Big Improvements Are On The Way For Infiniti’s Infotainment System

Including the long-awaited addition of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Infiniti is gearing up to replace some of the aging models in its lineup, but these changes are still around three years away. As company introduces major changes to its cars, it will also overhaul its infotainment system. Speaking to Go Auto, Infiniti reported it will make major changes to its controversial dual-screen infotainment display. The dual-screen design made its debut when the company replaced the G37 with the Q50. Though the system is a huge improvement over the old unit, it still isn’t the most advanced system on the market.

The graphics still feel cartoonish and stuck in the last decade, but Infiniti promises to deliver higher resolution graphics with the updated system. The update will also add long-awaited connectivity features, including Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and internet connectivity. Unfortunately, as with the changes to Infiniti’s model lineup, the infotainment improvements may not come right away. Infiniti product strategy vice president, Francois Bancon, confirmed an initial upgrade was slated for models built in 2019, but a fully overhauled system will be available on next-generation models starting in 2021.

As other automakers continue to improve their systems, Infiniti will be stuck waiting until 2021 for major improvements. Bancon offered some consolation by stating, “Apple CarPlay will be rolled out next year,” in 2019. “Next year is going to be the first step of improvement, and as we move forward with a bigger display, 12.0-inch, 15.0-inch whatever, of course we are going to improve the accuracy,” he said. The new system will retain the dual-screen design, which has received positive feedback from customers. “It’s intuitive and it works well. To be honest, only the media complain about the twin display,” he said. Infiniti needs to refresh its technology quickly, because its infotainment is starting to feel very old.

@Info credits Infiniti

Jaguar Land Rover Teams Up With Blackberry For Infotainment

Sounds like buttons are back in fashion.

In an interesting turn of events, it turns out Blackberry still exists. Once upon a time every other person had a phone made by the Canadian company – even UK prime minister Theresa may still had one until recently. However, that’s not the only reason Blackberry has been in the news recently – Jaguar Land Rover has announced that Blackberry will supply infotainment systems for the British car maker’s latest models.

 

Despite Blackberry’s relatively quiet stance in recent years, the JLR deal isn’t its first in automotive circles. It also struck deals with Qualcomm Inc, Baidu Inc and Aptiv Plc to license technology for automotive use. Under the terms of the JLR deal, Blackberry will license its QNX software for cars and Certicom security technology.

The QNX unit has been in use for some time, running car infotainment consoles. “Connected and autonomous vehicles will react and drive based on rich data,” said John Wall, general manager of BlackBerry QNX. “Our platforms help process data efficiently and keep it secure and trusted.”

QNX, which was originally developed in the early 1980s by Canadian company Quantum Software Systems was purchased by Blackberry in 2010. In December 2014, Ford announced it was replacing its Microsoft operating system in its cars with the QNX unit.

Following the demise of its once-popular smartphone business, Blackberry has turned its attention to cars, with the motor industry constantly evolving with more and more autonomous features being added. The move has so far been a success, with Blackberry’s share prices rising by more than 80 percent in Toronto in the past year. It expects the QNX unit to start generating revenue by next year.

@Info credits Jagur land Rover and black berry