Peter Lyon
February 1, 2024
We’ve heard of teasing a new car launch by giving the public a long-lead sneak peek of a photo or two before the vehicle debuts. But to tease the addition of a feature that realistically should already be fitted to its cars is cheeky, to say the least.
Proton is telling us that its next model will be fitted with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but teasingly, it’s not telling us which model. We assume, however, that the vehicle in question is the Proton X70 facelift, a model rumoured to be launched this year. According to leaked spy photos, the SUV was tested on public roads and featured a new floating infotainment screen in the middle of the dashboard.
For the record, there is no support at present for Android Auto or Apple CarPlay in Proton’s current lineup. Infotainment head units for models including the Proton X90, X70, X50, S70, Iriz, and Persona are powered by the most recent version of ACO Tech’s Atlas OS software.
Proton explained that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are supported by the infotainment head unit hardware available in some of its models but no specifics were given. All it takes to enable this is a software update.
Meanwhile, a hardware upgrade will be necessary for vehicles whose infotainment head units are unable to operate the in-car infotainment software. This is because the hardware was designed to function solely on software created in China, primarily for the country’s own market, and neither Apple nor Android support was considered.
In response, Proton said that it is investigating the potential of upgrading the infotainment system in earlier Proton vehicles to accommodate Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Additionally, Proton warns that users should not ‘sideload’ Apple CarPlay or Android Auto themselves or through a third party. According to the firm, such action runs the danger of nullifying the Proton automobiles’ warranty.
OUR THOUGHTS
Yes, it’s wonderful to hear that Proton is finally equipping the all-important Apple and Android support to its future vehicles, but we think it’s rather cheeky to make a big thing of it through a teasing strategy. Users will see a huge difference in their infotainment and sat-nav functions and will wonder why this necessity wasn’t fitted earlier.
