The bottleneck when it comes to in-car technology isn’t processing power or storage space. It’s the speed of connectivity. As we reported last winter BMW is very open about the limits of it’s EDGE connectivity used in current BMW models (currently MINI has no cellular connectivity in their cars). The answer is LTE or true 4G. With LTE being rolled out throughout the world BMW is preparing for the switch as early as 2013 in some markets. Could we see this in future MINIs? We expect BMW to roll out full car connectivity in MINIs has early as the F56 – the next generation MINI hatch – due out in 2013. Whether or not that will be LTE remains to be seen but it would make sense given these new advancements. So why LTE and not the much more prevalent 3G? Even 3G has it’s issues with stream quality and latency. The videos are transmitted in low resolution, and inadequate network coverage in some areas can cause problems with video and audio stuttering or dropouts. These problems will soon be a thing of the past with the arrival of the new LTE (Long-Term Evolution) standard. LTE, also known as 4G, is a fourth-generation wireless standard and the next major technology standard after GSM (2G) and UMTS/HSPA (3G). More...