[bmw2791]

Hi everyone,

I will be picking up my very first BMW next month, I have been reading that BMW connected drive / services work well if the owner has an iphone. I am presently located in Canada. I have an android phone (Samsung S9+), given the phone is pretty new I am in a dilemma if I really want to buy another iphone.

My car has the following options:

Apple CarPlay Preparation (Standard)
BMW Live Cockpit Professional (Standard)
Connected Package Professional (Standard)
ConnectedDrive Services (Standard)
Satellite Radio Pre-Wire (Standard)
BMW TeleServices (Standard)

Can you guys kindly guide me? Thanks in advance

It depends on how you want to use the services. An iPhone gives you CarPlay. I've never used CP prior to this BMW and managed just fine with a dash mounted iPhone.

Personally, I'd wait until you get the car, pair your android device using BT and see how you get on. If you are happy with the BMW nav and phone/message, music integration then great. If not then you could always mount your phone and run it in parallel to iDrive for android nav.

If you don't want to a dash mounted phone and really want your own nav,phone/music 'integrated' via the iDrive screen, then you might need to buy an iPhone.

Consider that the CP integration is not seamless. It can be a pain to switch between iDrive and CP and not always intuitive. It's also buggy and will disconnect or refuse to initially connect without some manual intervention. Plus you will need pay for it once the trial expires.

See how you get on with Android and BT then decide.

[natahoa]

I would think an Android should work just the same as an iPhone (ie either Bluetooth or plugged in). I have an iPhone but I don’t use CarPlay because I won’t pay $300 a year for it after the first-year freebie.

As far as the apps, you should be able to download your manual and connectedDrive. I can’t use an iPhone to unlock the car, but my key card works so it isn’t a problem. Supposedly the digital key will be available for iPhones in the near future.

If you are like me, a total newbie to all this tech, try not to worry. You can drive the car just fine even if some of the settings drive you nuts at first. The iDrive system is NOT intuitive. I’ve had my car for almost two weeks and I’ve spent hours adjusting settings so the car isn’t bonging me constantly.

Everything seems to work, contrary to what you might think after reading posts on this forum. Usually, any problems are user error. The settings can be hard to find and decipher.

I hope this helps!

[Tenac]

I run the Pixel and it works great with my X5. I actually also really like the nav system in the car so I don't use my phone for that anymore. If I want to go to a location or made reservations my X5 will prompt me to drive there as we are heading out the door which is awesome! I don't use any of the carplay or android auto (not yet on the BMW), everything for me works fine with bluetooth. My connected drive works great when the servers are running. LOL Phone calls, text messages all work fine, but it does take some getting used to on the dictation. You have to be a quick and constant when dictating a message.

[bmw2791]

Thank you so much it really helps. Yeah, even I would like to see how my current phone connects to the iDrive. All this tech in the beginning is a little overwhelming at best haha. Hopefully, I will get over it soon!

natahoa exactly, paying $300 a year is too much of an ask after the freebie period. A car so costly should provide car play as a complimentary service.

eaglesrest
natahoa
Tenac

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by bmw2791

natahoa exactly, paying $300 a year is too much of an ask after the freebie period. A car so costly should provide car play as a complimentary service.

I don't think they should charge either but it is not $300 for a year, that is for 20 years of service. If you buy one year at a time it is $80.

[TurtleBoy]

That is US pricing. On the Canadian ConnecteDrive site the pricing does show and it is $100 a year.

https://www.bmw-connecteddrive.ca/ap...e/Base_CarPlay

[maczrool]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

I don't think they should charge either but it is not $300 for a year, that is for 20 years of service. If you buy one year at a time it is $80.

Is it transferable to other BMWs or just for one vehicle? No one is keeping their X5 for 20 years.

[TurtleBoy]

I would assume so but have not checked.

[VTENGR]

I may be mistaken, but carplay used to be an option feature. Many customers complained that they would pay $500 for a feature, but what happens if they want to switch from an iPhone to an Android, or vice versa. This is the reason why they adopted a subscription based model. They purely backed out the cost of the option and distributed it over the average ownership life, about 5 years. If you think about it, this is better because now you're not tied down to a phone ecosystem b/c you want it to work with your car. This is all assuming android auto will be integrated in the future.

[nosnoop]

Originally Posted by eaglesrest

Consider that the CP integration is not seamless. It can be a pain to switch between iDrive and CP and not always intuitive. It's also buggy and will disconnect or refuse to initially connect without some manual intervention. Plus you will need pay for it once the trial expires.

I disagree after using Wireless CarPlay in X5 it for the past few weeks.

For me, CarPlay integration is pretty seamless, and it is very easy to switch from iDrive and CarPlay (don't understand where the "pain" come from). If you are in CarPlay, press Home (or Tap on BMW Icon in CarPlay screen) to go to iDrive. If you are in iDrive, push the iDrive control "UP", spin to the left and press down to go back to CarPlay. Very easy.

