[daftsham]

Originally Posted by hoyasaxa

Does Apple car play work over wifi?

If so, does it require the data SIM in the car to be activated?

it doesn't require a data SIM for the car but certainly for the iphone you are pairing with. also, both wifi and bluetooth has to be on for the phone to make the carplay connection with idrive.

[daftsham]

Originally Posted by JPizzz

Is the cradle padded at all on the top or bottom? I got careless and wouldn’t want plastic scratching the stainless band.

yes, the top and bottom are padded with some kind of rubber so practically no risk of scratching the stainless band

[hoyasaxa]

Originally Posted by daftsham

it doesn't require a data SIM for the car but certainly for the iphone you are pairing with. also, both wifi and bluetooth has to be on for the phone to make the carplay connection with idrive.

Thanks. CarPlay over wifi, in combination with wireless charging, is huge, but I'm not planning to keep the AT&T SIM in the car active. I worried iPhone might try to use the same wifi connection for internet access. I appreciate your reply!

[lax01]

Originally Posted by Nantucket

Has anyone with a MY16 M2 been able to retrofit the wireless charging cradle in the center armrest?

I was reading on another thread that you can do it if you have option 6NS,convenience telephony with smartphone connection.My car has that option and I would like to do the retrofit if it can be done.

Bump - same question - can you retrofit it?

[JPizzz]

Originally Posted by daftsham

yes, the top and bottom are padded with some kind of rubber so practically no risk of scratching the stainless band

Thanks!

[dromk]

The current M2 doesn't have this kind of setup quite yet does it??

https://youtu.be/OvVKnC6gGtg?t=897

[stefan]

This is a subtle iPhone X owner brag thread right?

[daftsham]

Originally Posted by stefan

This is a subtle iPhone X owner brag thread right?

Not exactly. What's there to brag about? https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=R59TevgzN3k

[jmh600cbr]

can i still connect to the wireless carplay if it is not charging? (regardless of whether it is wireless or plugged in charging)

[tux2005]

Yes, CarPlay and charging are completely separate. With my iPhone 6, a iQi adapter and case I often have problems with charging being interrupted randomly on trips because the phone gets shaken out of position, the only thing that changes in CarPlay is you start seeing a battery level indicator. When charging the indicator disappears and it re-appears once it loses Qi charging.

I'm still waiting for my iPhone X, I am pretty hopeful that the built-in Qi will be a bit more reliable than my current Qi adapter + case (it used to be more reliable for me on other charge pads but now it's a bit iffy).

[daftsham]

Originally Posted by tux2005

I am pretty hopeful that the built-in Qi will be a bit more reliable than my current Qi adapter + case

ive had my phone for a full week now and was actually out the entire day on sunday doing some spirited driving on mines rd and mt hamilton and the phone stayed completely charged in the wireless cradle.

[subliminalaudio]

It works! ??

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by Corinne

Here's an idiotic question. I really prefer having a phablet (Samsung Note 8) so it's not going to fit. What am I losing in that case ? Just the wireless charging (which is apparently rather slow anyway) ? If I connect my USB charging cable that takes care of the charging but what about connectivity ? Or is that by bluetooth in all the above cases (I really don't fancy setting up the bluetooth connection each time I get in the car) ? I'm wondering whether the USB charge cable will allow data and voice transfer as it's much quicker just to plug the phone in. Then there's the wifi but if I understand correctly to use this you have to pay for an extra sim-card for the car.... Sorry but, as you can see, I'm quite confused.

There's no "setting up" for the Bluetooth "every time you get in the car." You do it once, and it just connects, assuming you haven't turned off Bluetooth on the phone for some reason (there really isn't one, when Bluetooth is idle / disconnected it uses such a tiny amount of battery there is no reason to keep turning it on and off).

With an Android phone, the USB cable will only charge and potentially allow music access (most likely the phone shows up like a "USB stick" to the car), plus whatever it can do with the phone on an app-specific basis, if anything.

The only thing the wireless charging is for is convenience, but since you have to open the center console just to put the phone in there, I'd argue that there isn't much convenience at all. Easier to just plug the phone in and drop it in the front storage tray in front of cupholder, at least with the LCI cars where there is a USB plug between the cupholders.

[Nezil]

I don't have an iPhone X, but I've got to say the wireless charging works incredibly well with my LG G6.

I wasn't expecting it to a) fit, and b) charge at anywhere near a decent rate, but it does both.

I'm not exaggerating when I say it will charge a G6 from flat to 100% in about 2 hours. The special fast charging wall wart takes 1.5 hours to do the same, so this is mighty impressive.

I don't think I'm going to need to carry a USB charging cable or a cigar lighter charge in the car at all, which is a really good thing given the small amount of storage space in the M2!

I can't argue with ZPrime's comment that having to open the center console is a bit of a frustration, and I have lost count of the number of times that I've left my phone in there by accident...

