BMW iNEXT will be the world’s first 5G smart car

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At CES 2020, Samsung revealed its partnership with BMW on Telematics Control Unit technology.

Samsung and BMW partner for 5G smart car.
(Image credit: Samsung)

At CES 2020 Samsung and BMW took the opportunity to showcase 5G TCU (Telematics Control Unit), which will create driving experiences of the future by utilizing 5G technology, in a world-first partnership.

And BMW announced that the BMW iNEXT will be the first car in the world to be equipped with 5G technology from Samsung and HARMAN. This car is scheduled to be released in 2021.

New decade of autonomous driving 

“In 2021 we will launch the BMW iNEXT, the world’s first car with Samsung’s 5G technology, and we look forward to spreading this over the whole portfolio.”

Klaus Frölich, BMW AG.

“As we enter the new decade of autonomous driving reality, we see great opportunities to experience many smart phone features that enable this new era of mobility as a service,” said Young Sohn, Corporate President and Chief Strategy Officer for Samsung Electronics and Chairman of the Board for HARMAN. 

The companies see 5G as a core enabling technology, thanks to 5G’s low latency, massive density, device awareness, and super-fast download speeds, which they say will enable new capabilities and experiences “critical for autonomous driving systems of this decade”.

“For nearly 30 years, Samsung and HARMAN have been key partners for the BMW Group,” said Klaus Frölich, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development. “In 2021 we will launch the BMW iNEXT, the world’s first car with Samsung’s 5G technology, and we look forward to spreading this over the whole portfolio.”

Real-time driver info 

5G-capable TCU will help to develop AI, semiconductors, memory, user interface and overall driver experiences with BMW. TCU brings together these technologies to link external networks with onboard systems, which will provide real-time information to drivers.

For example, high-resolution HD maps will be able to be downloaded in real-time thanks to 5G. Also, blind spot information could be relayed to the driver. 5G will not only help make driving a better experience but a safer one too.

Fiona Leake
Fiona Leake

Fiona discovered her love for investing and making money from a young age. Since then this interest has grown and now she loves writing about investing and business, and follows the 5G market closely. She is also a technology enthusiast, and so they tend to be her favourite investments.