BMW's remote control app has been an iPhone exclusive since it released a year ago, but the German car maker is finally bringing My BMW Remote to Android. The company says "Android is currently the fastest-growing software platform for smartphones and tablets," and that fact provided motivation to overcome the difficulties of developing for Android — BMW mentions problems with developing for different resolutions and the particular characteristics of devices, as well as the time-consuming testing phase for Android phones.

Once the app arrives this fall, it will have all the goodies of the iPhone version, including the ability to operate the locks, manage climate control, locate your car using the horn, headlights, or GPS, and add POIs to the Navigation system from your address book or a Google search. The iPhone version requires two security questions and a PIN, so its Android counterpart will likely have similar security measures — the last thing you want when someone steals your $100 phone is to lose your $100,000 car to boot. The app itself is free, but you need the $2,150 BMW Assist option to use it.