Proton X70 to get Here Maps, QDLink phone mirroring via OTA update this month, replaces Baidu Maps

Owners of the Proton X70 have received periodic over-the-air (OTA) updates and can expect a useful one in the coming weeks. At the media preview of the new Proton X50 last week, the carmaker revealed that the X70 will receive Here Maps and QDLink smartphone mirroring “this month” via OTA.

Here’s the deal. The X70 infotainment system’s navigation function currently uses Baidu Maps, but there will be a new AMAP app that uses Here Maps. In January this year, it was announced that AMAP – Alibaba’s maps app – has selected Here Maps as global provider of map and traffic data outside of China. Previously owned by Nokia, Here Technologies is a Dutch-based company that is majority-owned by a consortium of German automakers.

Proton promises a better user experience with the Here Maps-powered AMAP. The new X50 will ship with AMAP as part of its latest Geely Key User Interface GKUI 19 system, which you can read about in detail here.

The other new feature that X70 owners can expect in the coming weeks is the new QDLink smartphone mirroring function that the X50 will ship with. While the X70’s current MirrorLink only works with Android phones, QDLink lets one mirror both Android and iOS phones on the car’s main screen – this is good news for iPhone users. This somewhat makes up for the lack of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility in the X70 and X50.

Note that these updates will only be for the X70, and not the Premium variants of the Saga, Persona, Iriz and Exora.

As for Joox Music, Proton will persist with the online music streaming service, but says that it will continue to improve the user experience according to customer needs. Joox replaced the X70’s previous Unlimited Music service in March.

The post Proton X70 to get Here Maps, QDLink phone mirroring via OTA update this month, replaces Baidu Maps appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.

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