BMW

While CarPlay has become very common in cars over the past several years, most manufacturers are still relying on a wired implementation that requires the user to plug his or her iPhone in using a Lightning cable connected to one of the vehicle's USB ports. The first and only car manufacturer to adopt wireless CarPlay so far is BMW (including its MINI brand), although Mercedes recently...

Apple today acknowledged a BMW wireless charging issue affecting the iPhone 15 series, and promised that it will make a fix available later this year. In an internal memo shared with Apple Authorized Service Providers, Apple said charging an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max with a "small number" of wireless phone chargers built into certain recent BMW and Toyota ...

If you have an iPhone 15 and drive a BMW, it might be best to avoid charging the device with the vehicle's wireless charging pad for now. Over the past week, some BMW owners have complained that their iPhone 15's NFC chip no longer works after charging the device with their vehicle's wireless charging pad, according to comments shared on the MacRumors Forums and X, formerly known as Twitter. ...

BMW today announced the i Vision Dee electric sport sedan at CES, a concept car seemingly positioned to rival Apple's long-rumored electric vehicle. The i Vision Dee uses some Amazon voice-recognition technology, but primarily showcases BMW's own software-first approach to next-generation vehicles with features designed to pre-emptively tackle tech companies like Apple that are seemingly on...

BMW this week announced two new vehicles with support for its Digital Key Plus feature, including the 2023 X1 and an all-new electric SUV called the iX1. Digital Key Plus allows for compatible BMW vehicles to be locked, unlocked, or started with an iPhone or Apple Watch, eliminating the need for a physical key. The standard NFC version of the feature requires the iPhone or Apple Watch to be...

BMW is temporarily shipping new cars without Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality due to the automaker changing its chip supplier (via Automotive News Europe). The new chips built into many BMWs manufactured this year require updated software to be able to run Apple ‌CarPlay‌ and Android Auto. BMW customers who receive a new car without ‌CarPlay‌ are being asked by dealerships to...

BMW's upcoming flagship electric vehicle the "i4" features one of the most integrated Apple CarPlay experiences yet, recent promotional material has shown. BMW describes the Apple ‌CarPlay‌ experience in the i4 as "even more seamless." The i4 features two curved displays and a heads-up display. All three displays can display information from Apple ‌CarPlay‌ simultaneously. The BMW i4...

BMW today announced future plans to roll out Digital Key Plus, an enhanced version of Apple's Car Keys feature that incorporates Ultra Wideband technology, enabling drivers to unlock and start their vehicle without needing to take their iPhone out of their pocket or bag. BMW says the feature will first launch in its new iX electric vehicle, slated to launch in Europe in late 2021 and in North...

Apple at WWDC announced Car Keys, a new feature designed to allow digital car keys to be added to the Wallet app on the iPhone, allowing iPhones and Apple Watch models to be used in lieu of a physical car key. Apple at the time said the feature would come to both iOS 13 and iOS 14, and the first ‌Car Keys‌ partner, BMW, today added support for the feature to its BMW Connected app. With ‌Car...

During its WWDC keynote today, Apple officially announced its digital car key technology, which will let users lock, unlock, and start cars using just their iPhone or Apple Watch. BMW was announced as Apple's lead partner on the initiative, and the German automaker shared additional information on the partnership in a press release today. BMW says that its Digital Key for ‌iPhone‌ will have...

BMW plans to offer CarPlay as a subscription-based service beginning next year, rather than charge a one-time fee, reports The Verge. The automaker will charge $80 per year for access to CarPlay starting next year, with no fee during the first year of ownership of a new BMW, according to Don Smith, technology product manager for BMW North America. BMW currently charges a $300 upgrade fee...

A luxurious, 400 horsepower BMW Z8 owned by late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is headed to auction next month at Sotheby's in New York. The winning bid is estimated to reach between $300,000 and $400,000. Jobs' ownership is documented through several service invoices accompanying the car, as well as a copy of a California registration or so-called "pink slip" in his name and at his personal...

Aircharge and BMW have teamed up to offer a customized wireless charging case for iPhones to take advantage of the new in-car wireless system that debuted in the BMW 5 Series Sedan earlier this year. The BMW 5 Series Sedan was one of the first cars to include wireless CarPlay support, allowing iPhones to integrate with the BMW iDrive ecosystem over Bluetooth instead of a Lightning cable....

BMW today unveiled its 2017 BMW 5 Series Sedan, which will be one of the first cars to include wireless CarPlay support. According to press materials released today, iPhones will be able to wirelessly integrate with the BMW iDrive system, connecting to the car over Bluetooth instead of through a Lightning cable. CarPlay is available in the BMW 5 Series Sedan too. Integrating the smartphone...

Over the past two weeks, an increasing number of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus users have experienced Bluetooth audio issues in vehicles. The majority of users experiencing problems appear to be BMW owners, regardless of model, but other vehicle brands such as Hyundai and Kia appear to be involved in limited cases. The issues range from audio cutting out to connectivity issues with infotainment ...

BMW this week became the latest CarPlay partner, introducing the iPhone-based software system as a $300 upgrade option in its 2 Series vehicles. 230i Coupe 230i Convertible 230i xDrive Coupe 230i xDrive Convertible M240i Coupe M240i Convertible M240i xDrive Coupe M240i xDrive Convertible Leaked price listings in June confirmed BMW's plans to offer CarPlay in select vehicles in North...

Nissan recently announced that the all-new 2017 Maxima, available now at dealerships worldwide, is its first vehicle with CarPlay support. Apple's dashboard software is included with the Maxima Platinum trim package, which is available for a suggested price of $39,990 in the United States. CarPlay is included as part of NissanConnect, a proprietary system with a wide range of features:...

Earlier this month, rumors suggested Apple had been in talks with BMW about potentially using the body of the electric BMW i3 as the basis for its Apple Car, but those talks did not progress into a deal. Reuters has now spoken with some inside sources at BMW, giving us more insight into what the two companies discussed and where their relationship might lead in the future. Apple CEO Tim Cook...

Apple and BMW were in negotiations to use the German car manufacturer's car platform for its electric i3 for Apple's rumored car project, code-named "Project Titan", according to a new report from German business magazine Manager Magazin [Google Translate]. The Cupertino company was interested in the body of the i3, which is a small hatchback that has a shell made out of carbon fiber,...

German carmaker BMW on Thursday denied that its discussions with Apple involved developing an electric car, according to Reuters. German automotive magazine Auto Motor und Sport reported hours earlier that Apple and BMW were in close negotiations about developing the automaker's all-electric i3 vehicle into a so-called "Apple Car." "The BMW spokesman said: 'We are in regular talks with companies...