BMW Apps - First Impressions...
 

So I've splurged $250 on BMW apps (well, actually less, as it is a lease), so far all I have to say - it sucks! (I have iPhone 5)

1. You must use OEM Apple white cable to get it to work (or if you have cradle for your iPhone 4/4s). It does NOT work with Y-split cable. It does not seem to work via Bluetooth audio neither;

2. To get it to work, you must install FREE BMW "Connected" app, and launch it in order to establish connection via the cable. You can't lock the phone, and you must keep the App running in the foreground (so if you want to switch to another app, the connection breaks!)

3. It will read your Facebook posts and show you the calendar (from your iPhone). The display format are limited to what BMW Nav screen can show, it is low-tech, no graphics (you can't see Facebook image posts - at least I could not figure out how to...). I dont have Twitter, so can't comment on it.

4. The BMW Radio seems to be OK. Assume it will eat-into your data plan;

5. The BMW "News" is just that - the news of BMW, not the world/local news... Marketing of BMW stuff...

6. It shows, on the main screen, you odometer mileage, gallons left in the tank, fuel range - that is assuming you had it connected to the car. There is no Over-The-Air updates. All data flows via the cable.


So all in all so far - not worth $. I'll play more to see if there are any hidden gems. :wow:

With pics
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The only useful(semi) application with the smartphone option is "Pandora" but there you also have to keep the app running.

http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps64ec0744.jpg

You don't have to have BMW apps to run pandora. Just run the Pandora app on your phone, with USB connection to the car (I did that on my prior X5 which didn't have BMW apps).

Correct that's how it works on my M5. However, since I have BMW Apps it gets all screwy when you try to run it through "external connection". If you try to fast forward to the next song on Pandora it switches back to the iTunes library. It actually works better on the M5 vs the X5. The real benefit of the BMW Pandora app is that you have the ability to change stations, thumbs up, thumbs down and skip to next via the idrive.

Correction on the "News" app - you can subscribe to any site's RSS feed, and remove BMW Feeds

This has eluded me still.

I still cant play Pandora on my iPhone5 + 2010 X5 with smartphone integration. :dunno:

Try this...

Start playing your iTunes in the X5 by going to external sources and then choosing your iPhone. While it is playing exit back to the home screen or whatever screen your Pandora app is on your phone. Then open Pandora(do nothing with the idrive) and press play(in the app on your phone) whatever is playing in the X5 should now be replaced with whatever you chose in the Pandora app.

I will give this a try tonight, hopefully it is as simple as this... Thanks!!!

I haven't taken the time to figure it out, but is there a way to see text messages on the nav screen?

iphone 4 and apps... I hate having to randomly open the armrest to look at it in the docking station when I'm on a long road trip to see who I need to call...

Yes - you can! It is the setting that you need to enable on your iPhone - under settings/bluetooth, go into Devices, click on right blue arrow for your BMW XXXXX connection, and enable "Show Notifications". When text messages arrive, you will see the envelop icon, and can read the message under Telephone/Messages menu.

You are awesome, thanks for the info!

Thank you. I think all of these distractions from the road in front of you are the work of the devil (especially from a brand that used to promote active safety), so didn't much care that I did not have the functionality in my 2011 with iP5 - figured I had the wrong software version, wrong model year, or wrong combination of options - but it is nice to know!

iOS apps from Audible, Glympse, Rhapsody and TuneIn will be updated soon to support BMW apps

Doesnt work on my 2010 and iPhone 5... no sound is coming out...:dunno: