Apple CarPlay has turn out to be a non-negotiable function for many patrons, and BMW helps it throughout almost your entire lineup. However when you dig into the main points—particularly on the brand new iDrive X system—there are nonetheless some gaps in how deeply CarPlay integrates with the automotive. That was a recurring matter throughout BMW’s technical discussions on the iX3 media launch, and the engineers defined a few of the selections behind the mixing with Apple CarPlay.
Solely Apple Maps and BMW Maps Present Up within the Panoramic Imaginative and prescient Show
BMW’s new Panoramic Imaginative and prescient show stretches throughout the bottom of the windshield and is supposed to combine key info from the automotive’s techniques, navigation, and driver help tech. And there are additionally a number of CarPlay apps that work together with it. In accordance with BMW engineers, the Apple Maps can mission turn-by-turn info into Panoramic Imaginative and prescient. However not Google Maps or Waze. That limitation issues, particularly within the U.S., the place Waze stays massively well-liked. Many American drivers depend on Waze for crowd-sourced site visitors updates, police alerts, accidents, and routing accuracy. BMW engineers acknowledged this, however apparently it’s a limitation by Apple not handing over the data of these apps like they do with Apple Maps.
What Can You Show within the Panoramic Imaginative and prescient?
BMW engineers identified one refined benefit of the brand new CarPlay setup. Although third-party navigation apps can’t mission instructions into Panoramic Imaginative and prescient —> solely true for apps apart from AppleMaps, the system does allow you to mix info from BMW Maps within the Panoramic Show whereas working Apple CarPlay on the primary middle display. The engineer defined that you may have charging info and route information proven throughout the Panoramic Imaginative and prescient show, whereas CarPlay handles media or different apps on the primary display. You’ll be able to even match the CarPlay wallpaper to the inside’s ambient lighting by adjusting the colour wheel, making a constant look throughout each shows.
No Waze or Google Maps Steerage in Head-Up Show Both
The identical limitation carries over to the Head-Up Show. BMW house owners can’t get turn-by-turn instructions from Waze, Google Maps, or different navigation apps projected within the HUD. The one exception once more is Apple Maps.
Charging and Route Planning Nonetheless Depend on BMW Maps
BMW’s personal navigation system stays the one strategy to get full EV route planning, together with charging preconditioning. Apple Maps can present chargers, nevertheless it can’t but inform a BMW to precondition the battery. BMW engineers didn’t verify whether or not deeper CarPlay-to-car communication is coming, however they hinted that the main hurdle is information possession. Apple needs buyer information. BMW needs buyer information. Neither needs to surrender routing logic or vehicle-state management.
Till that adjustments, the one method to make sure the battery heats up earlier than a quick charger is to route the journey by BMW Maps, not Apple Maps, not Google Maps, and never Waze.
General, CarPlay runs easily, masses immediately, and works rather well in iDrive X. However that’s the baseline expectation in 2025. The actual differentiator is how deeply it integrates with the automotive’s native show surfaces, navigation stack, and voice assistant. So we have now to see if additional integrations will come to life.
Wake Phrase Issues Add Friction For Some Customers
A stunning ache level, not less than for us, is the “Hey BMW” voice set off. Homeowners typically flip it off as a result of simply saying “BMW” in dialog prompts the assistant. That’s an issue for anybody filming critiques within the automotive and even casually speaking about BMWs, and in iDrive X, you may’t customise the wake phrase. BMW says a context-based voice mannequin is coming to cut back false triggers.
