[Brydo]

Era of free-to-use in-car software is coming to a close as paid-for downloads roll out

by Autocar
12 September 2019

A year has passed since BMW released what it called OS7 – the seventh iteration of its iDrive infotainment system – but the first customers are now being asked to hand over money in order for some services to continue. Owners are now seeing the message: “Your free trial of Apple CarPlay is up. Would you like to renew? Please pay £85 for another year.”

We’re used to automakers bundling in free infotainment features such as CarPlay and Android Auto, both of which migrate functions from your phone to the car’s multimedia system, but manufacturers are now starting to ask customers to pay for the services.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/analysis-why-everyone-could-have-pay-apple-carplay-future

The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.

Topic

[mitch]

so long as it has satnav thats free and a usb port i am happy, i use my phone for phone calls and its switched off in the car. my music is on a usb . my car i want to get me from a to b not replace my laptop. and i want to be in control of it not some software.

[Winston]

I’ve had my new car since July and still not got round to trying android auto ?

Not tried a few other things either tbh

For someone who loves or now possibly loved a gadget all the faffing about, settings, menus, apps about and layer upon layer of personalisation is surprisingly becoming a big turn off to me

I never saw that coming ??

[WardyGTC]

If people are daft enough to pay the premium for Apple products in the first place it should come as no surprise that either Apple or the manufacturers would try to squeeze even more out of them, Apple are renowned for milking their customer base.

Winston, I totally get where you’re coming from. I’m a gadget lover and an Android fan boy but I can’t see me using Android Auto for the same reasons but the main deal breaker was having to use a lead. I don’t even plug in to charge my phone so I’m not going to plug in to have the car do things that the phone can do perfectly well on its own.

If I seem a little strange, that's because I am.

Skoda Karoq SEL.

[Winston]

I know what you mean, I looked at the short cable that came with the car and thought… Na I won’t bother, am I actually missing anything?

I thought the buzz words were connectivity and wireless ?

Seems a bit of step back for me, and like your good self I appreciate wireless charges etc

Infact the less wires the better

[Author]

Replies