Apple CarPlay has become a non-negotiable feature for most buyers and BMW supports it across almost its entire lineup. But when you look deeper into the details – particularly the new iDrive, that was a recurring theme during BMW’s technical discussions at the iX3’s media launch, and engineers explained some of the decisions behind the integration with Apple CarPlay.
Only Apple Maps and BMW Maps are shown in the Panoramic Vision Display
BMW’s new Panoramic Vision display extends across the bottom edge of the windshield and is intended to integrate important information from the vehicle systems, navigation and driver assistance technology. And there are also some CarPlay apps that interact with it. According to BMW engineers, Apple Maps can project turn-by-turn information in Panoramic Vision. But not Google Maps or Waze. This limitation is particularly important in the US, where Waze remains extremely popular. Many American drivers rely on Waze for crowd-sourced traffic information, police alerts, accidents, and route accuracy. BMW engineers have acknowledged this, but apparently this is a limitation in that Apple does not share the information from these apps, as is the case with Apple Maps.
What can you show in the panoramic image?
BMW engineers pointed out a subtle advantage of the new CarPlay setup. Although third-party navigation apps cannot project directions in Panoramic Vision (only applies to apps other than AppleMaps), the system allows you to combine information from BMW Maps in the panoramic display while running Apple CarPlay on the main central screen. The engineer explained that charging information and route data can be displayed on the Panoramic Vision display, while CarPlay manages media or other apps on the main screen. You can even adjust the CarPlay wallpaper to match the ambient interior lighting by adjusting the color wheel, creating a consistent look across both displays.
Also no Waze or Google Maps navigation in the head-up display
The same restriction also applies to the head-up display. BMW owners cannot get detailed directions from Waze, Google Maps or other navigation apps projected in the HUD. The only exception is Apple Maps.
Loading and route planning still rely on BMW Maps
BMW’s own navigation system remains the only way to get full EV route planning including charging preconditioning. Apple Maps can show chargers, but can’t yet tell a BMW to precondition the battery. BMW engineers haven’t confirmed whether there will be more extensive CarPlay-to-car communication, but they have hinted that the biggest hurdle is data ownership. Apple wants customer data. BMW wants customer data. Nobody wants to do without routing logic or vehicle status control.
Until that changes, the only way to ensure the battery heats up before a fast charger is to plan the trip via BMW Maps, not Apple Maps, not Google Maps, and not Waze.
Overall, CarPlay runs smoothly, loads instantly, and works really well in iDrive, so we’ll have to wait and see if further integrations materialize.
Wake word issues cause problems for some users
A surprising pain point, at least for us, is the “Hey BMW” voice trigger. Owners often turn it off because the assistant is activated when you say “BMW” in a conversation. That’s a problem for anyone filming in-car reviews or even casually talking about BMWs, and in iDrive X you can’t customize the wake word. According to BMW, a context-based language model is coming to reduce false triggers.
