"Back to the future?" - no thanks!

Curtis nan |

The semiconductor shortage is continuing to hamper the automotive industry - this time in the shape of BMW's latest models being shipped to customers without their Apple CarPlay and Android Auto features. BMW says that the smartphone connectivity software will be sent to the affected vehicles via an over-the-air update. But, for now, the owners of the new vehicles will be stuck with using either a Bluetooth connection or a rather out-of-date AUX cable if they want to connect their phones to their car. The blackout of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto comes after BMW switched to a new chip supplier, which doesn't currently have the software needed to connect with smartphones. So, cars under the 6P1 model designation will lack smartphone connectivity until the update arrives. Of course, if you own one of these new cars, you could always snap up one of our extensive Road Angel dash cams, rather than wait at the mercy of the global supply chain crisis which is hampering the automotive industry at present. It's all very well using an AUX cable, but that will mean your phone still has a 3.5mm port - which Apple removed from its phones with the launch of the iPhone7...