MG4 Software Update Thread

[the happy bunny]

Here's a quick recap:

For MY22 and MY23:
SWI68 = Trophy (UK) / Luxury (EU) + X-Power
SWI69 = SE, SE LR (UK) / Standard, Comfort (EU)
SWI86 = Standard (Thailand)
SWI131 = Excite (AUS-NZ)
SWI171 = Standard (Indonesia)

29958 = MG4

1100 = Standard, Comfort, SE, Excite
1300 = Luxury, Trophy, X-Power, Essence

Rxx = Release version

For MY24:
It’s an entirely different set of versions, not directly comparable to MY22/MY23 releases.

 

[hojnikb]

Is infotainment different too, or just versioning?

 

[PeteC]

The variant being discussed was the SE.

Ooops!

 

[the happy bunny]

Is infotainment different too, or just versioning?

SWI68, SWI69, and SWI131 share the same hardware, including GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity. This means it’s possible to install Trophy releases on an SE or run Australian software on a European car without any issues.

However, SWI86 and SWI171, while based on the same system, have some hard or soft differences/limitations. Technically, you can install Indonesian or Thai releases on a European car, but GPS and connectivity functions will not work at all.

For MY24 cars, I really don’t know…

 

[TerryN]

For MY24:
It’s an entirely different set of versions, not directly comparable to MY22/MY23 releases.

My friends just took delivery of a new Trophy LR which is presumably MY24 (at least).
The software version is:
SWI133-29176-1300R30

 

[the happy bunny]

Yep, it looks like SWI133 is for Trophy models, while SWI132 is for SE versions.

29176 also shows MY24 are largely revamped cars…

 

[hojnikb]

Is base android still 9.0 or did MG upgrade that for newer cars?

 

[the happy bunny]

I’m not sure if MY24 cars are running a newer version of Android.

But don’t think of Android 9 as outdated. it definitely is obsolete for a phone or a tablet, but not necessarily for an automotive infotainment system.
In these systems, Android serves as a low-level layer, with the entire operating environment built on top of it, a bit like a comprehensive launcher.

That’s why they use simple, fast and stable base systems.

 

[hojnikb]

I’m not sure if MY24 cars are running a newer version of Android.

But don’t think of Android 9 as outdated. it definitely is obsolete for a phone or a tablet, but not necessarily for an automotive infotainment system.
In these systems, Android serves as a low-level layer, with the entire operating environment built on top of it, a bit like a comprehensive launcher.

That’s why they use simple, fast and stable base systems.

android 10+ would be great, as that would enable additional APIs for natively run ABPR to pull data from the car directly (instead of using enode or OBD).

 

[the happy bunny]

For engineers designing a closed system, this is not a major concern, they just want a stable version that meets basic requirements. They prioritise reliability over having the latest software. They don’t need advanced ressource-hungry APIs (especially since the hardware is relatively modest, with only 4 gigs of memory and an old CPU)

Using a more recent version of Android could also make it harder for us to access the base system.

 

[leonkernan]

For engineers designing a closed system, this is not a major concern, they just want a stable version that meets basic requirements.

But for an internet connected system not getting any software updates. It's a security nightmare.

 

[the happy bunny]

Yeah, security is definitely an open question here.

When it’s this easy to access the Android base system, install unauthorised apps, and update with other versions, it raises concerns about potential vulnerabilities.

It’s surprising that there aren’t more restrictions in place.