BMW Slams Brakes on ‘iOS in The Car’
Last week, MMW reported that BMW will integrate Siri Eyes Free mode into all of its 2014 vehicles. Notwithstanding its pledge to deliver this standard feature on all 2014 BMWs, the luxury automaker is not shifting into gear on “iOS in the Car” just yet.
The reason, as we suspected, is that BMW believes its own products developed over the last decade are both plenty good and already so deeply integrated with other systems of the car that, as told to [auto dealer group] Arnold Clark.
“It would not be that straightforward to start changing all of the architecture of a car as has been implied [by Apple],” a BMW spokesperson is quoted saying by AutoBlog.
“While BMW isn’t interested in spending more money to integrate Apple’s services and functionality over its own, it has spent a good bit already to integrate iPhone functionality in its cars, including the relatively rare ability to support iPod Out and display Apple’s own interface on Mini models with the optional Mini Connected feature, as well as committing to integrate Siri ‘Eyes Free’ functionality,” blog author John Neff penned on Wednesday.
Just this past Monday at the company’s annual WWDC, Apple ramped up “iOS in the car” program to better integrate select iOS apps into the dashboards of participating automakers.
According to Apple, 2014 automobiles from the likes of Honda, Mercedes, Nissan, Chevy, Kia and Hyundai will see expanded Siri integration.
