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The 2017 BMW 5 Series is the first vehicle to get wireless Apple CarPlay control

The 2017 BMW 5 Series has been unveiled, bringing with it a host of advanced technology and features - including a handy world-first for fans of the Apple iPhone.


BMW's G30 5 Series debuts wireless Apple CarPlay integration, which eliminates the use of a cable. If you're anything like this writer, with a ritualistic phone charging routine, this will be a godsend.

Originally, Apple CarPlay could only work over a wired 'Lightning' USB connection, due to concerns over battery life and the data bandwidth required by the Bluetooth protocol.

Additionally, CarPlay now supports vehicle manufacturer produced applications, which allow the user to control certain aspects of the car without leaving the CarPlay interface. This feature has begun to appear in the vehicles of other brands, in recent months.

High-resolutions screens, like the 10.25-inch display in the new 5 Series, also benefit from changes to the protocol CarPlay uses, now supporting greater screen resolution mirroring, along with modification to screen display ratios.

Note: image at top of article is a CarAdvice mock. An official image of CarPlay operating within BMW iDrive is still to be revealed.

The changes officially made their way through to developers with the introduction of iOS 9, the 5 Series being the first production vehicle with the wireless CarPlay technology.

Wireless CarPlay tech is backwards compatible all the way through to iPhone 4S users. And, while it's not a first for a production vehicle, the 5 Series also features wireless phone charging and Android Auto.

CarAdvice will bring you a video demonstration of wireless Apple CarPlay when we get up close and personal with the G30 5 Series.

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