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      07-27-2022, 10:48 AM   #1
Gibplayer
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iDrive 6 Wireless Apple Carplay in 2015 F80

So after two months of Apple Carplay in my 2015 F80, I thought I would give a review.
I decided to go with the Harman iDrive 6 OEM Plug and Play NBT EVO Retrofit with wireless carplay from retrofitmybimmer.com. Rob from retrofitmybimmer is a real standup guy and it was a pleasure working with him. I had a few initial questions regarding the compatibility and fitment since you don't see too many OEM(complete headunit swap) Apple Carplay upgrades for the 2015 F8x platform. I provided my VIN and he responded almost instantly with all the information I needed to make an educated decision.
Total price out the door for me was $1349.99. The price tends to fluctuate on the website and I had a Military discount applied to the purchase as well. After I submitted my order, Rob hit me up and said inventory would be arriving in a few days and that I would get tracking when its in. A few days later he sent tracking along with a comprehensive installation guide and a video. The unit arrived packed very well and came with all the tools and cables I needed to install. You literally do not need anything other than a few rags to protect your interior. Rob provides everything.
The NBT EVO iD6 headunit that Rob provides is already precoded with your VIN so the process is a simple plug and play. Taking the dash apart is very simple and can be done with a pry tool or your hands. After removing a few screws with the provided screwdriver, I had my old iD4 headunit removed and I got to work reconnecting the cables to the new iD6 headunit.
I ran into a few issues (operator error) and needed to get in touch with Rob. He called me not even 10min after hitting him up to walk me through troubleshooting. Rob provides an ENET OBD Cable which came in handy. He was able to remote into my car via my computer and cable. I had accidently "reset" the unit so he needed to recode it to my VIN. It was a super smooth and easy process and this isn't a typical step that one would expect to encounter. I only bring it up to show how prepared Rob is and how willing he is to assist with any issues that may pop up. Not only is he really good at his job but he's a very solid dude. We are both Navy Vets so we had alot of things in common which made for a very pleasant phone call.
After about an hour, I had everything back together and it was time to test out the functionality. iD6 is vastly different from iD4 with a whole new GUI and a few more features that iD4 does not have. In a 2015 F80 you aren't able to use all of the iD6 features like BMW navigation, connected drive, etc but that's all negligible since I use Waze, Apple Maps, and everything else Carplay offers anyways. with the system being wireless, as soon as I get into the car and turn it on, it connects to my phone. Its a very seamless process and definitely feels OEM. My stock iDrive controller works very well with the new iD6 system and Apple Carplay. The buttons all do exactly what they are supposed to.
Being able to keep my phone in my pocket or charging in the center console all while having Waze, Spotify, etc up on my screen really adds to the overall driving experience and gives the interior a clean look with no phone mount or charging cables laying around. I recently took an 8hr road trip and Apple Carplay worked perfectly the whole time. I routinely use Spotify or listen to podcasts to and from work and its operated flawlessly.

I highly recommend retrofitmybimmer and Rob. Customer Service is top notch and the quality of the product is OEM+. Although there are cheaper options out there, I feel this is the superior choice if you want OEM wireless Apple Carplay and an upgraded headunit.
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Last edited by Gibplayer; 07-27-2022 at 01:42 PM..
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      07-27-2022, 11:24 AM   #2
llvsixaxisvll
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Sweet. Also did this retrofit on my 03-15 build date 2015 M4 that couldn't be coded to ID6Lite and all the better for it. But I used a seemingly reputable seller on eBay, and it came with wireless CarPlay, the updated idrive OEM controller unit + OEM touch screen, and a HW 4.1 version of the head-unit for what it's worth for around the $1.5k mark all in. Everything was retained, including factory maps, less the connected drive features since no matching ATM box was available at the time. Seller did say sometimes he gets the matching module if I wanted to wait and pay an extra penny to keep Connected Services. Wasn't too worried about being scammed as the guy was very responsive and had PayPal / eBay protection. Mentioning it in case people were wondering about other routes, along with associated costs. Also worth to note, when I contacted some of the well known coders on here, they both told me it just wasn't possible. 🤷🏾*♂️
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      07-27-2022, 11:43 AM   #3
Gibplayer
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Quote:
Originally Posted by llvsixaxisvll View Post
Sweet. Also did this retrofit on my 03-15 build date 2015 M4 that couldn't be coded to ID6Lite and all the better for it. But I used a seemingly reputable seller on eBay, and it came with wireless CarPlay, the updated idrive OEM controller unit + OEM touch screen, and a HW 4.1 version of the head-unit for what it's worth for around the $1.5k mark all in. Everything was retained, including factory maps, less the connected drive features since no matching ATM box was available at the time. Seller did say sometimes he gets the matching module if I wanted to wait and pay an extra penny to keep Connected Services. Wasn't too worried about being scammed as the guy was very responsive and had PayPal / eBay protection. Mentioning it in case people were wondering about other routes, along with associated costs. Also worth to note, when I contacted some of the well known coders on here, they both told me it just wasn't possible. 🤷🏾*♂️
Yea, I think people may be scared away by the initial costs to do this type of upgrade but for me its worth every penny. I just feel its better to go with the closest option to OEM on a car like the F80 vs. going with something like an external MMI box.
