BMW apps - how useful?

[aoysgelt]

Dealer just emailed - has M3 very close to my specs but no BMW apps. Any thoughts on how useful they are (or will be over next few years)? Seems like a minor thing to me - web radio is the only one interesting now.

Thank you

[scm6079]

Worthless. I was excited and actually made that a requirement when I was looking - but was very disappointed. The BMW online apps you get w/o the BMW apps package are better. With my iPhone 4S I find it nothing but annoying.

That said, the a2dp Bluetooth support is nice. My old e92 (a 2011) did not have it - so overall the 2013 phone integration is much nicer.

I still have high hopes that in the future BMW apps may be cool -- I'd love to have the office REALLY work with email, text, etc. read to me.

-Scott

PS- my m3 is my commuter, so I have at least 90 minutes driving every day -- every little tech nicety helps. I'm also a major tech nerd.

[scm6079]

Btw, here's a link to the app I mentioned I liked: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-b...387675830?mt=8

That works well - and does not require BMW apps to work.

-Scott

[aoysgelt]

You do get streaming/etc without apps - correct? Apps are only - well - apps...

[Baysic408]

Originally Posted by scm6079

Btw, here's a link to the app I mentioned I liked: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-b...387675830?mt=8

That works well - and does not require BMW apps to work.

-Scott

Thanks for the mobile app link. Just downloaded if and am gonna check it out. I just bought a '13 M3 premium package, comp package and cold weather package. The BMW apps seems to be the only thing I'm thinking wtf is this for???

Cheers!

[VMcV3y]

Originally Posted by Baysic408

Thanks for the mobile app link. Just downloaded if and am gonna check it out. I just bought a '13 M3 premium package, comp package and cold weather package. The BMW apps seems to be the only thing I'm thinking wtf is this for???

Cheers!

It is a bit of a let-down. I think if you like streaming music (over what you have on your devices) and if you like books read to you, then it's decent.

I don't want it to be too invasive on the driving distractions, but I think they could do a little better.

Last night there was an update on iOS with the BMW Connected app. A few changes (additions) that are interesting.

I would LOVE to see an option where it can read video/audio from my iPhone and let me use my own Sat/Nav app (Navigon) instead of the sub-par BMW Sat/Nav. /rant off. LOL


.

[chris3g]

does anyone feel that it is worth it for the streaming audio apps? Mog, pandora, rhapsody?

My Sirius trial is expired, and the audio quality is garbage so i was thinking about not renewing it. I also use spotify over USB or bluetooth but the interface doesn't work very well.

[JJunkins]

I plug in and load up Pandora. That's all I use on it. For me, the rest is somewhat useless.

[THE TECH]

You don't have to have Apps to stream. I do however enjoy using them from time-to-time.

[MRV99]

I have it and never use it. Look at what it actually supports but for me it is never used. You can always add it in the future if BMW adds a new app/feature which you want

[VMcV3y]

As an aside, the one app that I use the most (with the vehicle) is the BMW Remote app; not to control door locking, but for the Google Local Search.

Google Local Search is waaay better than the POI (POS&*T) SatNav database search (I have the updated version, too).

Then what's great, is that you can send it straight to the vehicle and select and GO to that via SatNav.

- V


.

[jphughan]

I got it, and in hindsight I probably wouldn't get it again. You get Bluetooth Audio streaming without it. The ONLY benefit to BMW Apps that I can see at the moment is that controlling Pandora from a car that DOESN'T have it is apparently finicky (THE TECH mentioned that to me once in a separate thread), whereas it's solid with BMW Apps. But as it turns out, I don't use Pandora much in my car. Actually it turns out I hardly use the stereo at all given the symphony available under the hood.

Bottom line: If all that's missing from the car you're looking at is BMW Apps, buy it and don't look back!

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

Originally Posted by aoysgelt

Dealer just emailed - has M3 very close to my specs but no BMW apps. Any thoughts on how useful they are (or will be over next few years)? Seems like a minor thing to me - web radio is the only one interesting now.

Thank you

No need for it ... purchase an iPad and you be good to go

[i001947]

It was so not good, I didn't buy it either.

[radiantm3]

There's some pretty cool stuff coming for BMW apps. I've seen some of it. One thing that BMW Apps does now that most people don't know about is provide a Pandora iDrive interface. If you use pandora a lot, it's pretty slick. Just plug your phone in, launch pandora and you'll see a pandora option in your car's radio list. Select that and you get the full pandora interface on your iDrive.

[Roundown]

Originally Posted by THE TECH

You don't have to have Apps to stream. I do however enjoy using them from time-to-time.

Can't Mike code 6NR on a non-6NR '13?

[///WeissBisBlau]

Originally Posted by scm6079

Btw, here's a link to the app I mentioned I liked: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-b...387675830?mt=8

That works well - and does not require BMW apps to work.

-Scott

Been playing around with the MyBMW Remote app some, but the only options i have on there are for the Google search and the lock/unlock button. According to the app tutorial, I guess the thing is supposed to also be able to flash your lights, sound your horn, and turn your air conditioning on remotely. Do any of yours do these things?

[BPMSport]

Personally I dislike apps.

Only good thing about it IMO is the Pandora integration. But the second you use something on your phone it closes. In terms of the other features, facebook, twitter, etc.. pretty useless I think, especially since you have to have the connected drive app open for it to work, or everything closes.

Combox + BMW Live/Online activation is a better way to go.

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showpos...66&postcount=1

[odiesback]

I use the BMW app a lot, especially the web radio and Pandora.

Glad I got it. It was just $250 on top of $75K so no big deal.

[///WeissBisBlau]

Yeah, I do like the Pandora integration. I listen to Pandora a lot anyway, so to have it hook into the car like that is--for me, at least--really pretty cool. The BIG downside for Apps to me is that you have to leave the app running and the screen unlocked. Kind of a pain, but if you want to just set it to Pandora and hit the road, you're golden! And, I'm hoping they'll bring more apps in all along that will be useful.

[Ml3456]

Pandora sounds great on the car. Is there a Android version that works yet? I didn't know about he Pandora interface available.

[mdosu]

you shouldn't be reading twitter and facebook while driving anyway... if you stream internet radio often, then I suppose it's useful.