After market Carplay stereo's are readily available. Sony and Kenwood have some solid offerings in this area.
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BMW Plans to Turn CarPlay Into Subscription-Based Service Next Year
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Yeah this is really a sad thing to see. It was driven by really high fuel costs in Europe as well as higher efficiency standards but it sucks. They also all introduced lower end cars that really shouldn't be in the lineup. 1 series, 2 series, CLA, S3, etc. to move the true entry-level cars upmarket. In Europe I would say 50% of people have been buying the diesel variants for the high fuel economy but after the whole scandal and potential diesel bans in major European cities, it has been nothing short of a disaster. In Germany most people either have a C220 or the E equivalent or an AMG. There is not much of a market for trims in between. Most people order their cars without the trim badge but anyone who is familiar with cars knows what's what.
So?
How?
You obviously have no idea how the system works. The ONLY thing that CarPlay in a vehicle does is allow the screen, in the vehicle, to be used by the CarPlay system in the iOS device. That’s it. What is in the vehicle doesn’t get “updated.”
So what we have here is the car company charging you extra to allow a connection. That’s it. With the flat fee you pay for your portion of the software being installed and certified. It’s a one time fee. What BMW wants to do is gouge the people that purchase their vehicles because BMW is counting on them being as uneducated on the subject as you are.
I wonder how much this costs? I can install a carplay head unit for $500 and have touch screen controls. The guy in the video said he's using an apple remote which is a horrible controller ( I know, I have one ) because it only has buttons for a few functions. I'd want my controls up on the dash where I can see and access them withouth taking my eyes off of the road.
The television part is useless. I'm driving so I'm not watching TV. If you are driving and watching TV , well....please get off of the road to do that.
Based on my understanding, I think you use the remote only under certain conditions when you’re using the ATV (to control the ATV). Otherwise you use either the phone or car controls. Not 100% positive though.
Also, based on the link in the clip, it looks to be $599. The thing I like best about it is that it retains all of the OEM iDrive menu and functions and the install itself doesn’t look aftermarket at all. It seems to be a seamless integration with the existing nav/head unit.
Yes I see what you’re saying. I thought theirs were like Porsche. With Porsche you can pick base and get CarPlay without their navigation. Then I have no idea what BMW is doing here. I can see how this will be good for leases but financing people who intend to keep their car for a very long time will pay more in the long run.
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If I am going to spend this kind of Money for a BMW then it should be included. Why on earth would you pay monthly or even yearly for something that's built-in free to your phone? Are we not getting that money hungry that we are going to try to get as much out of people as we can? Come on Apple don't let people tell you what kind of model you are going to do with features. This is why Apple has done so well is because they do not charge for updates and or features to products unless it's a new model.
Apple doesn’t charge a subscription fee to keep using cables and chargers, do they?
It's a money grab, as simple as that. It turns people off from the brand.
Where are you getting your data - did you not include 2017? They had a declining year, I'm suggesting money grabs like this annoy people whether their target market can afford it or not.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...ns-2017-earnings-forecast-on-record-car-sales
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I completely agree - financially 80/year to 300 one time purchase is 100% insignificant financially speaking. In addition to being a money grab, it's also a PIA. I would much prefer a one time fee to improve simplicity of ownership. BMW owners don't want "flexibility," they want simplicity and convenience. I believe this is why the Tesla model S pricing model works so well for luxury car buys. The cost for streaming and infotainment are all built into the sticker price.
Without wanting to read all 14 pages - BMW also doesn't do CarPlay unless you buy the navigation option. I use CarPlay so I don't have to have navigation - so BMW charges a fortune for navigation then charges for carplay - whether one time or subscription it is ridiculous. Owned a bunch of BMW over my life - never again and this is just one of the reasons.
I used to drive BMWs (two 3 series, a 5er, and an M3...plus a MINI JCW), but stopped due to reliability issues on the 3-series and cost of maintenance for them. Charging any fee for CarPlay is just greedy. I just bought a 2018 Subaru Outback 3.6R Touring this week. It has CarPlay entirely free: it's just a standard feature. In fact, all Outback trim levels down to the entry level have it standard.