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      07-27-2022, 12:00 PM   #4
llvsixaxisvll
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gibplayer View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by llvsixaxisvll View Post
Sweet. Also did this retrofit on my 03-15 build date 2015 M4 that couldn't be coded to ID6Lite and all the better for it. But I used a seemingly reputable seller on eBay, and it came with wireless CarPlay, the updated idrive OEM controller unit + OEM touch screen, and a HW 4.1 version of the head-unit for what it's worth for around the $1.5k mark all in. Everything was retained, including factory maps, less the connected drive features since no matching ATM box was available at the time. Seller did say sometimes he gets the matching module if I wanted to wait and pay an extra penny to keep Connected Services. Wasn't too worried about being scammed as the guy was very responsive and had PayPal / eBay protection. Mentioning it in case people were wondering about other routes, along with associated costs. Also worth to note, when I contacted some of the well known coders on here, they both told me it just wasn't possible. 🤷🏾*♂️
Yea, I think people may be scared away by the initial costs to do this type of upgrade but for me its worth every penny. I just feel its better to go with the closest option to OEM on a car like the F80 vs. going with something like an external MMI box.
Agreed. First got the MMI headunit and then just the box from Andream and it was the most janky feeling thing ever. Lagging, constant sound cutouts and delays and not close to OEM reliability. Not sure how all the F3X guys can recommend them, as I noticed on that side of the forums. Returning was also a huge pain, and even though they ship from a US warehouse and was well within their guaranteed timeframe, return was in China and was expected to pay close to what the unit costs to pay for shipping. After months, was glad the CC company sided with me.
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      07-27-2022, 12:54 PM   #5
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Remote-bimmer (not bimmer-remote) did me well!
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      07-27-2022, 12:56 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by FrankMstein View Post
Remote-bimmer (not bimmer-remote) did me well!
What year and iDrive version do you have?
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      07-27-2022, 12:59 PM   #7
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NBT EVO ID6 but not controller. '17+???
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      07-27-2022, 01:02 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FrankMstein View Post
NBT EVO ID6 but not controller. '17+???
Sure, you can use it. Absolutely no issues. Screen can remain old as well.
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      07-27-2022, 01:05 PM   #9
Gibplayer
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FrankMstein View Post
NBT EVO ID6 but not controller. '17+???
I use the stock controller that came with my 2015 F80. It works just fine. i.e. Menu button = Menu, Media button = Media, Telephone button = Telephone, etc. It works as intended in the Apple Carplay GUI as well. easy to scroll through and click on whatever I need. Only thing I upgraded was the headunit.
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      07-28-2022, 02:20 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gibplayer View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by FrankMstein View Post
NBT EVO ID6 but not controller. '17+???
I use the stock controller that came with my 2015 F80. It works just fine. i.e. Menu button = Menu, Media button = Media, Telephone button = Telephone, etc. It works as intended in the Apple Carplay GUI as well. easy to scroll through and click on whatever I need. Only thing I upgraded was the headunit.
Uh yeah, thanks. Been working well for a year like this. I don't have any issues or concerns. I just hate that 3G is dead.
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      07-28-2022, 01:36 PM   #11
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my god. just looking at the dash all torn apart like that gives me anxiety lol.
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      07-28-2022, 03:04 PM   #12
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my god. just looking at the dash all torn apart like that gives me anxiety lol.
Super easy.
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