Porsche infotainment shuns Android

Porsche's latest infotainment system arrives Down Under in coming months with the facelifted 911, but it won't be compatible with Android smartphones and Australians will have to wait for some of its key new connectivity features.

The German sports-car maker's fourth-generation Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system will be standard on all 911 Carreras due on sale from March, as well as the Carrera 4 and Turbo from May and the Targa 4 from July.

It features a new 7.0-inch colour touch-screen display incorporating a reversing camera, satellite-navigation, mobile phone preparation, voice control, smartphone-like multi-touch and input by handwriting, plus Apple CarPlay interface via cable for iPhone users. There's also USB/SD/CD/DVD playback functionality.

However, the Android Auto multimedia system is not part of PCM4 and Porsche says it has no plans to cater for Android smartphone users because its research shows that non-Apple phone owners account for as little as 20 per cent of Porsche customers.

"Our research shows that 75 to 80 per cent of Porsche customers use an iPhone and other Apple products, which is why we offered that functionality," said 911 product line vice-president August Achleitner.

"We don't have any plans [to offer Android Auto] right now, but we will keep an eye on it."

Porsche's experience is at odds with overall phone ownership in Australia, where Android phone users outnumber iPhone owners, and despite the fact Android Auto is offered here in a range of models from Porsche sister brands Volkswagen and Skoda.

Furthermore, some of PCM4's most advanced functions will not be available in Australia for some time, including access via WiFi to Google Earth and Google Streetview (coming in 2017), and the new Porsche Connect app.

This allows drivers to transfer navigation destinations to the PCM from their iPhone, check their car's fuel level and driving range remotely and access streaming services by third-party providers, but it won't be available in Australia until 2018.