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BMW Apple CarPlay subscription axed, Android Auto still coming

BMW has removed the three-year subscription plan for Apple CarPlay – and existing owners won't miss out.


BMW has killed costly subscription fees for Apple CarPlay in Australia.

The brand was alone in treating smartphone mirroring technology as a subscription service, charging $479 for three years.

All new BMWs with the Connected Package Professional will come with "unlimited [CarPlay] runtime at no additional cost", while existing owners who paid for a three-year subscription, or who bought a car with one year of free wireless CarPlay, will automatically have the cap removed from their vehicles by "early 2020".

Anyone who previously paid for a subscription that's now expired will also have CarPlay restored.

BMW currently offers the Connected Package Professional standard on its cheapest model, the 118i.

BMW has previously said its wireless Apple CarPlay system is more expensive to integrate into its iDrive and BMW OS infotainment systems,  although the likes of Audi and Mercedes-Benz have never charged for the technology in their similarly complex systems.

Speaking earlier this year at the 1 Series launch, BMW Australia boss Vikram Pawah said: “We always listen to our customers. What we heard until now was that only 50 per cent of people use Apple, it’s not everybody. We believe you should charge only people who are going to use it, not everyone.”

BMW hasn't yet confirmed whether Android Auto will be added to its infotainment system, but CarAdvice understands the technology is also coming to its vehicles in the near future.

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