Apple Car play users...

[spooky7]

Guys, I'm picking up my m3 this weekend equipped w apples car play. The more I read, the more it appears that many are just using the bmw infotainment system instead of car play. Any guys using car play? Adv/disc?
Thx.

[MFNATIK]

I use both Android and iPhone. Both phones sync to the car but you can only use one system or the other at a time. I have to turn off CarPlay if I want to use my Android and vice versa. My iPhone is my work phone and I'm really an Android guy. If I had a choice tho, I actually think CarPlay is pretty nice and I would use it more if I was using an iPhone as my primary phone.

[Racer35]

I mostly use CarPlay but sometimes prefer BMW native navigation at night (when the CarPlay map doesn't go into night mode like it's supposed to). CarPlay also doesn't integrate into the 8 programmable buttons by the radio very well. I'd buy it again as-is but will be much happier when they tighten up the integration and fix some bugs.

[itrocks4u]

Originally Posted by Racer35

I mostly use CarPlay but sometimes prefer BMW native navigation at night (when the CarPlay map doesn't go into night mode like it's supposed to). CarPlay also doesn't integrate into the 8 programmable buttons by the radio very well. I'd buy it again as-is but will be much happier when they tighten up the integration and fix some bugs.

When running maps via CarPlay, is it using your phone's data?

[Arcades]

I would straight use my phone. I have both S7 Edge and 7 Plus and I dislike iphone's standard Map app because it is STILL inaccurate.

If you use Apple CarPlay, you have no choice but to use the iPhone's standard Map App, if you don't you can choose between the two. So long as your phone is bluetooth connected, just use the Google Maps (or whatever you happen to choose) and the directions will be played through the speakers of your car.

You really don't need Navigation at all in cars now a days but, us paying 60k+ on a car, it should be there by standard which not all European car companies agree on.

iPhone (at least for me) is more friendly with the newer cars and their newer firmware. Android isn't as friendly for BMW.

Anything played on your phone, uses your data. That should be a given unless your car has 4G and your phone is connected using that.

[Racer35]

Originally Posted by itrocks4u

When running maps via CarPlay, is it using your phone's data?

I haven't confirmed but I'm almost certain that it does, unless you have your car's hotspot setup with a data plan and you connect your phone to it.

[LM3K]

I'm able to use both CarPlay and the Bmw navigation system rather easily... I toggle between CarPlay and the native navigation with the physical buttons. While in CarPlay pressing Menu once then->nav/map will get you into bmw's navigation system and then hitting com or media gets you right back to CarPlay for music and phone integration. I wish the integration were tighter and more flexible obviously but the workaround is quick and I've had no issues. I do prefer bmws navigation for displaying the directions on the HUD.

[mstevens]

Originally Posted by Arcades

You really don't need Navigation at all in cars now a days

Yeah, you do.

There are LOTS of areas that have either very poor cellular data or none at all. I live in such an area. I'll have a passenger who is looking at a phone with a moving vehicle icon but no map data (thus useless) while I have full map data. The same is true for searching for POI's. It's great to have that online search possibility, but 70% of the time that just isn't an option for me.

BMW's nav system isn't just GPS, either. It includes inertial nav, wheel sensors, etc. That means it works very well with no GPS signal at all. The common example is long tunnels, double-deck bridges, or cities with dense, tall buildings which can confound GPS. A less common situation would be the poorly-connected GPS cable on an old Z4 that would cause intermittent loss of GPS (the dealer replaced 2 headunits under warranty before finally believing me about the cable). It usually took nearly a week of daily driving before the nav would lose my position with no GPS at all.

Don't forget the head-up display, either. That thing is amazing and was one of the features of my wife's X3's after which I lusted through years of driving Z4's. In heavy traffic or sketchy road conditions in unfamiliar areas the head-up display of navigation information is much more usable and safer than looking at the Control Display, let alone a phone.

I've used all sorts of mapping apps on many different phones and I've used a number of standalone satnav devices. I prefer BMW's integrated nav to all of them.

[MarinoB]

If your an iphone/mac OS user its a must have in my opinion.
If you use Apple Music then its a no brainer. This has been my favorite part of having carplay. Having access to all Apple Music content is great.
Another plus is being able to type in or bring up navigation directions from your phone.

[mstevens]

Originally Posted by MarinoB

If your an iphone/mac OS user its a must have in my opinion.

Eh... I just don't find myself using it much.

Thus far, I haven't been able to figure out how to make some of the potentially useful features work. A prime example would be reading (or having read to me) text messages. I can do this in iDrive. I haven't been able to in CarPlay.

Originally Posted by MarinoB

Another plus is being able to type in or bring up navigation directions from your phone.

Very easily done from the BMW Connected app. This has the massive advantage of using Google Maps (with lots of accurate POI's) instead of Apple Maps (with far fewer and less accurate POI's).

[Professor///M]

Originally Posted by spooky7

Guys, I'm picking up my m3 this weekend equipped w apples car play. The more I read, the more it appears that many are just using the bmw infotainment system instead of car play. Any guys using car play? Adv/disc?
Thx.

If you're a previous BMW owner, just use iDrive. CarPlay seems to be more of a "hobby" as Apple would put it in terms of its overall development. It's a little slow, has been unreliably connecting (I've had the car 2 weeks and I've already had to reconnect carplay 2x).

I really want to like the integration, but I haven't so far. I haven't been in the car long enough to really get a grasp of all of the features yet.

[GOLFFRR]

I have car play. I used it for maybe 5 min then turned it off. Others I talk to RAVE about how good it is, for me it wasn't ideal.

[Xerxes480]

The worst part of CarPlay - no Waze support!

-X-

[instantexpert]

I find it useful for the SIRI, text message and Spotify integration. I'll stick with BMW native for navigation since I can use the BMW Connected app to seamlessly send destinations to my car.

For $300, get it. There's no great loss if you choose not to use it.