Owning a 2019 BMW or later means you now have to pay an $80 yearly fee to connect to Apple CarPlay. BMW now requires this Apple CarPlay annual fee from all owners moving forward. If you plan to connect your iPhone to your luxury vehicle, this is something to prepare for.
Why an Apple CarPlay Annual Fee?
Most automakers include this connectivity with their products, although you often need to own a higher trim level to get it. BMW feels it’s a better decision to pass the fees onto their customers – which is ludicrous.
Not only do you have a high monthly payment for your BMW, plus your monthly charges for your iPhone, but now you have to pay extra for connectivity? If you want to connect your high-tech machines, BMW feels you should pay for it. We knew things were getting tight in the automotive world, but really? BMW really has to nickel and dime customers like that? Is the $80 a year going to break the German automaker?
BMW feels that by including the first year of CarPlay, they are generous. We have to disagree. Still, they do have some payment options available. You can opt for a lump sum at the car purchase. This is 20 years of connectivity for $300 or pay the $80 each year.
We hope that you have $300 if you purchase a BMW, but that’s not the point. It’s all about the principle of it. We think it’s much smarter to raise the price of each connected BMW by $300; no one would care. Adding it as a service charge just makes the company look cheap, in our opinion.
Furthermore, BMW doesn’t offer Android Auto, but Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant are on the way. We wonder if customers have to pay for them too.
What are Your Thoughts?
If you plan to purchase a BMW 8-Series Gran Coupe or another new model, we want to hear your thoughts. Get more information about BMW Connected Drive.
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