BMW is currently shipping its new vehicles without Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities, due to a change in suppliers for the automaker’s chips. Customers are being asked to wait for an over-the-air update that will install new software “by the end of June at the latest,” BMW said in an emailed statement.
Automotive News Europe reports that BMW switched chip suppliers in a move that helped it navigate the ongoing semiconductor shortage.
“The chips built into these cars in the first four months of this year need updated software in order to be fully functional and offer Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and Wi-Fi capability,” the statement said.
While we don’t know for sure how many BMW models are being shipped sans CarPlay and Android Auto support, there have been online posts from a large number of customers in the U.S., Italy, Spain, the UK, and France complaining about their new vehicles being delivered without CarPlay. Affected models include the code “6P1” in their specification.
BMW began offering CarPlay in 2016 and later came under fire for charging an $80 per year fee for access to it, before dropping the subscription charge after the negative feedback.
