BimmerTech Blog is dedicated to BMW technology retrofits.
Tuesday, 06 August 2019 10:58
Upgrading the BMW F30 3 Series - All you need to know
Written by Paul Smith
The 3 Series is always among BMW's most popular models, and the sixth-generation F30 was no different. But with the seventh-generation G20 hitting the roads, its predecessor is starting to feel a little long in the tooth. So what options do you have? Do you really have to upgrade to the latest BMW 3 Series, or is there still life in the F30 yet? To help you make up your mind, we take a thorough look at the F30 3 Series, how it is to own and what you can do to breathe new life into your older vehicle. BimmerTech…
Tuesday, 09 July 2019 13:58
Basic BMW Navigation Systems: CHAMP2, ENTRY, ENTRYNAV & ENAVEVO
Written by Anastasiia Husieva
When buying a new BMW, you usually purchase not only a vehicle for transportation, but also a tech convenience that has limited or extended navigation & a certain degree of integration with your smartphone. While setting up your future vehicle, you generally have 2–4 media packages to choose from (e.g. Media Package Business or Media Package Business Plus (only in Europe), Media Package Navigation Plus, Media Package Professional, etc.). The Media Package is a number of multimedia and technical features that you will get in your car, and the more it includes, the more expensive your BMW’s overall price is.…
Since its debut in the BMW E65 7 Series in 2001, iDrive has spread to all modern BMW models. The platform also underpins the infotainment system found in Rolls-Royce vehicles and, under the brand name "Connected", can be found in current-generation MINIs. The concept is simple: take as many secondary vehicle controls as possible — music, navigation, climate control etc. — and put them all in one place, right in the middle of the dashboard. This means you have a single, cohesive way to access all your car's features and settings, but can make it difficult to keep track of…
Android Auto was launched in 2015 and the first vehicle manufacturer to offer it as a factory package was Hyundai. Right now it’s available in more than 500 models of different car makes either as a standard feature or an optional extra. Android Auto is a mobile app that allows using your favorite smartphone applications on the car’s display. Once you connect an Android device to the vehicle, the car’s screen serves as a display for the Android Auto app, adapted to the vehicle’s user interface. This way you don’t need to engage with your smartphone to start the navigation,…
Tuesday, 14 May 2019 11:06
What is Apple CarPlay and Why Should You Have It in Your BMW?
Written by Paul Smith
For many people shopping for a new car, the quality of the infotainment system is an important consideration. It's something the automakers have taken on board, each scrambling to design an in-car system that will be enough to woo prospective buyers. Many, though, still struggle to produce anything that's more than merely functional. And with fragmentation between brands, these systems generally only offer a small handful of third-party integrations, falling back on native solutions for most core features, like navigation, music and messaging. Fortunately, Apple is able to offer iPhone users a compelling alternative in the form of iPhone CarPlay,…
Tuesday, 19 March 2019 15:27
NBT Evo ID5/ID6 iDrive Upgrade for BMW F- & G-Series
Written by Anastasiia Husieva
NBT Evo ID5/ID6 is a BMW iDrive system version, sometimes referred to as iDrive 5.0/6.0. It was first announced at the end of 2015, and some 2016 models came to the market already equipped with it. NBT Evo ID5/ID6 was developed as a successor to NBT and NBT Evo ID4, and has a completely different hardware as well as a new user interface. If your BMW originally wasn’t equipped with it, it doesn’t mean you can’t have it :) BimmerTech’s NBT Evo ID5/ID6 retrofit is available for BMW 1-, 2-, 3-, 5-, 6-, 7- and X-Series of Fx and Gx…
Monday, 04 March 2019 10:41
How To Bring the Convenience of Comfort Access to Your BMW's Trunk
Written by Paul Smith
Comfort Access is one of those features that really seems to polarize opinions. On the one hand, you've got the people who have used it, and now claim that they'd never buy a car without it, they can't even figure out how to use their partner's car, their eyes are finally open etc. etc. On the other hand, you've got the people who've never had a BMW with Comfort Access, and vehemently deny that keyless entry to your car could ever be worth paying extra for. But what would they know, eh? What is BMW Comfort Access? BMW's Comfort Access…
Did you know that the first vehicle with Bluetooth was released in 2000? (No, it wasn’t BMW, just a Chrysler). And 18 years later this technology is still one of the most important means of bringing your phone’s features into your favorite car. In BMWs there are two types of features you can get depending on the package or on the vehicle configurations you choose: 1) Basic Bluetooth & 2) Enhanced Bluetooth (EBT). Please keep in mind that the EBT features strongly depend on your model, your phone and even the network operator. Some cars equipped with Basic Bluetooth may…
Tuesday, 15 January 2019 15:40
BMW Original Apple CarPlay vs BimmerTech CarPlay MMI PLUS
Written by Anastasiia Husieva
Integrating an iPhone with your BMW is one of the best things that could happen to the owner of 2 of the most popular brands out there, and it’s all possible thanks to a BMW CarPlay upgrade. What is Apple CarPlay? Read about it in detail in our blog post. Stats say that Apple CarPlay, together with Android Auto, “were available in 46% of new vehicles sold in Europe in Q1 2018 and 52% of new vehicles sold in the US.” And it’s great news, but what about BMWs with older iDrive systems that are not compatible with BMW CarPlay…
Wednesday, 26 June 2019 00:00
Do I Have CIC, NBT or NBT Evo? Navigation System Professional
Written by Anastasiia Husieva
BMW is constantly working on iDrive interface changes, as well as introducing newer, more advanced hardware and faster processors to support new features. The iDrive system (or the head unit, which is its main element) in each BMW defines not only the availability or absence of these very features, but also its price. And sometimes the financial difference is so drastic that you make an immediate decision – a 200 GB hard drive or full screen zoom for video playback may not be an absolute necessity for you. However, there are some key distinctions between the iDrive versions that will…
