The longstanding global chip shortage took its toll on Apple, but it appears to have taken a more brutal toll on the automotive industry. Reputed German carmaker BMW is reportedly shipping cars to customers without Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality because of the chip shortage.
A report from Automotive News Europe claims that the luxury German carmaker has changed its chip supplier due to the ongoing shortage. As a consequence, several cars manufactured this year need a software update before they can unlock Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities.
Although uncharacteristic for a premium brand, BMW dealerships are reportedly delivering cars to customers without the update. Customers receiving such vehicles are being requested to ait for an OTA update that will unlock Apple CarPlay “by the end of June at the latest.”
However, the report does not mention how widespread BMW’s problem is. Customers in the US, Italy, Spain, the UK, and France are reportedly driving around in their spanking new BMWs without CarPlay. The report claims model code “6P1” is among those affected but doesn’t offer more clarity.
Teething Troubles?
Hopefully, BMW’s move to switch to a different chip supplier bolsters its supply chain against the chip shortage in the long term. The carmaker has earned a reputation among Apple users for sporting one of the longest feature compatibility lists in the automotive scene today.
Although BMW started offering CarPlay relatively recently in 2016, its offerings usually integrate support for dual-screen wireless CarPlay, Digital Key, Ultra Wideband Digital Key, and other features.
[Via Automotive News Europe]