[npa201]

Random question, but kids do not want me to get rid of the Model Y we have because it has all these gimmicky surprises which keeps them entertained if we are charging or waiting in the car or something. We don’t use those functions that much but appears to have a wow factor for the kids. I tried watching a YouTube overview of iDrive 8 and am I correct that there is literally no entertainment options? No Netflix, YouTube, TikTok, internet browser, etc? Heck even fart mode keeps them entertained for a few minutes.

I saw that the Mercedes EQE/EQS at the very least has YouTube built in. Is it coming in a future update considering that huge rear widescreen add-in BMW has on the new i7 that drops from the ceiling?

I get that the screen is a bit smaller than the Tesla screens for rear-view passengers but just wondering….

[nosnoop]

i7's iDrive 8 has Youtube, Amazon Prime etc, but I don't see it in the iX.

[Ditlow]

I've watched a few videos about idrive 8 in IXs, no one's mentioned having YouTube. I also didn't see it when I test drove it and it's not in the manual.

I did see a video about i7 getting YouTube so I guess it's possible IX will get it at some point. But as they say, make your purchasing decisions based on products and services currently available.

[sor]

Tablet holders for rear seat passengers. I've played some of the games on the Tesla and it's fine but we all have personal computing devices in our pockets these days, and my kids just play their tablets. Not really looking for interactive entertainment from the car's display.

[npa201]

It just seems like an oversight of many things that can be shared across the entire company. It’s similar to how to my knowledge it doesn’t have sentry mode or dash cam mode (but will record accidents) or dog mode, etc. These seem like really simple additions and doesn’t seem like it would cost much to add to the functionality. Would I use it a ton? No. But its also a revenue stream. I pay $10/month for 4G LTE on my Model Y despite not really needing it other than for streaming video, live traffic and satellite photos on the NAV. Just seems like an opportunity to create a marketplace on iDrive or something.

[sor]

Originally Posted by npa201

It just seems like an oversight of many things that can be shared across the entire company. It’s similar to how to my knowledge it doesn’t have sentry mode or dash cam mode (but will record accidents) or dog mode, etc. These seem like really simple additions and doesn’t seem like it would cost much to add to the functionality. Would I use it a ton? No. But its also a revenue stream. I pay $10/month for 4G LTE on my Model Y despite not really needing it other than for streaming video, live traffic and satellite photos on the NAV. Just seems like an opportunity to create a marketplace on iDrive or something.

I think it also records when the alarm is triggered.

As far as full time recording, I read there are legal issues with that in some areas (EU GDPR).

[LittleJoe]

Originally Posted by npa201

It just seems like an oversight of many things that can be shared across the entire company. It’s similar to how to my knowledge it doesn’t have sentry mode or dash cam mode (but will record accidents) or dog mode, etc. These seem like really simple additions and doesn’t seem like it would cost much to add to the functionality. Would I use it a ton? No. But its also a revenue stream. I pay $10/month for 4G LTE on my Model Y despite not really needing it other than for streaming video, live traffic and satellite photos on the NAV. Just seems like an opportunity to create a marketplace on iDrive or something.

Tesla knows all about revenue streams:

• $10/month for 4G LTE
• $200 for a portable charging cable
• $2,000 for Acceleration Boost to pick a 1/2 second 0-60
• $12,000 for FSD (Full Self Driving)

There may be more that I haven't read about.

[npa201]

To be fair, so does BMW. Plenty of their options are standard in other cars. And as an owner of BMW’s since 2012, the second they are out of warranty, be prepared for a nice revenue stream to their service/parts centers for their dealership network. It feels literally designed to breakdown (lots of plastics in the engine). But I still love them and continue to buy them.

[NomoTesla]

Originally Posted by npa201

To be fair, so does BMW. Plenty of their options are standard in other cars. And as an owner of BMW’s since 2012, the second they are out of warranty, be prepared for a nice revenue stream to their service/parts centers for their dealership network. It feels literally designed to breakdown (lots of plastics in the engine). But I still love them and continue to buy them.

The iX doesn't have an engine. Please focus! lol

[ggalanis]

Originally Posted by npa201

Random question, but kids do not want me to get rid of the Model Y we have because it has all these gimmicky surprises which keeps them entertained if we are charging or waiting in the car or something. We don’t use those functions that much but appears to have a wow factor for the kids. I tried watching a YouTube overview of iDrive 8 and am I correct that there is literally no entertainment options? No Netflix, YouTube, TikTok, internet browser, etc? Heck even fart mode keeps them entertained for a few minutes.

