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BMW's Apple CarPlay Annual Fee is Next-level Gouging (cnet.com)
BMW announced this week that the company plans to shift Apple CarPlay infotainment support from a one-time fee to a subscription service. Tim Stevens, writing about the implications of the move for CNET: While GM and other manufacturers happily include Apple's CarPlay service for free even on their most attainable models, BMW and plenty of others have levied upgrade fees to enable CarPlay, or bundled the service inside pricey packages of widgets you may or may not want. That, sadly, is par for this margin-rich golf course, but when we learned this week that BMW would change from a single, up-front fee to an annual fee, in my mind that changed everything. Instead of a one-time, $300 fee, starting on 2019 models BMW will charge $80 annually for the privilege of accessing Apple's otherwise totally free CarPlay service. You do get the first year free, much like your friendly neighborhood dealer of another sort, but after that it's pay up or have your Lightning cable metaphorically snipped.
On the surface this is pretty offensive, and it seemed like something must be driving this. The official word from BMW is that this is a change that will save many (perhaps most) BMW owners money. Indeed, the vehicle segments where BMW plays are notorious for short-term leases, and those owning the car for only a few years will save money over that one-time $300. But still, the notion of paying annually for something that's free rubbed me the wrong way. And, based on the feedback we saw from the article, it rubbed a lot of you the wrong way, too.
On the surface this is pretty offensive, and it seemed like something must be driving this. The official word from BMW is that this is a change that will save many (perhaps most) BMW owners money. Indeed, the vehicle segments where BMW plays are notorious for short-term leases, and those owning the car for only a few years will save money over that one-time $300. But still, the notion of paying annually for something that's free rubbed me the wrong way. And, based on the feedback we saw from the article, it rubbed a lot of you the wrong way, too.
But still, the notion of paying annually for something that's free rubbed me the wrong way.
Well, MsMash, as someone pretending to run a news site, first rule, keep your own personal opinions out of the stories.
We really don't give a fuck if you have to pay more FOR YOUR BMW IPHONE USAGE, you're just an asshole for using slashdot to whine about it.
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Carmakers and customers should boycott Apple Carplay. We do not need an Apple Tax on our cars.
CarPlay is even worse. Plug in an iPhone to a car that does CarPlay and it'll automatically pick something to start playing off Apple Music (which can't be disabled). If you had the radio on, it will take over control and switch it back to your phone. Can't turn it off. Can't choose what it'll play.
Then, the only apps you can use are Apple ones, which means no Google Maps. Ever wanted to try and get some place with only Apple Maps? How well do you think that goes?
If anything, BMW is saving their customers from the horrible experience that these "phone integration" things are.