If neither Android Auto nor Apple CarPlay is your cup of tea, you’ll be happy to know that the in-car infotainment sector has got a new entrant. South Korean tech giant, LG Electronics, and US chipmaker, Qualcomm, have announced a tie-up to develop LG’s ‘webOS Auto’ into a full-fledged in-vehicle infotainment system that can take on the incumbents from Google and Apple at their own game.
According to a joint press release by the two companies, the partnership will aim to “(harness) the combined strengths of webOS Auto and Qualcomm Snapdragon Automotive Development Platform (ADP) … to create and advance a more convenient in-car experience for drivers and passengers alike”. In addition to developing and commercializing a more advanced webOS Auto, LG and Qualcomm will collaborate on a reference platform which LG will unveil in January at CES 2020.
In case you don’t know it already, LG’s webOS Auto is a Linux-powered platform which leverages the former’s expertise in vehicle infotainment for the next generation of connected automobiles. The company also recently announced webOS Open Source Edition 2.0 with support for the automotive infotainment functionality, allowing developers to sample some of the innovative features that will be incorporated in webOS Auto.
As for Snapdragon ADP, Qualcomm says it will offer advanced AI capabilities, and enhanced graphics for high-resolution multiple display configurations and ultra HD media streaming. The platform “is designed to provide a comprehensive hardware and software environment for rapid development of high-performing and power-efficient automotive cockpit platforms, including passenger and rear-seat entertainment (RSE) displays”, said the company.