I saw that the Mercedes EQE/EQS at the very least has YouTube built in. Is it coming in a future update considering that huge rear widescreen add-in BMW has on the new i7 that drops from the ceiling?

I get that the screen is a bit smaller than the Tesla screens for rear-view passengers but just wondering….

These entertainment features in the Tesla infotainment are nice to have but really not of much real value to most. The screen is not ideally placed for rear passengers and let's be honest, anyone buying the iX or i4 who has kids in the back has them setup with their own tablet and/or phone back there anyway. I'd rather they improve the build of their cars then waste resources for this stuff.

Sure, if you have to regularly sit and wait at a charger instead of plugging in at home, and there are an abnormal amount of Tesla owners that do indeed do this, then it makes some sense to put in effort to provide these apps to make that a less annoying experience. But that's why I would not suggest people get an EV right now if they can't benefit from convenient charging.

As for fart mode, the iX button for blocking the rear windows also turns on child locks on the doors and makes them unable to open the doors from the inside... Close the windows, push button, let one rip... hilarity ensues.

[npa201]

Originally Posted by NomoTesla

The iX doesn't have an engine. Please focus! lol

You think that’s gonna stop BMW?!?!? I mean I love that its gonna have air suspension but lets be real with ourselves here that this isn’t gonna eventually cause an issue.

Soft close doors? Yeah, that was a $1500 fix a few years ago on my X5.

Love the split tailgate on my x5, that eventually failed on my older x5 and wouldn’t shut close.

Those laser lights? My neighbor got in a mild fender bender with his X7 m50i but it did damage the light. The entire fixture if I recall was like $5000 (just the part, not the installation). Total bill was near $25k. Insurance covered it because it was an accident but I’ve seen several Bimmers where the running day lights were not operating correctly (off on one side for example).

Again I really have enjoyed BMW which is why I’m returning to it and until Feb had 2 X5’s (a 2013 and 2020). The 2013 had about 75k miles when we got rid of it but once it was out of warranty we typically had about $1000-$2000 of repairs each year (and that was not taking it to the dealership but specialist mechanics in the area).

[npa201]

Originally Posted by ggalanis

These entertainment features in the Tesla infotainment are nice to have but really not of much real value to most. The screen is not ideally placed for rear passengers and let's be honest, anyone buying the iX or i4 who has kids in the back has them setup with their own tablet and/or phone back there anyway. I'd rather they improve the build of their cars then waste resources for this stuff.

Sure, if you have to regularly sit and wait at a charger instead of plugging in at home, and there are an abnormal amount of Tesla owners that do indeed do this, then it makes some sense to put in effort to provide these apps to make that a less annoying experience. But that's why I would not suggest people get an EV right now if they can't benefit from convenient charging.

As for fart mode, the iX button for blocking the rear windows also turns on child locks on the doors and makes them unable to open the doors from the inside... Close the windows, push button, let one rip... hilarity ensues.

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/pictur...heater-screen/
Here is the i7. Autogefuhl has a YouTube video that shows it off. In the screenshots, it plays Amazon Prime and Twitch. I’m not sure how many people will get this option in their i7 but the implementation is literally already here. It does seem to suggest that there is some sort of demand for this.

While I admit that my 10yr old daughter has an iPhone that she could use, my 6 year old son only has a tablet so in that situation we would have to hotspot at a charging station via my phone or something (and then I couldn’t use my phone). While this doesn’t apply to me, I’ve also heard there is just an insane amount of break ins of cars in the San Fran area if you literally leave anything in your car (blankets, sunglasses, etc). I would think San Fran is a key market for BMW and especially EVs. Again, going back to the tablet, I assume some would love the ability to not have to stow the tablet in the glove compartment or in that case under storage in the IX and could just use the infotainment. My configured order is over $100k. The competitors have this stuff (EQS, Model X/Y). I’m just saying kids are often part of the decision making process (or otherwise I’d be driving a 911) and this doesn’t seem like its that big of deal to implement if a Roku stick that probably costs $25 can get this to work. I’ve already told them we are likely gonna get rid of our Model Y (and keep our X5 m50i) this fall when our IX comes and both the kids and all their friends don’t understand why we would get rid of the Y.

This actually brings up a point, that I’m completely unsure of. I assume the IX has 4G LTE or maybe even 5G that it uses for personal assistance, NAV traffic, and OTA etc?

