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Volkswagen teams up with Samsung’s HARMAN to launch an app store for its cars
HARMAN International, an American audio electronics company, is a subsidiary of the South Korean company Samsung Electronics. Recently, Volkswagen Groups, a German motor vehicle manufacturer, the world’s second-biggest car manufacturer, has joined hands with Samsung’s HARMAN to develop an app store for all its cars. The car company is basically designing a unified software stack for all the cars under its brand.
Informatively, brands like Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Porsche, Seat, Skoda, and Volkswagen are included in this software stack’s car list. This software platform will power the company’s vehicles for the coming years, which will be based on Google Android’s AutomativeOS and will run on the company’s in-car infotainment system. The app store, which has recently been developed, is for this infotainment platform.
As Volkswegan currently is in second place, it desires to reach the top; if it succeeds, it will benefit Samsung as well, as Samsung is offering hardware to Volkswagen groups, including automotive-grade screens, processors, memory, and batteries. In that manner, Dirk Hilgenberg, the CEO of Cariad, Volkswagen Group’s in-house software division, has stated- “It’s a new level of digital experiences we want to show”. With regard to third-party app companies, “We can combine and leverage with each other creating an immersive experience, especially as far as gaming, relaxing is concerned.”
When and in which car the app store will first rollout
Let us inform you this new app store will first be available to Audi and Volkswagen cars. For Audi cars, the 2023 models will get it first, along with the A4/A5, Q5, A6/A7, A8, and Q8 E-Tron models, which will happen this summer in Canada, Europe, and Mexico. After the mentioned two, the novelty will make its way to Bentley, Lamborghini, and Porsche cars. After this year, Audi Q6 E-Tron and Porsche Macan will also get it.
What this new app store will bring
The new app store will feature plenty of familiar applications which are used for EV charging, gaming, audio streaming, news, parking, video conferencing, social media, and more. In specific, the app store will include apps such as Amazon Music, Spotify, The Weather Channel, Tidal Music, TikTok, Vivaldi, and Yelp. The good thing is these apps will get a change in their UX for safer use in the car. Besides this, the company is also in talks with Google to bring Google Maps navigation.