Connection has been fine so far with my 03/2019.42.

As for subscription, at least for me leasing the car every 3 to 4 years, the total cost is a wash. I used to pay C$300 for the CarPlay option. And if I lease only for 3 years, actually I come out ahead as the total cost after the first free year is less than the previous option cost. I can see that the cost would add up if you keep the car longer.

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by nosnoop

For me, CarPlay integration is pretty seamless, and it is very easy to switch from iDrive and CarPlay (don't understand where the "pain" come from). If you are in CarPlay, press Home (or Tap on BMW Icon in CarPlay screen) to go to iDrive. If you are in iDrive, push the iDrive control "UP", spin to the left and press down to go back to CarPlay. Very easy.

That has been my experience also, I put off using it until the other week and things have worked fine for me except for getting disconnected once or twice. I'm probably going to pay for it when my subscription runs out.

I usually just say "Hey Booty Butt, CarPlay" (the grandson named it LOL) and it switches to CarPlay.

It's not seamless. Received messages interrupt the navigation if running through carplay and can take what seems like an age to read out. Sometimes a message will be shown as received but siri will sit and then fail to connect due to lack of internet. This doesn't happen with BT integration with iDrive.

I use TomTom with CP and iDrive nav at the same time. If you hit the nav button it starts apple maps which is a pain, if I hit my CP shortcut it goes to media or phone, I then have to hit the screen to switch to TT. Similarly the only way to get back to the iDrive nav is via the home screen. Again its then another shortcut to get back to CP and then another tap to get to TT. Not a massive pain but hardly seamless.

Depends on your use-case I guess.

It fails to connect 1 in 5 times. Reboot of iDrive or set/unset wifi works. Hoping thats fixed in a later release

I think I'll pay for it just to get access to audible and tomtom via the iDrive screen, but the messaging is peeing me off. Shame it's an all or nothing deal.

[radelow]

Originally Posted by nosnoop

If you are in iDrive, push the iDrive control "UP", spin to the left and press down to go back to CarPlay.

Or you can just set it to one of the shortcut buttons in the middle of the dash right?

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by radelow

Or you can just set it to one of the shortcut buttons in the middle of the dash right?

I think I tried that and it said it couldn't be saved but that could have been another screen I was trying to save.

[bmw2791]

So without the iPhone the only thing I will miss is Apple Car Play?

[maczrool]

Originally Posted by nosnoop

I disagree after using Wireless CarPlay in X5 it for the past few weeks.

Connection has been fine so far with my 03/2019.42.

As for subscription, at least for me leasing the car every 3 to 4 years, the total cost is a wash. I used to pay C$300 for the CarPlay option. And if I lease only for 3 years, actually I come out ahead as the total cost after the first free year is less than the previous option cost. I can see that the cost would add up if you keep the car longer.

I reset idrive almost daily because CP fails to reconnect. I get a message “reconnecting to iPhone” but then it doesn’t, so I just restart the whole idrive. It’s incredibly annoying how poorly it’s working.

Originally Posted by radelow

Or you can just set it to one of the shortcut buttons in the middle of the dash right?

You can set a shortcut/favourite button to Apple Music or Phone. You do this by hovering over the option in the main iDrive menu. So with CP connected select Media and then long press to save the shortcut on CP. Similarly it can be set in COM - Phone in CarPlay or something like that.

The Map physical button on the dash remaps to Apple Maps in CP when the iPhone is connected correctly in CP mode. That's another way to get into the CP system, but not specifically where you might want to go within that system.

Originally Posted by bmw2791

So without the iPhone the only thing I will miss is Apple Car Play?

The only thing you 'might' miss is CP

I'm seriously considering dash mounting my iPhone and running tomtom etc directly on the phone with audio via BT, and let iDrive handle comms etc.

The message integration is awful with CP. It became really apparent to me how bad it is last night while trying to meet up with someone who was texting me while I was navigating. Total mess.

iOS 13 will bring some improvements, let's see.

I'd really stick with your android device as I believe this gives you NFC capability/digital cert to open and start the car without a physical key, which the iPhone currently lacks.

[midwestbmwguy]

Originally Posted by bmw2791

Thank you so much it really helps. Yeah, even I would like to see how my current phone connects to the iDrive. All this tech in the beginning is a little overwhelming at best haha. Hopefully, I will get over it soon!

natahoa exactly, paying $300 a year is too much of an ask after the freebie period. A car so costly should provide car play as a complimentary service.

eaglesrest
natahoa
Tenac

Hopefully BMW will get that message and realize CarPlay should be free as with other cars.

[nosnoop]

Originally Posted by maczrool

I reset idrive almost daily because CP fails to reconnect. I get a message “reconnecting to iPhone” but then it doesn’t, so I just restart the whole idrive. It’s incredibly annoying how poorly it’s working.

Time to update your iDrive software?
Mine has been working fine so far.

[maczrool]

It’s on 3/2019.44