BMW switching Apple CarPlay to a subscription based service. $80/year.

[InsideMan]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

I assume at some point BMW will charge me to put my briefcase in the trunk.

By that time, you won't be driving anymore. Briefcase!? In the trunk!?

[InsideMan]

Originally Posted by Go Horns!

BMW assumes people can't do math. $300 car play with a 60% residual means you pay $120 for car play on a 3-year lease. Now you get to pay $160 for car play on a 3-year lease.

So tell me again, how did this save me money?

6 month pull ahead...now it's even.

[MthreeComp]

Ok so now that it's gonna be a subscription, would it be available for models with idrive5 or still idrive6 an higher?????

[Saphirschwarz]

Originally Posted by Viffermike

Waze is crowd-sourced, meaning its utility is only as good as an area's other users make it. Howzat work out in, say, rural Idaho, or the Scottish highlands?

Waze has a horrible graphic design. My grandmother could design maps that are more readable.

Waze forces you to physically look at the phone (I figure Android Auto allows Waze functionality, so this may only apply to CarPlay).

Waze is funded by sponsored content, including logos that appear on the map screen that can't be turned off. I don't give a flip where the nearest McDonald's or KFC is, and I don't want to be forced to see those logos.

For those who like the app; I understand why. But its utility is limited, and its business model is a deal breaker for some, including me.

Well at least it shows speed radars. That's all I ask.

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by Viffermike

Waze is crowd-sourced, meaning its utility is only as good as an area's other users make it. Howzat work out in, say, rural Idaho, or the Scottish highlands?

Waze has a horrible graphic design. My grandmother could design maps that are more readable.

Waze forces you to physically look at the phone (I figure Android Auto allows Waze functionality, so this may only apply to CarPlay).

Waze is funded by sponsored content, including logos that appear on the map screen that can't be turned off. I don't give a flip where the nearest McDonald's or KFC is, and I don't want to be forced to see those logos.

For those who like the app; I understand why. But its utility is limited, and its business model is a deal breaker for some, including me.

Waze has made improvements to their graphical layout for the better. I use it in "landscape" mode. The road you're suppose to travel is shifted over to the right so it and your turn points are fully visible without the directions message bubble blocking it. Waze also is more accurate in metropolitan areas than receiving the radio info for traffic conditions which the BMW nav system uses.

Someone else also stated Waze provides updates about speed traps which the BMW nav doesn't do at all and gives you actual speed and posted speed limits.

And the big thing why BMW's implementation of IOT is a joke, I can use many of my smart phone apps with the video displayed on my iDrive screen. This includes Waze where I don't have to look down at my phone or prop it up on some holder. I went the aftermarket route and have had Waze capability for about 2 to 3 years now.

[beanbaguk]

BMW will unlikely listen to a word we (the customers), are saying. Corporate greed is involved here. They'll claim some licensing bullshit story but it's all about profits and greed.

Anyway, no doubt some smart fella on here will work out how to crack it, just like the maps. I still don't know how they get away with charging $100's for map updates. It's beyond a joke sometimes!

[evanevery]

Originally Posted by beanbaguk

BMW will unlikely listen to a word we (the customers), are saying. Corporate greed is involved here. They'll claim some licensing bullshit story but it's all about profits and greed.

Anyway, no doubt some smart fella on here will work out how to crack it, just like the maps. I still don't know how they get away with charging $100's for map updates. It's beyond a joke sometimes!

What possible reason would ACP need to be a subscription service? If your vehicle has the ability to work with it, nothing needs to be updated or serviced.

The functionality is either there or it isn't. Why should customers have to pay for this in an ongoing basis? Am I missing something? (I don't use ACP, I use AA in my vehicles)

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

There was a thread earlier about Alexa and Microsoft integration into ConnectedDrive. I wonder if that has anything to do with it.

[babaikram]

Originally Posted by cozye

There is a lot of misconceptions about CarPlay on here. I have a 2016 without it, and a 2017 with it. I'll admit that at first I was a bit disappointed and went back to the standard Idrive interface. However I decided to go back and forth for a while. There were something's that I liked better (such as reading texts, and great voice to text capability). And other things I didn't like (initially navigating around the CarPlay interface was confusing).

After a while I decided to stick with CarPlay, and as I became more familiar how to navigate (like the not so obvious "home" button on the bottom left). I got a lot better at using it.

For someone who's on the road a lot, and on conference calls a lot in the car, the phone interface of CarPlay is way better. Not even close. Needing quick access to mute button, easy call switching, dial pad, etc while working in the car is just flat out essential. CarPlay is the best interface for this I've had in any car. Period. I never touch my phone and the Idrive controller works fabulously for this.

Maps. Contrary to many post about this, you aren't forced to use Apple nav, the low resolution maps, or google maps. You can if you want, but you can still use the beautiful BMW high res traffic aware navigation. I do it every day. Hit the idrive Nav button first to take you back to native idrive.

You can still use every other bit of your Idrive system, except phone, contacts and bmws music interface for Bluetooth streaming only. What's the downside here?

