[Brydo]

Smartphones are the most connected, personalised piece of technology we own, so when we jump into a car, things can be a bit jarring. Despite what car manufacturers say, vehicle infotainment systems just aren’t as familiar or intuitive as your own iPhone – and unless you’ve worked out how to sync the two, they won’t contain your personal information and data, either.

Apple CarPlay is a way of connecting your iPhone and everything it contains to your car’s infotainment screen. When Apple CarPlay is active, your car’s display will look a lot like your existing iPhone held on its side, and will show CarPlay compatible apps on your homescreen, such as Spotify, Google Maps and WhatsApp. You’ll even find a very Apple-style home button to the side of the screen.

How much does Apple CarPlay cost?
Apple CarPlay tends to come as a standard piece of software in most cars in 2019 – we’re even seeing it fitted as standard in budget C-segment and B-segment family cars, too. After all, it’s a way of providing an easy tech-win for young, connected customers.

However, in July 2019 BMW announced a new price plan that quietly ushered in a monthly payment in addition to any installation cost. All BMWs with iDrive 7.0 will come with a year’s free subscription to use Apple CarPlay, but after that you’ll need to pay £85 annually if you want to use the hitherto free functionality. Every new BMW launched from 2018’s X5 onwards now comes with iDrive 7.0; it’s fitted to 65% of all current models, and will eventually be fitted to everything.

https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news/tech/what-is-apple-carplay-compatible-cars-and-smartphones-and-is-it-worth-the-money/

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

[BigDave]

Hi Brydo,

Having been playing around with the specs of various new (July 2019) BMW X1’s, it seems that you have to spec the ‘Apple Car Play Preparation’ option at a cost of £235.00 to get Apple car play to work in the new X1. This is across the new X1 model range. It cannot be subsequently fitted after production.

The small print in the pricing brochure also says that the ‘Apple Car Play Preparation’ option also:

1.      Requires a BMW ConnectedDrive account.

2.      Connectivity may vary depending on model/version of your iPhone

3.      Available for 3 years, renewable thereafter

4.      Purchases of Apple Car Play via the ConnectedDrive store are not available after production on the new X1 models.

https://www.bmw.co.uk/pdfs/price-lists/BMW_X1F48LCI_PriceList.pdf

(pages 25/26 of pricing brochure above)

So if you want Car Play to work the ‘preparation’ option is essential.

Also it does state that connected drive is available for 3 years then renewable, so I don’t know what it means in relation to your posting about it.

Dave

[mitch]

sorry to be the disenting voice here but my phone is off when i get in the car and it really annoyed me last time i was looking at cars the number that didnt have sat nav just the facility for you to sync your phone etc.

i use a phone for making calls and replying to the odd text thats all. i have an old blackberry ive had for years on a payg and its cost me £30 over the last 18 months.

the number of dangerous situations ive seen when a passenger in other peoples cars when the driver is pratting about trying to do something on their phone even those with “handsfree” kits etc. inevitably they try to swap music or apps etc.

i prefer to be a live luddite thanks.

[Brydo]

Mitch love your old skool attitude, wish I could get Mrs Brydo to follow you. We have perfectly good I phone 7’s but she is hounding me for a new phone, type yet to be agreed on lol

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.

[vinalspin]

So basically what they want to do is spend less money putting in less tech and then charge you for using the tech you already paid for on your own phone! Robbing B******s.

I BT my Android phone to the car and answer calls hands free, I don’t play with it whilst driving as I have a dongle plugged in with all my music on, the car has mp3 player built in and satnav and anything else you might need from your phone plus it doesn’t have to be physically wired up to the car.

Apple Car Play/Android Auto was always just a way of the companies avoiding spending money fitting a car with the latest tech and now BMW has found a way of charging you for saving them money, incredible.

[Brydo]

We really should have a thread on “off Topic” showing all the things that can be added tech wise to your car. I would suggest that most on the forum are not as tech savvy as some of the younger ones, totally generalising here guys so no offence intended, so it would be good to have a thread to add the gizmos and explain in layman’s terms, maybe with some photos, exactly what can be done with car tech.

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.

[Author]

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