Toyota’s new Camry will rely on older phone-mirroring technology as it continues to shun Apple and Google for mobile connectivity.
XEVO HAS ANNOUNCED its in-car infotainment app will help power the 2018 Toyota Camry which is slated to go on sale in the US this month and launch here in November. The company produces car technologies including infotainment and phone connectivity software.
The partnership marks Toyota’s commitment to be independent of relying on the popular Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity found in many new cars that spruce up basic infotainment systems and provide seamless phone connectivity to Apple and Android phones. (Suggested reading: What is Apple Carplay? and What is Android Auto?)
Steering away from Apple and Google infotainment based software, the Japanese manufacturer has been helping develop what it hopes will be an industry-standard Linux-based infotainment system. Currently 10 manufacturers, including Mazda and Suzuki, are working on the open-source infotainment project.
The Linux-based infotainment in the new eighth-generation Camry is made up of 70 per cent open-source and 30 per cent proprietary software code. Xevo is providing the mobile phone connectivity interface and access to mobile apps.
Instead of using Apple CarPlay or Auto to connect mobile phones and their apps, Xevo’s third-party middleware Entune 3.0 software will provide connectivity to mobile phone handsets via the Entune 3.0 App Suite Connect app. With the app installed, Entune provides access to popular mobile apps (such as Pandora) that can be used via the Entune based infotainment.
However, unlike CarPlay and Android Auto that provide access to the phone’s native maps apps, Entune requires using the Telenav Scout GPS Link app. The third party connectivity may also mean no access to native music streaming services such as Apple Music and Google Music, although Spotify is supported.
Of course Toyota isn’t the only manufacturer to avoid using Apple and Google in-car technology. BMW has proven that the integration of Carplay/Auto isn’t entirely necessary but its infotainment is far more polished than what Toyota has produced so far. Adapting to the technology also requires providing access to some of the cars computer systems, which some manufacturers are reluctant to do.
Such a big mistake, Toyota.
If I can’t use Google Maps from my phone then I’ll buy another brand Toyota… this is a massive mistake by Toyota.
Who cares, I’ll continue to shun Toyota no matter what they offer. As though Android or Apple will turn crap cars into silk purses
On top of that is their crazy policy of locking their built-in Sat Nav so it can’t be adjusted on the run – not even by a passenger. If you just want to press the “take me home” button, nope – stop first.
Simply. Stupid.
I have set it for years: why don’t the car manufacturers focus on manufacturing cars, and, leave the infotainment centers to computer experts? Now, we have a half assed implementation, that we are going to be forced into using.
This will most definitely be a decision-maker on purchasing a car for us in the future.
News like these makes you cringe hard. Old executives not understanding that native iOS/Android apps and our constantly upgraded cell phones will be forever faster and preferred to use compared to anything Toyota will ever develop/maintain. Please let go of your old dream of getting revenues from apps and controlling your “brand” threw the infotainment when you will never be able to compete in hardware speed and software speed. I own a 2013 Camry today and my next car decision will be heavily influenced if it can support Apple Carplay or Android Auto. If not, it’s yesterday’s car and not the choice of the future. Can’t believe that infotainment system news made me write this and that it’s even a discussion point. Old leadership folks: Re-think this please, for us consumers — or I’ll get a Honda which does support our cell phones 🙂 Truth.