iDrive & Apps

Malfunction · 11-09-2012, 07:31 AM

Hey guys,

I'm looking at purchasing a 2011 1M or M3. I'm trying to get my head around BMW apps. I notice there are two apps available on the iPhone.

My BMW - Remote and BMW Connected.

1) Will either of these work without BMW Apps installed?
2) Does the iPhone cradle work regardless if you have apps installed?

Thanks

I35it · 11-09-2012, 08:33 AM

They work but its not all that great. I have it with my iphone and the only thing cool about the connected is that you can see local Wiki stuff when your in a new town and there radio stations are neat also. Remote is just a cool thing to flash your lights with your phone so, useless.

Good luck with your buy

Malfunction · 11-09-2012, 08:45 AM

Thanks for the info. That is good to hear. Truth is the only portion I really want to use is the google maps search. I have that ability now with my current ride and I use it very often.

bueller · 12-02-2012, 09:04 AM

I have iDrive & the Apps package in my car. TO answer your questions, you do not need the cradle to work with the Apps package. There are some interesting features, for example, you can have the iDrive system read your emails to you, you can post to and read from Twitter and Facebook and RSS while driving, which seems like a bad idea. You can also stream radio from all over the world, which is kind of cool.

Thing is, a friend of mine who has a 135i with iDrive just had the system take a dump. It was covered under warranty, and the dealer's solution was to order a while new unit from Germany. This is not to say it was the only solution to fixing the problem, but it got me thinking...

1 - I am hoping to keep my car for a while, if something was to go wrong with the iDrive system, I can't imagine the fix would be cheap.

2 - Unlike an Android phone, or iPhone, the OS in the car, while you may get a few maintenance updates via USB, I think it is very unlikely that BMW will offer an upgrade from version 3 to version 4 (I don't know what version they are actually on, just using numbers for an example)

3 - The map upgrades are prices similarly to buying an after market GPS. I have a Garmin in my other car, and it has traffic, lifetime map updates and was a fraction of the price of the iDrive system.

Considering the above, personally, while I really like the iDrive system, and being able to copy music to the hard drive I really like, I kind of wish for reliability sake, I had forgone the system.

Just my .02

I don't think you will be disappointed if you were to find a 1M!

Good luck on your search...

11-09-2012, 07:31 AM	#1
Malfunction Private 5 Rep 80 Posts Drives: 2015 Porsche GTS Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Montreal iTrader: (0)	iDrive & Apps Hey guys, I'm looking at purchasing a 2011 1M or M3. I'm trying to get my head around BMW apps. I notice there are two apps available on the iPhone. My BMW - Remote and BMW Connected. 1) Will either of these work without BMW Apps installed? 2) Does the iPhone cradle work regardless if you have apps installed? Thanks
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11-09-2012, 08:33 AM	#2
I35it all day 48 Rep 1,181 Posts Drives: 2012 135i Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Temple, TX iTrader: (10) Garage List 2004 Toyota Tacoma [0.00] 2009 VW GTI [0.00] 2012 135i [10.00]	They work but its not all that great. I have it with my iphone and the only thing cool about the connected is that you can see local Wiki stuff when your in a new town and there radio stations are neat also. Remote is just a cool thing to flash your lights with your phone so, useless. Good luck with your buy
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11-09-2012, 08:45 AM	#3
Malfunction Private 5 Rep 80 Posts Drives: 2015 Porsche GTS Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Montreal iTrader: (0)	Thanks for the info. That is good to hear. Truth is the only portion I really want to use is the google maps search. I have that ability now with my current ride and I use it very often.
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12-02-2012, 09:04 AM	#4
bueller First Lieutenant 174 Rep 310 Posts Drives: 2018 EB F31 2018 LG F80 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Ontario iTrader: (0) Garage List 2020 BMW M2 CS [9.83] 2021 Porsche 718 Sp ... [8.50] 2021 BMW R1250GSA [0.00] 2014 Boxster S [0.00] 2013 BMW R1200GS [0.00] 2011 1 Series M Coupe [10.00]	I have iDrive & the Apps package in my car. TO answer your questions, you do not need the cradle to work with the Apps package. There are some interesting features, for example, you can have the iDrive system read your emails to you, you can post to and read from Twitter and Facebook and RSS while driving, which seems like a bad idea. You can also stream radio from all over the world, which is kind of cool. Thing is, a friend of mine who has a 135i with iDrive just had the system take a dump. It was covered under warranty, and the dealer's solution was to order a while new unit from Germany. This is not to say it was the only solution to fixing the problem, but it got me thinking... 1 - I am hoping to keep my car for a while, if something was to go wrong with the iDrive system, I can't imagine the fix would be cheap. 2 - Unlike an Android phone, or iPhone, the OS in the car, while you may get a few maintenance updates via USB, I think it is very unlikely that BMW will offer an upgrade from version 3 to version 4 (I don't know what version they are actually on, just using numbers for an example) 3 - The map upgrades are prices similarly to buying an after market GPS. I have a Garmin in my other car, and it has traffic, lifetime map updates and was a fraction of the price of the iDrive system. Considering the above, personally, while I really like the iDrive system, and being able to copy music to the hard drive I really like, I kind of wish for reliability sake, I had forgone the system. Just my .02 I don't think you will be disappointed if you were to find a 1M! Good luck on your search...
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