Apple CarPlay is $300 on the old pricing. Thats $5 a month on your 5 year loan. So they change that to a subscription and drop the up front charge. Big deal. If your upset about $80 a year, you shouldn't spend $50k on a car.

And the beauty of a subscription is choice. You don't want it cause BMW is evil and Apple sucks? Great. Don't subscribe, and it won't be forced on you because the car you found half way across the country has the $300 option already.

You like it or want to try it? Great, all cars are now capable and you don't have to buy a new BMW because you opted out of the $300 option or the car you found doesn't have it.

A lot of griping going on here by some who obviously haven't spent enough time really sorting it out, as evident by the false comments. I get it, your used to Idrive, So was I. You don't want it, no problem, don't subscribe.

Eventually CarPlay will get better or open up to more apps. You'll have the option of trying it again. Maybe even android too since BMW is going to the subscription model.

All of this is being driven by IoT technology. It's a good thing. If your mad at BMW, go buy that Ford. It's got CarPlay. And they bumped up the MSRP by $300 so you could have it for free.

I have always wondered at people who say because you are driving an expensive car you should not worry about unnecessary small costs. This is why some people are not vey rich. I have never seen a very rich man that does not care about pennies and cents

[McPurrs]

No one is signing up for it. It will EASILY be cracked on the internet anyways. Morons

[cozye]

Originally Posted by babaikram

I have always wondered at people who say because you are driving an expensive car you should not worry about unnecessary small costs. This is why some people are not vey rich. I have never seen a very rich man that does not care about pennies and cents

I guess it depends on which master you serve.

[48Laws]

Who cares. I’m usually texting and driving.

[vp]

Base prices will likely go up by a minimum of $300 next year in addition to launching this CarPlay subscription service to cover for anyone that does not subscribe to it.

[ThugzZ BunnY]

good thing the idrive does EVERYTHING better anyway.

[serko ex]

Originally Posted by ThugzZ BunnY

good thing the idrive does EVERYTHING better anyway.

this

I don't want Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Idrive is the best auto OS there is.

I just need more BMW Connected APP support for Google Play Music and Google Maps, in additional to some much needed refinement to the Bluetooth connection reliability and speed between the idrive system and your phone.

Spotify is nice, but I prefer Google Play Music and BMW maps has led me down the wrong path too many times

Rather than efforts going to support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, I would rather BMW focus more on app support. Spotify lags too much, the maps is not up to date by atleast a year i think and provide the driver with the longer route more often than it should, sometimes idrive move slugish AF, accessing your text message through lags quite a bit, also the text message layout is backward and just need an overhaul.

[MMMCOOKIES55]

lol, make us pay for a service that already sucks horribly.

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by serko ex

this

I don't want Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Idrive is the best auto OS there is.

I just need more BMW Connected APP support for Google Play Music and Google Maps, in additional to some much needed refinement to the Bluetooth connection reliability and speed between the idrive system and your phone.

Spotify is nice, but I prefer Google Play Music and BMW maps has led me down the wrong path too many times

Rather than efforts going to support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, I would rather BMW focus more on app support. Spotify lags too much, the maps is not up to date by atleast a year i think and provide the driver with the longer route more often than it should, sometimes idrive move slugish AF, accessing your text message through lags quite a bit, also the text message layout is backward and just need an overhaul.

Audi's new MMI system isn't bad at all. Works pretty similarly to iDrive.

[Boosted John]

Originally Posted by allinon72

What is so damn hard about Android Auto integration? Other automakers have made it available at the snap of the fingers, BMW makes it sound like they have to recode the entire idrive system to do so.

The reason BMW doesn't do Android Auto is because Android requires to give up too much personal info and BMW views that as too much of a security risk for their clients. This is what our rep tells me.

[evanevery]

Originally Posted by Boosted John

The reason BMW doesn't do Android Auto is because Android requires to give up too much personal info and BMW views that as too much of a security risk for their clients. This is what our rep tells me.

Your Rep is completely full of crap (IHMO)

[ThugzZ BunnY]

Originally Posted by serko ex

this

I don't want Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Idrive is the best auto OS there is.

I just need more BMW Connected APP support for Google Play Music and Google Maps, in additional to some much needed refinement to the Bluetooth connection reliability and speed between the idrive system and your phone.

Spotify is nice, but I prefer Google Play Music and BMW maps has led me down the wrong path too many times

Rather than efforts going to support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, I would rather BMW focus more on app support. Spotify lags too much, the maps is not up to date by atleast a year i think and provide the driver with the longer route more often than it should, sometimes idrive move slugish AF, accessing your text message through lags quite a bit, also the text message layout is backward and just need an overhaul.

thats very odd you are having those problems. i haven't experienced any of that since the early idrive sytems. i've had the map lead me to the wrong place but that was way out in rural no where.

[MParallel]

Thank goodness my car doesn't have integrated navi or non of that modern stuff.

I don't need an integrated mobile phone in my car, I have one in my pocket.

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by MParallel

Thank goodness my car doesn't have integrated navi or non of that modern stuff.

I don't need an integrated mobile phone in my car, I have one in my pocket.

Bluetooth connectivity is great for answering calls when you're driving.