Early Adopters: Challenges or Opportunity?
At the start of February, Hyundai declared that their Bluelink+ connected services will be incorporated as standard with all newly manufactured cars henceforth, however, an issue may arise with the affiliated MyHyundai with Bluelink mobile application. The South Korean automobile producer recently transmitted a letter to their patrons, making them aware that some of the most current Bluelink app components and protection updates call for Android 12 or higher.
Those using OS 11 and 10 will still be able to use the application, although there might be some features that won’t be accessible.
A communiqué detailed the way in which the phone’s operating system could be modernized, however, an email sent to us by a reader highlighted an issue. Possessing a 2022 Kona Electric, they take advantage of Bluelink for distant locking, contactless admission, and power tracking. Unfortunately, although their device is not over three years of age, it cannot function with Android 12.
Reportedly, the only resolution is to purchase a new gadget, and that was Hyundai’s answer. As we questioned the maker in reference to this, we will revise this post if they offer an answer.
Hyundai has divulged details about the advanced MyHyundai with Bluelink app. Answering to the press release, the app is composed into two components. Cars manufactured from MY17 until MY23 are going to employ the older Bluelink Legacy software, while the Ioniq 6 and the upcoming MY24 vehicles are going to have admission to Bluelink+.
The capacities of the Legacy are sorted into three classifications : Connected Care, Command, and Off-site. As reported in Hyundai’s proclamation, the Legacy application should preserve admittance to many capacities, including those stated above. You can refer to the image beneath for a comprehensive inventory of what the distinct editions can accomplish.
Statcounter, a global distributor of operating system data, recently reported that OS 12 is the most popular version, occupying a sizeable 22.22% usage share. OS 11 follows closely at 21.71%, while OS 13 trails behind at 17.65%. OS 13 was released in August of 2022.
Unfortunately, these charts only provide us with market share and not the reasons why people don’t update. It could be that people are not interested in purchasing a new device, or they just haven’t gotten around to upgrading yet. We can all relate to how tempting it can be to select the “ignore” option. The figures also demonstrate that 17.17% of people still use OS 10, which is almost at par with OS 13.
Here we have another piece of technology left behind due to the rapidly developing tech sector. The discontinuation of 3G rendered high-end automobiles without certain connected capabilities, as well as adversely affecting charging for EVs in the US. Nevertheless, 5G introduced an array of novel features to cars.
One might argue that it is mainly a consequence of being an early adopter and the fee of a fresh phone is trivial when juxtaposed to the outlay of the Kona EV, which had an opening charge of $33,550 as of this writing.
The expense of having the newest model is not insignificant. The Samsung S23 can cost as much as $800, representing close to a sixth of the typical American individual’s monthly pay. Further, as cars become ever more tricked out with features, there is no certainty that the S23 will remain adequate in two years’ time.
“Frankly, I am ready to abandon the Hyundai brand over this,” our reader declared. “As cars become more reliant on sophisticated software and key features such as remote start and charge monitoring are now connected to phone apps, it’s essential that I can depend on these features for the duration of the car’s life. Sadly, Hyundai has just shown that they can’t be trusted.”