News
BMW Group announces iPod Out support for iOS 4
By Charles Starrett
Contributing Editor
Published: Thursday, July 8, 2010
News Categories: iPhone, iPod
The BMW Group, makers of both BMW and Mini automobiles, has announced its support for the new iPod Out feature of iOS 4 for the iPhone and iPod touch. Using iPod Out, BMW’s new interface technology enables the company’s in-car infotainment systems to display and control music playback via the vehicle’s main display—using a Click Wheel iPod-like menu—and interface controls, while leaving room for other crucial information like GPS routing. Other features, such as custom playlists and Genius, will also be available. BMW claims that future vehicles equipped with the technology “will be able to adapt more quickly to the software lifecycles of iPod touch and iPhone,” but failed to specify when the new interface technology might be available, or if it can be rolled out to current models via a software update.
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1
This is a nice update. Its also worth noting that BMW’s 2009 Lineup (1 series and 3 series) featured a new iPod system that fully integrated track info and artist/album search and play right from a dock connector cable. You could with this system have a nav map with instructions on the left and track info on the right split - its pretty awesome - but didn’t have cover art or playlist, genius, etc.
In 2010 most of BMW’s lineup followed suit and got this ipod function along with the widescreen NAV, split screen info screens, hard drive based maps, etc.
I don’t think 2008 models will be upgradable but considering the Newest nav is entirely hard drive based and that it is a brand new generation of idrive (with haptic feedback in the wheel as it turns by way of each “click” representing one menu option) - I do not think BMW has plans to physically change its Nav systems right now. They just started a generation. So most likely only the newest released BMW ‘s that have the wide screen nav will get this update.
Posted by LB on July 8, 2010 at 9:40 AM (PST)
2
So now the purpose of the mysterious “iPod out” feature is revealed. Hopefully this sets a standard for accessory manufacturers, and that all parties (including Apple) actually follow the standard. It is very disconcerting to have iPod functionality in your car suddenly go belly-up from an iOS update (as with 3.x and 4.0).
Posted by rockmyplimsoul on July 8, 2010 at 10:06 AM (PST)