A few months ago, BMW announced that starting with its 2019 Model Year cars, it will start charging a monthly fee to use the Apple CarPlay system. As of yesterday, BMW’s ConnectedDrive website is advertising fees of $80 for 12 months of Apple CarPlay service or a 240-month membership for $300.
Until now, BMW charged a one-time fee of $300 to add Apple CarPlay capability to navigation-equipped BMW models.
All new BMWs with 7.0 now come with a year’s free CarPlay subscription, but after the first 12 months owners will have to decide whether to allow the subscription to lapse, or pay to continue to access it.
CarPlay is designed to offer a near-handsfree experience for drivers, with the car’s infotainment screen mirroring many aspects of an iPhone’s functionality – bringing apps such as Spotify and Google Maps into the car’s built-in screen, and making them accessible via voice commands.
BMWs currently are not compatible with Android Auto, although the company did announce its plans to integrate Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa services into its vehicles.
[Source: CarandDriver]
This or buy anyone else’s base economy car and get it free for life?
The BMW tax is now fully manifested.
BMW could’ve done better and not let people charge $80 for using CarPlay, but they could’ve done it for free. Heck, also add Android auto while you’re at it. Come on BMW, you know better.
incredible… BMW will be the only premium brand to propose that ! applecarplay is getting really more services in your car ( ie maps for navigation..) but pay for that… and i dont understant why BMW is now the only constructor to not propose android auto… are the bmw engineers not good ? i dont believe that… i think its dogma…
No Android because Google is not considered a partner that respects privacy.
Apple is deemed more trustworthy.
And if I am right, I think BMW is the only one to ask for money for Carplay because this is the wireless version, and Apple asks for royalties for that feature.
But I am also not happy about that, I am fine with Carplay with a wire.
Exactly
Pretty sure OnStar on the $9,995 Chevy Spark I shopped was subscription. I even have to pay for cable, phone, internet, heat, electricity, gas in my car – b*stards!
Pathetic 👎🏻 really cheap move, if anything Apple should charge it, not them. I’m pretty sure my 2018 4 series Gran Coupe will be my last bimmer, if the i4 is not up to the hype!
This is how it has been for all MY2019 cars.
Also why do you guys keep using the picture I edited for my YouTube Page with the logo cropped out?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iKR9K7Is4k&t=47s
Didn’t realize it was your image, looked like a standard press image. We can of course remove it
It’s not a problem! I just thought it was funny. Free publicity ;)
Utter crap. They are the only brand that charged for Carplay while refusing to offer Android Auto. Wifey is excited about changing to a Benz from BMW and I can see why now!
Change Wifey.
wifey will hate the benz infotainment …its slow and unresponsive and irritating…its like using a Samsung jet…in 2019
Haha, people that say they dont buy a (maybe 60k+) BMW because of paid carplay I am really happy about. Keep your damn low infotainment system Merc and live with it :D:D
No one needs you..
So buy a Supra, free for 4 yrs.
BMW needs to stop listening to McKinsey & Company Consultants about recurring revenue stream opportunities