Apple CarPlay Is Free for BMW Owners, Starting Now

From Car and Driver

• After charging a subscription fee for 2019 and newer models, BMW is making Apple CarPlay standard without any additional costs on all cars equipped with navigation.

• BMW received negative feedback and wanted to be more considerate to its tech-obsessed customers.
  

• BMW customers already got an extra perk: it is one of the few automakers to offer wireless CarPlay, although Android Auto is still not available.
  

BMW doesn't give out freebies too often, but after bad press and scores of unhappy customers, the automaker is killing all fees for Apple CarPlay. It's effective right now.

BMW rolled out CarPlay several years ago with a simple but significant advantage other brands couldn't match: the ability to connect an iPhone wirelessly, without a USB cable. That convenience wasn't lost on BMW, which for the 2019 model year turned CarPlay from a $300 stand-alone option into a subscription through its ConnectedDrive suite of app services, at $80 per year or $300 for 20 years. Owners could enjoy complimentary CarPlay for the first year, after which it would be remotely disabled unless the person paid for a subscription.