[Paladin1]

Originally Posted by npa201

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/pictur...heater-screen/
Here is the i7. Autogefuhl has a YouTube video that shows it off. In the screenshots, it plays Amazon Prime and Twitch. I’m not sure how many people will get this option in their i7 but the implementation is literally already here. It does seem to suggest that there is some sort of demand for this.

While I admit that my 10yr old daughter has an iPhone that she could use, my 6 year old son only has a tablet so in that situation we would have to hotspot at a charging station via my phone or something (and then I couldn’t use my phone). While this doesn’t apply to me, I’ve also heard there is just an insane amount of break ins of cars in the San Fran area if you literally leave anything in your car (blankets, sunglasses, etc). I would think San Fran is a key market for BMW and especially EVs. Again, going back to the tablet, I assume some would love the ability to not have to stow the tablet in the glove compartment or in that case under storage in the IX and could just use the infotainment. My configured order is over $100k. The competitors have this stuff (EQS, Model X/Y). I’m just saying kids are often part of the decision making process (or otherwise I’d be driving a 911) and this doesn’t seem like its that big of deal to implement if a Roku stick that probably costs $25 can get this to work. I’ve already told them we are likely gonna get rid of our Model Y (and keep our X5 m50i) this fall when our IX comes and both the kids and all their friends don’t understand why we would get rid of the Y.

This actually brings up a point, that I’m completely unsure of. I assume the IX has 4G LTE or maybe even 5G that it uses for personal assistance, NAV traffic, and OTA etc?

iX has 5G, so streaming speed should be significantly improved if/when software allows....

[NomoTesla]

Originally Posted by Paladin1

iX has 5G, so streaming speed should be significantly improved if/when software allows....

I am pretty sure any streaming features will be locked down to wifi use only.

[Kevny657]

Looks like the I7 that can play video such as youtube and amazon prime on the I Drive 8 system, must have something to do with this model getting I Drive 8.5.
Must have some extra hardware built in , and models such as 3 series that have I Drive 8 don't.

[JonoNZ]

Unless the underlying hardware in the iX is extraordinarily low spec (which we know it isn't), it's hard to see there is any technical reason why they couldn't push YouTube or Netflix apps to iDrive 8 on the iX.

[Pictor]

I had the rear seat entertainment package on a 2014 & 2018 5-series. I used the HDMI port with a Firestick to stream Amazon Prime and Netflix over the in-car WiFi for the kids. After the novelty wore off, they just used their phones and I learned my lesson.

[ricerboi]

I gave up waiting and just mounted a 12” Samsung Galaxy S7+ via my A/C vent magnetic mount and connected through BT Audio along with the e-SIM hotspot. It’s removable so I just snap my phone in when I’m not using the tablet.

[hugo_nz]

Just want to add here that any of these entertainment options rely on Personal eSIM (SA 6PA) being optioned and activated. The media is intended to stream over your personal data connection, not BMW's connected drive connection.

[JonoNZ]

Originally Posted by hugo_nz

Just want to add here that any of these entertainment options rely on Personal eSIM (SA 6PA) being optioned and activated. The media is intended to stream over your personal data connection, not BMW's connected drive connection.

That could be a big snag in our market. They should support using your phone as gateway, or just have a SIM card slot in the glovebox, like VAG do.

[JonoNZ]

Originally Posted by ricerboi

I gave up waiting and just mounted a 12” Samsung Galaxy S7+ via my A/C vent magnetic mount and connected through BT Audio along with the e-SIM hotspot. It’s removable so I just snap my phone in when I’m not using the tablet.

I tend to agree. I see it as maybe being handy now and then when charging, and stationary sitting in the drivers seat. It's quite a nice screen so might not be a bad experience for watching the odd YouTube video.

[FultonMDUSA]

Originally Posted by JonoNZ

Unless the underlying hardware in the iX is extraordinarily low spec (which we know it isn't), it's hard to see there is any technical reason why they couldn't push YouTube or Netflix apps to iDrive 8 on the iX.

I'm going to speculate that if you're running some proprietary O/S, then the responsibility is on you (BMW) to continuously invest in porting and continuously updating applications such as Youtube.

However, if you run on an Android platform with an App store, then potentially all of the popular applications are already available to be installed and updated without significant investment on your end.

This may be why BMW is moving to an Android based platform in iDrive 9.