German car manufacturer BMW announced yesterday that Alexa will be integrated into BMWs and some Minis from mid-2018. A BMW executive stated: “It’s a complete, comprehensive set of internet capabilities that is available inside your vehicle”.
Microphones will be fixed in the car for the integration to work and Alexa’s visual display will operate on the internal head unit of the car. Alexa will let BMW and Mini owners ask questions, call, play music and control smart home products, so there’s no need to stop and use your smartphone while on-the-go. It’ll be integrated into the infotainment system for the cars so there’s no need to download a separate app for it to function.
Left your smartphone at home? You won’t need to rush back because it’s not required for Alexa to work in the car because the BMWs and selected Minis will include a built-in SIM card!
Source: BMW Blog
It’s not the first time BMW and Amazon have worked together, and it’s also not the first time Alexa is integrated into a car. At CES 2017, Ford introduced a line of cars that lets users sync their Alexa device to unlock or start their car using voice commands.
BMW’s Senior Vice President of Digital Services and Business Models, Dieter May, said:
“By making this step and integrating Alexa into our models from 2018, BMW and MINI will form a more intrinsic part of our customers’ digital lifestyles. Voice control first featured in BMW Group cars many years ago, and we are now enhancing its functionality by adding a digital ecosystem, which will open up all sorts of new possibilities that customers can access quickly, easily and safely from their car.”
The integration of Alexa in BMWs means you can use its functions on-the-go as well as at home. We’re already excited for its release in mid-2018! Keep up to date with this and more of the latest tech news at www.laptopoutletblog.co.uk.