We all know the danger that can come with looking at our phones while driving. As such, Apple came up with its Car Play software meant to keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
iPhone users will find that the CarPlay interface looks and works just like their device. In fact, you can press the voice-control button on your steering wheel and speak directly to Siri, the phone’s digital assistant. She can then find directions, cue the music you want to hear or send texts for you, no hands required.
On top of that, Apple Car Play keeps in mind the fact that you probably don’t just use iMessage and Apple Music. Other apps are compatible with the software, including Spotify, Pandora, Waze, WhatsApp, NPR one and more.
It makes sense, then, why drivers would want this built-in software when buying a new car — it makes the car safer and easier to drive in our increasingly digital world.
So, many car manufacturers have begun to incorporate Apple Car Play into their vehicles. Indeed, they have to figure out how to integrate the software themselves. But Apple doesn’t charge a licensing fee for companies to use the Car Play app in their vehicles.
That fact makes the latest BMW news a bit of a head-scratcher. All BMWs with the updated 7.0 operating system will come with Car Play and a free year’s worth of the service. After that, though, it will cost £85 for the next year, £255 for three years or a whopping £295 for lifetime access to CarPlay.
Indeed, such a plan will be a great moneymaker for the car brand. The subscription sticks with the owner, not with the car itself. So, if someone hands off their BMW, the new driver will have to pay for a CarPlay subscription, should they want to use it.
And, although this currently applies to only 65 percent of BMWs vehicles, the brand plans to use the same payment structure in more and more of their cars.
They explain the cost of the software by saying that it allows them to keep down the overall price of the car. On top of that, it gives drivers the opportunity to forego paying for an add-on that they don’t need — not everyone will have a device compatible with Apple software.
Still, the fact remains that many other brands, from Chevy to Porsche to Ford to Ferrari, offer Apple CarPlay within their interfaces. And, in most cases, you’ll find that the software comes standard with the vehicle — no need to pay for a subscription service.
As previously mentioned, Apple doesn’t charge for licensing. So, with a BMW, you seem to be paying for the additional configuration they make to put Car Play into their operating system.
In the end, it’s up to you, the driver — would you pay for CarPlay in your brand new BMW? Or would you forego the additional price of the software? Your answer could be what keeps the program going or changes BMW’s offerings in the future.