This is the kind of thing that would keep me from going back to BMW. I was a huge fan of the brand but this really turns me off. It's akin to all the higher-end hotels charging $15/day for WiFi while the cheapest/crappiest hotels offer it free. It's just plain greed. Shame on BMW.
This is the kind of thing that would keep me from going back to BMW. I was a huge fan of the brand but this really turns me off. It's akin to all the higher-end hotels charging $15/day for WiFi while the cheapest/crappiest hotels offer it free. It's just plain greed. Shame on BMW.
I'm a former BMW customer that left the brand: too expensive, and not reliable enough for what you pay. I have been a Subaru customer since, and just bought my fourth Subaru, a 2018 Outback 3.6R Touring (had two '11 WRX STis and still have a '15 Forester). CarPlay is free of course and comes standard on all Outbacks.
The BMW subscription model for CarPlay is just plain greedy, IMO (as is the former $300 option). This is like high-end hotels charging for WiFi when cheaper ones provide it free. That certainly turns me off to ever considering a return to the marque.
The BMW subscription model for CarPlay is just plain greedy, IMO (as is the former $300 option). This is like high-end hotels charging for WiFi when cheaper ones provide it free. That certainly turns me off to ever considering a return to the marque.
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Not a good analogy. Apple Music pays some sort of royalty to the artists/songwriters. Not sure what free Spotify does...maybe they get paid via ads or are betting you will convert to a paying customer. What is BMW's cost? People want car makers to make the best cars for the cost. They want to use their phones, in their homes, offices, in the park, on the street, and yes, in their cars. If they could, many would purchase cars without the automakers' infotainment system and get a system from Alpine, Kenwood, or Panasonic which work seamlessly with their phone (which handles apps better). But the automakers have us by the balls because they have already charged for an infotainment system we don't like except for the radio and the camera display. Get an aftermarket system and odds are you lose backup camera display. No, I don't want to learn a different way to make calls, send/receive texts, use navigation, etc. just because I happen to be in MY car. So now Mazda and Toyota are finally seeing the light and BMW wants to get a never-ending income stream? As I see it, they will simply turn away potential buyers as I am sure Mazda And Toyota have learned.
Not a good analogy. Apple Music pays some sort of royalty to the artists/songwriters. Not sure what free Spotify does...maybe they get paid via ads or are betting you will convert to a paying customer. What is BMW's cost? People want car makers to make the best cars for the cost. They want to use their phones, in their homes, offices, in the park, on the street, and yes, in their cars. If they could, many would purchase cars without the automakers' infotainment system and get a system from Alpine, Kenwood, or Panasonic which work seamlessly with their phone (which handles apps better). But the automakers have us by the balls because they have already charged for an infotainment system we don't like except for the radio and the camera display. Get an aftermarket system and odds are you lose backup camera display. No, I don't want to learn a different way to make calls, send/receive texts, use navigation, etc. just because I happen to be in MY car. So now Mazda and Toyota are finally seeing the light and BMW wants to get a never-ending income stream? As I see it, they will simply turn away potential buyers as I am sure Mazda And Toyota have learned.
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Not to mention, the 3-year maintenance is included, but it certainly isn't free. BMWs come at a premium cost. For the most part the "free" maintenance amounts to oil changes, wiper blades, brake bleed, etc (I had 3 new BMWs with the maintenance). Things that are not expensive to do. Brakes should last longer than the 3 yr/36K mile maintenance period (and did on my 3er, 5er, and M3).
My '05 M3 was $25K more than my '11 WRX STI. Yes, the fit and finish, handling and technology were better, but not $25K worth better. And the reliability was not as good as on the STi.
I love driving BMWs, but make no mistake, you have to pay to play.
Yep and as cars move through to the 2nd and subsequent owners presumably the one-off payment won't be available so its renew the subscription or nothing - for something that is a one-off cost to the manufacturer decided on by the first owner.....? Nuts IMHO.