers will hate anyways and replace with AndroidAuto or CarPlay at the first opportunity?

 

[CrunchSlaughtered]

Agree. Why spend millions on developing a non-upgradable infotainment system that customers will hate anyways and replace with AndroidAuto or CarPlay at the first opportunity?

The reasons are so many, that we may discus then till 2024.

 

[klier]

The reasons are so many, that we may discus then till 2024.

I guess you mean the ownership of the systems and the independence of brands. But I suppose @Centurion is looking from a consumer perspective.

 

[Centurion]

I guess you mean the ownership of the systems and the independence of brands. But I suppose @Centurion is looking from a consumer perspective.

The loss for the manufacturers would be:
-CRM of the users
-Data harvesting
-In-app purchases
-Content-stores for music and videos etc.

 

[CrunchSlaughtered]

The loss for the manufacturers would be:
-CRM of the users
-Data harvesting
-In-app purchases
-Content-stores for music and videos etc.

And most importantly - independancy. When only two suppliers provide this systems, there will come the day, when they will dictate the conditions.

 

[Centurion]

And most importantly - independancy. When only two suppliers provide this systems, there will come the day, when they will dictate the conditions.

Agree. Big tech already hold too much power.

 

[klier]

And most importantly - independancy. When only two suppliers provide this systems, there will come the day, when they will dictate the conditions.

A brand like BMW or Mercedes can then only develop something new when they have the thumbs up from Apple to include it into their OS. Not a smart idea for sure.

Having a simpler more lean self made backup OS for the 'exclusive options' might be an idea. CarPlay and Android as default for all the standard mundane stuff (airco/seat heating/navigation/music/speedo/technical engine functions/etc) and their own system for the experimental high end stuff or something. I don't know, but it's a problem.

 

[Centurion]

A brand like BMW or Mercedes can then only develop something new when they have the thumbs up from Apple to include it into their OS. Not a smart idea for sure.

Having a simpler more lean self made backup OS for the 'exclusive options' might be an idea. CarPlay and Android as default for all the standard mundane stuff (airco/seat heating/navigation/music/speedo/technical engine functions/etc) and their own system for the experimental high end stuff or something. I don't know, but it's a problem.

To be honest I don't feel sorry for car manufacturers.

Recently they have made a hit mess out of infotainment and human to car interaction: Removing buttons, designing ugly instrument clusters, piling more menus into their infotainment and laggy UI - you name it.

 

[klier]

To be honest I don't feel sorry for car manufacturers.

Recently they have made a hit mess out of infotainment and human to car interaction: Removing buttons, designing ugly instrument clusters, piling more menus into their infotainment and laggy UI - you name it.

But you will feel sorry eventually when the big tech rules what's happening.

 

[Cashmere]

To be honest I don't feel sorry for car manufacturers.

Recently they have made a hit mess out of infotainment and human to car interaction: Removing buttons, designing ugly instrument clusters, piling more menus into their infotainment and laggy UI - you name it.

Agreed. The interesting thing is the only carmakers that seem to have this software problem are the legacy carmakers who waste their resources on completely useless sh!t. Take a look at the Chinese upstarts like NIO and BYD and their software experience is superior and you can clearly see that their software stack is already compelling to a point where they will not be adopting Android Auto/Apple Car play so the only carmakers who stand to lose out on this are the legacy carmakers. We are literally seeing the android OS playbook being adopted by carmakers where the manufacturers will be nothing more than hardware makers selling their products at micro margins and licensing their OS from google.

A classic example of abused resources is using your engineering talent to develop an unnecessary physical key and charge thousands for something that could easily be free app on your phone/smartwatch.

Search for VW app on the play store and there's literally a dozen options. Why not just build one app that does everything?

 

[Centurion]

Agreed. The interesting thing is the only carmakers that seem to have this software problem are the legacy carmakers who waste their resources on completely useless sh!t. Take a look at the Chinese upstarts like NIO and BYD and their software experience is superior and you can clearly see that their software stack is already compelling to a point where they will not be adopting Android Auto/Apple Car play so the only carmakers who stand to lose out on this are the legacy carmakers. We are literally seeing the android OS playbook being adopted by carmakers where the manufacturers will be nothing more than hardware makers selling their products at micro margins and licensing their OS from google.

A classic example of abused resources is using your engineering talent to develop an unnecessary physical key and charge thousands for something that could easily be free app on your phone/smartwatch.

Search for VW app on the play store and there's literally a dozen options. Why not just build one app that does everything?

IDrive8 and MBUX Hyperscreen are objectively bloated. I will be dumb founded if their next versions add further complexity. Unfortunately there’s too much red tape, supplier relations and employees committed for some product decisions to be rolled back.

Geely and Chinese car manufacturers get it. Although they have the luxury of no red tape legacy, they get it. Infotainments in their cars are not perfect but simpler than what some established car manufacturers are tempting.

 

[klier]

Unfortunately there’s too much red tape, supplier relations and employees committed for some product decisions to be rolled back.

Nah, OS systems have nothing to do with suppliers.

 

[Centurion]

Nah, OS systems have nothing to do with suppliers.

For major components or systems, it’s common for contracts to be in place with suppliers, contractor or vendors on either:
-R&D
-Build
-Maintenance/support

In the worst cases, there are multi year contacts in place that prevents the customer(manufacturer) to use a competing system or even engage in conversations with rival solution providers. Some businesses are in a political mess where the choice of a specific solution or component is guided by an investor who included it in the term sheet.

This is why Polestar and Tesla have benefited from a clean slate start with no red tape or golden handcuffs.

 

[klier]

Interesting read on the subject:

BMW Has Found a Way to Bring Android to Its Cars Without Giving In to Google

Because it still wanted to bring Android to its cars, the carmaker decided to give up on the Google-licensed version of Android Automotive and go for the open-source edition. This involves more work on BMW’s side, but on the other hand, it also puts the company in full control over everything that happens on the platform and, consequently of what data is accessed by the operating system in its cars.

 

[dalab]

I posted it elsewhere but it seems to go better here
"We don't like that," said Weber, "because this is a BMW and not an Apple Car."

Apple isn't being singled out by BMW: indeed, Google is in the same position, with BMW unwilling to offer the full Google Automotive Services (as you'd find in Polestar or Volvo for example), mainly because of the licensing involved and what happens to customer data. BMW doesn't want to hand that over to Google.

BMW: We don't want Apple or Google taking over all the vehicle interactions - this is definitely our space
BMW wants to make sure it stays firmly in control of the tech it offers. www.pocket-lint.com