PETALING JAYA: BMW has made an about-face, saying it will stop charging for Apple CarPlay.
CarSifu first wrote in July about this issue, which has naturally angered many BMW owners.
Originally applicable to 2019 model year cars that have navigation installed, the fee was RM513 for a year, RM799 for 3 years and RM1,899 for unlimited access. To promote the ConnectedDrive service, BMW had offered a one-month trial at RM5.
When we surfed to the local BMW Connected drive site today, the car maker had since revised the charges, listing a one-off payment of RM1,299 with unlimited access for wireless CarPlay. It's expected to make the digital service free soon, so watch out for that.
Looking at the bigger picture, continuing to charge would have alienated customers and potential prospects so that factor would have been a key consideration for BMW to drop the idea like a hot potato. Point is customers don't like to be charged for using CarPlay. Period.
Other car makers offer CarPlay free or as part of an options package with no further costs attached.
READ MORE: BMW vehicles will support Android Auto in addition to Apple CarPlay in 2020
