BMW expanding ConnectedDrive


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BMW expanding ConnectedDrive with web browsing, Siri, S Voice and Android support

bmw-connected-drive-revamp.jpg

BMW has been refining its ConnectedDrive services for months, but that was apparently just the prelude to greater things: the automaker just outlined a roadmap for 2013 and beyond. The company is rolling out iDrive 4.2 firmware for the 2014 model year that supports web browsing while stopped, iAP Bluetooth control through iOS devices and integration with both Siri Eyes Free and S Voice. The new revision also brings voice search for locations through Google, and a ConnectedDrive Store lets drivers buy services without leaving the car.

There's more to come in the long run. BMW will add support for Android apps later this year, for a start. It also wants cellular services to be commonplace. Many of its cars will have built-in SIM cards from July onward, and the company expects that cellular access will eventually be standard or near-standard worldwide -- certainly in i-series cars, where it's needed for remote control. About the only catch to the strategy is the current lack of upgrade plans for those with older vehicles. If you're using a 2013 BMW or earlier, you may have to settle for owning the Penultimate Driving Machine.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/06/bmw-expanding-connecteddrive/

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  • 2 months later...

Its about time! It did disappoint me a bit to see iOS7 not being added alongside iDrive. Considering I love German cars and Benz NEEDED that tech upgrade (the interface in my mom's C250 is AWFUL), Siri being added to the Bimmer is pretty darn good to me! BMW's are just so much fun to drive, among the best handling car on the planet, and this is one of the many cherries on top.

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Yeah, this is all the rave about at the BMW forums. I have a 2013 model year 335i so it doesn't have these new features :( I would've waited for these features, but I really needed a new car.

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Yeah, this is all the rave about at the BMW forums. I have a 2013 model year 335i so it doesn't have these new features :( I would've waited for these features, but I really needed a new car.

I'm in no rush but I'm needing a car more and more for school and work. I'm saving for a 535i 2014. See if you can do a trade-in for a 4 series

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I'm in no rush but I'm needing a car more and more for school and work. I'm saving for a 535i 2014. See if you can do a trade-in for a 4 series

Nice, the 5 series is good. That market segment has a nice selection and many models in new generations - you have the new E class, the newish 5 class, the newish A6, the newish Lexus GS, all good options. 

 

:| I just bought a new car, and still paying it off. I am not sure what to think of the 4 series I don't mind the naming scheme, but it just looks dull for a coupe. If anything, I'd go for the M3/M4/M4 Gran Coupe or maybe a 6 series Gran Coupe in 3-4 years. 

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