[TXSurfer]

Originally Posted by tux2005

Since you're on Android you wouldn't have CarPlay to lose, I don't think you'll be missing anything. Bluetooth should work for audio and at least some controls. I don't know what options there might be with USB and Android, I know with my previous BMW which didn't have CarPlay, when using USB I would get "better" Spotify connectivity, it would sort of be controllable through iDrive (it was a rather buggy and unreliable). Before I had CarPlay then wiring in always provided more features, I would expect that is still the case.

There a big difference in audio quality when using CarPlay vs Bluetooth. Wireless car play sounds noticeably better.

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by TXSurfer

There a big difference in audio quality when using CarPlay vs Bluetooth. Wireless car play sounds noticeably better.

I find it hard to believe that anybody can actually tell the difference in a noisy automotive environment. Not saying it's impossible, but it just seems unlikely to me. Have you ever tried a blind test with somebody else screwing with the sources so you're not biased?

I'm a "lapsed musician" (spent roughly 40% of my high school life doing band/music-related stuff, then stopped in college which I regret to this day), and in normal listening I can't tell the difference between music streamed via Bluetooth off my phone vs. a USB stick connected in the armrest... and my ears are still pretty good.

I can definitely tell the difference between satellite radio and a "local" source (USB or Bluetooth), but I honestly don't think I'd ever notice USB vs. BT unless I stopped the car, turned everything off, and kept flipping between the two.

[CosmosMpower]

Originally Posted by andrewc89

Does wireless charging work with a thin case on the phone? I bought the iPhone X Silicone Case from apple and am wondering if it'll work (still waiting 2-3 weeks for the phone).

Wireless charging in the car works even with my thick otterbox commuter on my Iphone X

[TXSurfer]

Originally Posted by ZPrime

I find it hard to believe that anybody can actually tell the difference in a noisy automotive environment. Not saying it's impossible, but it just seems unlikely to me. Have you ever tried a blind test with somebody else screwing with the sources so you're not biased?

I'm a "lapsed musician" (spent roughly 40% of my high school life doing band/music-related stuff, then stopped in college which I regret to this day), and in normal listening I can't tell the difference between music streamed via Bluetooth off my phone vs. a USB stick connected in the armrest... and my ears are still pretty good.

I can definitely tell the difference between satellite radio and a "local" source (USB or Bluetooth), but I honestly don't think I'd ever notice USB vs. BT unless I stopped the car, turned everything off, and kept flipping between the two.

I hear you on the noisy environment. That's what makes me appreciate CarPlay over Bluetooth. I feel like it's got more volume to it. Bluetooth seems like it's either lower or muffled to me or maybe my car has a Bluetooth issue.

[Nezil]

Originally Posted by TXSurfer

I hear you on the noisy environment. That's what makes me appreciate CarPlay over Bluetooth. I feel like it's got more volume to it. Bluetooth seems like it's either lower or muffled to me or maybe my car has a Bluetooth issue.

The Bluetooth audio is affected by the volume setting on the phone. If that's set low because of a Bluetooth headset you use or similar, then your car audio will be low as well. Make sure to turn it up the media volume on the phone if you connect with Bluetooth. Also, remember the media volume over Bluetooth is different from the handsfree volume.

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by Nezil

The Bluetooth audio is affected by the volume setting on the phone. If that's set low because of a Bluetooth headset you use or similar, then your car audio will be low as well. Make sure to turn it up the media volume on the phone if you connect with Bluetooth. Also, remember the media volume over Bluetooth is different from the handsfree volume.

This exactly!

I wish iDrive had different volume settings for each source. It's supremely annoying to switch to Sat radio and have it be way too quiet, crank it up a bunch, and then go over to USB and get blasted by the level.

[cornercase]

My MY18 LCI build for USA doesn’t have the Executive Package, so I’m afraid that I won’t have wireless charging. Has anyone found any good wireless chargers for the center console or cup holder? IKEAs new RÄLLEN looks like a viable cup holder option. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40360217/

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by cornercase

My MY18 LCI build for USA doesn’t have the Executive Package, so I’m afraid that I won’t have wireless charging. Has anyone found any good wireless chargers for the center console or cup holder? IKEAs new RÄLLEN looks like a viable cup holder option. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40360217/

Does it need to be wireless? Why not look into a dash mounting solution + charging dock?

That Ikea deal won't work in a cupholder, since the phone has to lay flat against it to charge, and there's not enough room in there to fit the dock + a phone.
It is also only a 5W charger; that is currently the max for iPhones but they are supposed to go up to ~7.5W charging in the future with an OS update, so you're better off buying chargers that support at least that wattage.

5W charging is slower than the smallest charging block that comes with an iphone; you can usually charge quicker if you get a 2amp car charger. The factory charging brick is 10w (1amp @ 5v). iPad chargers are ~2amp (20 watt), which is generally the most you can find in a car cigarette lighter/12V socket charger.