Over the air software upgrades

Etmaniac · 02-08-2022, 12:50 PM

I have an tesla x and my wife drives a iX. Software upgrades with the tesla are very simple and easy to do. I so far have had two software upgrades with the iX. For both of those I had to bring the car in and leave it with the dealer for a day. All settings are gone after an upgrade and it takes 5 or 7 days before the app sees the car again. Not something that is on par with the competition. Don't get me wrong, build quality of the iX is superior. But ota would make life a lot easier, specially for a brand new car that will see a serious number of software upgrades.

It would be great to be able tondo ota upgrades. Anybody knows if this is coming any time soon?

masmole · 02-08-2022, 01:10 PM

I think the plan is to have seamless OTA updates like Tesla, or as BMW calls it in their literature, their "Always Fresh" concept via remote software updates. Proper implementation is another thing. Perhaps the region has something to do with it as it's probably still a work in progress because BMW has been talking about these remote software updates since BMW OS 7 on ICE models. The iX is now on OS 8. It's also probably heavily dependent on the region-based servers and how optimized the connectivity is to the vehicles. Hopefully BMW will get there soon since it's not like this type connectivity was unique to just EVs. I mean, if Tesla can get it working right...

hugo_nz · 02-08-2022, 01:28 PM

OTA is a feature of OS8 and the first updates have already been announced: https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/globa...i4?language=en

masmole · 02-08-2022, 01:33 PM

that link is an announcement: "This software upgrade has to be postponed"

of course it does

Paladin1 · 02-08-2022, 02:29 PM

OTA updates for iDrive 7 have not gone smoothly - including some bricked cars early on. They gradually improved, and I believe I'm on #4, but required a couple of visits to the dealer for both X5s for earlier updates - scrambled screens, missing features. OTA software is not one of BMW's core business strengths, or wasn't. As many noted, they need to get over it, get used to it and get on with it, particularly now with cars that basically run on software.

hugo_nz · 02-08-2022, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by masmole

that link is an announcement: "This software upgrade has to be postponed"

of course it does

Oh ha! Sorry about that. I read it yesterday and it was still all go! Yeah

ggalanis · 02-08-2022, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paladin1

OTA updates for iDrive 7 have not gone smoothly - including some bricked cars early on. They gradually improved, and I believe I'm on #4, but required a couple of visits to the dealer for both X5s for earlier updates - scrambled screens, missing features. OTA software is not one of BMW's core business strengths, or wasn't. As many noted, they need to get over it, get used to it and get on with it, particularly now with cars that basically run on software.

To be even more critical of BMW, they were never good at updates even before they became OTA. I had my 2013 3 series for just over 3 years and every time they did an update there were weird side effects like losing some settings and having to set them back manually to what we had before. Same with my 2016 X4. The dealer would apply the updates when the car was in for other things like oil changes... None of my updates ever went bad, but my SA has told me that every now and again, they would have one fail on a car and have to keep it for another day or so to get it functional again. This made me worry a bit about getting them over the air with the X5 and doing them away from the dealer. Done a couple so far and only 1 setting seems to have to be reset and it is the one that allows for remote start to work. So, better than with my 3 series and X4 where it was several settings instead of just 1, but still annoying.

sward · 02-09-2022, 03:51 AM

My X5M got a couple of updates each year. Not more than that so they are skipping minor releases in OTA.

02-08-2022, 12:50 PM	#1
Etmaniac New Member 9 Rep 14 Posts Drives: iX 4.0 Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Belgium iTrader: (0)	Over the air software upgrades I have an tesla x and my wife drives a iX. Software upgrades with the tesla are very simple and easy to do. I so far have had two software upgrades with the iX. For both of those I had to bring the car in and leave it with the dealer for a day. All settings are gone after an upgrade and it takes 5 or 7 days before the app sees the car again. Not something that is on par with the competition. Don't get me wrong, build quality of the iX is superior. But ota would make life a lot easier, specially for a brand new car that will see a serious number of software upgrades. It would be great to be able tondo ota upgrades. Anybody knows if this is coming any time soon?
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02-08-2022, 01:10 PM	#2
masmole Captain 266 Rep 770 Posts Drives: blue, gray, brown cars Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Chicago, IL iTrader: (0)	I think the plan is to have seamless OTA updates like Tesla, or as BMW calls it in their literature, their "Always Fresh" concept via remote software updates. Proper implementation is another thing. Perhaps the region has something to do with it as it's probably still a work in progress because BMW has been talking about these remote software updates since BMW OS 7 on ICE models. The iX is now on OS 8. It's also probably heavily dependent on the region-based servers and how optimized the connectivity is to the vehicles. Hopefully BMW will get there soon since it's not like this type connectivity was unique to just EVs. I mean, if Tesla can get it working right... __________________ 2021 A6 Allroad, 2020 SQ7, 2019 M5 Comp, 2011 GT3 past: A4, S4, X5 4.8is, SLK55, E60 M5, RS4, ML63, E92 M3, Q5, Touareg TDI, Escalade, SQ5, RS7, Velar FE, Q7
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02-08-2022, 01:28 PM	#3
hugo_nz Lieutenant Colonel 3187 Rep 1,826 Posts Drives: BMW iX Xdrive40 MSport Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Auckland, New Zealand iTrader: (0) Garage List 2022 BMW IX [0.00]	OTA is a feature of OS8 and the first updates have already been announced: https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/globa...i4?language=en
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02-08-2022, 01:33 PM	#4
masmole Captain 266 Rep 770 Posts Drives: blue, gray, brown cars Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Chicago, IL iTrader: (0)	that link is an announcement: "This software upgrade has to be postponed" of course it does __________________ 2021 A6 Allroad, 2020 SQ7, 2019 M5 Comp, 2011 GT3 past: A4, S4, X5 4.8is, SLK55, E60 M5, RS4, ML63, E92 M3, Q5, Touareg TDI, Escalade, SQ5, RS7, Velar FE, Q7
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02-08-2022, 02:29 PM	#5
Paladin1 Brigadier General 5556 Rep 4,504 Posts Drives: 2022 iX xDrive50, DGM Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: Midwest iTrader: (0) Garage List 2023 iX xDrive M60 [0.00] 2022 iX xDrive50 [10.00]	OTA updates for iDrive 7 have not gone smoothly - including some bricked cars early on. They gradually improved, and I believe I'm on #4, but required a couple of visits to the dealer for both X5s for earlier updates - scrambled screens, missing features. OTA software is not one of BMW's core business strengths, or wasn't. As many noted, they need to get over it, get used to it and get on with it, particularly now with cars that basically run on software.
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02-09-2022, 03:51 AM	#8
sward Captain 632 Rep 658 Posts Drives: i7 xDrive60 Join Date: May 2005 Location: Stockholm, Sweden iTrader: (0) Garage List 2023 BMW i7 [0.00]	My X5M got a couple of updates each year. Not more than that so they are skipping minor releases in OTA. __________________ /Fredrik i7 xDrive60 -23 Sold: iX -22, X5MC -20 (F95), X5M50d -19 (G05), X5M50d -17 (F15), X5M50d -14 (F15), 116d -13 (F20), X5 3.0D -10 (E70), M3 -10 (E93), 320DX -10 (E91), 320D -08 (E91), X3 30D -07 (E83), 335 -07 (E92), 325 -05 (E90), 320 -02 (E46), 318 -00 (E46), 320 -93 (E36), 318 -89 (E30)
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