Carmaker BMW is shipping new cars without Android Auto and CarPlay functionality as it shifts chip suppliers.
The new chips in BMW vehicles require up-to-date software to run CarPlay and Android Auto. However, due to the supplier shift, customers were told by dealerships to wait for an OTA update to enable the service ‘by the end of June’.
The number of affected BMW models are not clear but it’s believed that customers in the UK, the US, France, Spain and Italy have experienced the same issue as confirmed by online posts. Affected vehicles are said to have the ‘6P1’ code in their model specifications.
The carmaker is switching to another chip supplier to improve its supply chain amid the global shortage. In the meantime, a portion of BMW car owners will have to make do without CarPlay functionality for a while and until an over-the-air software update is made available.
