BMW is one of the last car companies to adopt Android Auto. Earlier this year they announced that in July, they would push an OTA update to cars equipped with the latest iDrive 7 infotainment system, to add wireless-only Android Auto with no backup USB connection capability. Well, it’s October now, and BMW just put out a new press release that the OTA is on the way.
The new software version will be available to customers in Germany from 19 October and can be downloaded to vehicles directly over the air and installed free of charge. Customers will receive a push notification in their vehicle or via BMW App on their smartphone as soon as the upgrade is available. Following launch in the German market, it will be rolled out in stages across Europe, in the US, Canada, China and the remaining international markets.
BMW smartphone mirroring in both Google and Apple flavors only works wirelessly, which I think is stupid. BMW cars have plentiful USB ports for charging and basic media streaming functionality, but BMW won’t make these USB ports work for full Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Wireless mirroring is good, but it’s not perfectly reliable yet. Having a USB port as an option in case the admittedly more convenient wireless connection doesn’t want to work right is just the right way to do things. The ports are already there fer chrissakes.
Until very recently, wireless Android Auto was restricted to a very select few Android phones, namely Pixels and Samsung Galaxy S & Note models. But, Google finally baked wireless Android Auto into Android 11, so eventually once more phones get updated to Android 11, they’ll be able to connect to BMW iDrive 7 equipped cars. So for all the phones that don’t yet support wireless Android Auto, or are past their update window where they won’t get Android 11, they’d at least be able to do Android Auto through the USB port, if only BMW offered that functionality.
Oh, and yes BMW is the first car company to offer wireless Android Auto, but it’s also coming on the refreshed 2021 Honda Accord, and I’m sure it will proliferate to many other cars soon enough. All of which will probably retain their wired Android Auto (and CarPlay) capabilities.
Nice job BMW. You’re almost caught up to the Android Auto functionality offered in my Honda Civic, which Honda has offered on the Civic since the 2016 model year. 🥴