Does anyone use their Connected Drive

VR000M5 · 02-16-2015, 08:36 PM

HI Everyone,

Just about to place my order for M5, does anyone use their connected drive? Is it worth the money or just kind of fluff?

imo, I was thinking I always have my smartphone with me, not sure if it would create a redundancy...

b5ka · 02-17-2015, 09:45 AM

My question as well, availability of full ConnectedDrive with access to 3rd party apps like tunein radio and other cool apps is very limited to a few EU countries and I guess it's coming to US this spring?

Can anybody with the full access to these apps tell us if lauching them is programmable on 1-8 buttons? Or do you need to access ConnectedDrive in iDrive menu manually, launch it and then you can enjoy the apps?

I would love to have tunein built-in without need to use my phone, the question is if the process of launching it will take 1 sec or 30 seconds...

Anybody?

Ex_Stig · 02-17-2015, 10:05 AM

Pretty sure your phone has to be plugged in.

mikeriley · 02-17-2015, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GNALUZU

Pretty sure your phone has to be plugged in.

You have to connect the phone via cable or snap in. More work than it's worth for short trips. Only use on longer trips ow Bluetooth for streaming songs. Cannot access apps. The bottom do not help get to direct apps without connecting.

b5ka · 02-17-2015, 10:18 AM

Yup, using phone to use apps in car is pointless.

The whole point of ConnectedDrive is to use car built-in apps. And it's taking them forever to properly launch it!

mcvaughan · 02-17-2015, 11:18 AM

Rarely. It's a pain to have to plug in...

VR000M5 · 02-17-2015, 03:00 PM

really? okay. hows the internet?

how about the real time traffic?

skypx · 02-17-2015, 03:48 PM

The Internet is 3G in the U.S so I'm sure you can imagine how slow it is.

dhirm5 · 02-17-2015, 03:53 PM

Agree with others on (non)usefulness of ConnectedDrive. I have yet to encounter an app which has ConnectedDrive support where I'd rather use the iDrive interface rather than the app interface itself.

If the phone would auto-launch the ConnectedDrive app when plugged in to the car it may be different, but as it is currently implemented, you have to plug it in -- which I frequently do anyway for charging -- AND go find the app and launch it -- all in order to access what is arguably an inferior user experience in the end.

That said, I'd check that box if I was doing it again, because I like having all the little tech features even if I don't use them - especially given how cheap it is ($500 in the US).

VR000M5 · 02-17-2015, 04:01 PM

yeah. in canada here, they offer one year free of internet use.. and its also 3g...

i guess its better than the 56k

i too like all the tech stuff... but in this case, they price they want doesn't make sense.

johntomferg · 02-18-2015, 06:05 AM

I never use it.

On a related note: I have a Samsung Note 3 and I charge my phone via a separate converter so as to avoid using the car's USB connector. Attempting to listen to music while using the car connector is problematic.

For listening to music it is a non-starter. All of my music is on my 32GB micro SD card. Unfortunately, I have not found a way to redirect the car to read from it. instead it insists on only reading from the internal storage and the 1 sample track that Samsung has placed there by default. So to play off the phone's microSD storage, I then connect the phone via Bluetooth.

Attempting to stream audio via the connected USB solution lasts for seconds before the car insists on playing the one sample track it finds. So I end up switch to Bluetooth.

It's pretty much a Bluetooth world at this point for me in the M5 and that includes all of the degradation that comes with it.

02-16-2015, 08:36 PM	#1
VR000M5 10 Rep 246 Posts Drives: 2015 F10 M5 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Canada iTrader: (1)	Does anyone use their Connected Drive HI Everyone, Just about to place my order for M5, does anyone use their connected drive? Is it worth the money or just kind of fluff? imo, I was thinking I always have my smartphone with me, not sure if it would create a redundancy...
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02-17-2015, 09:45 AM	#2
b5ka Private 7 Rep 75 Posts Drives: still debating Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: EU iTrader: (0)	My question as well, availability of full ConnectedDrive with access to 3rd party apps like tunein radio and other cool apps is very limited to a few EU countries and I guess it's coming to US this spring? Can anybody with the full access to these apps tell us if lauching them is programmable on 1-8 buttons? Or do you need to access ConnectedDrive in iDrive menu manually, launch it and then you can enjoy the apps? I would love to have tunein built-in without need to use my phone, the question is if the process of launching it will take 1 sec or 30 seconds... Anybody?
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02-17-2015, 10:05 AM	#3
Ex_Stig Colonel 2593 Rep 2,683 Posts Drives: '24 X7 M60i Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Scottsdale, AZ iTrader: (0) Garage List 2024 BMW X7 M60 [10.00]	Pretty sure your phone has to be plugged in. __________________ Ex Stig '25 M5 Touring (on the list, first slot) '24 X7 M60i '22 M5 CS - (sold)
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02-17-2015, 10:18 AM	#5
b5ka Private 7 Rep 75 Posts Drives: still debating Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: EU iTrader: (0)	Yup, using phone to use apps in car is pointless. The whole point of ConnectedDrive is to use car built-in apps. And it's taking them forever to properly launch it!
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02-17-2015, 11:18 AM	#6
mcvaughan Lieutenant Colonel 704 Rep 1,917 Posts Drives: F87 Competition Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Katy, TX iTrader: (1)	Rarely. It's a pain to have to plug in... __________________ Matt
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02-17-2015, 03:00 PM	#7
VR000M5 10 Rep 246 Posts Drives: 2015 F10 M5 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Canada iTrader: (1)	really? okay. hows the internet? how about the real time traffic?
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02-17-2015, 03:48 PM	#8
skypx Veteran U.S. Army 60 Rep 771 Posts Drives: ///M Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Germany iTrader: (0)	The Internet is 3G in the U.S so I'm sure you can imagine how slow it is.
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02-17-2015, 03:53 PM	#9
dhirm5 Major 177 Rep 1,155 Posts Drives: 2014 M5 ZCP, 2014 X5 35d Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bethesda, MD iTrader: (1)	Agree with others on (non)usefulness of ConnectedDrive. I have yet to encounter an app which has ConnectedDrive support where I'd rather use the iDrive interface rather than the app interface itself. If the phone would auto-launch the ConnectedDrive app when plugged in to the car it may be different, but as it is currently implemented, you have to plug it in -- which I frequently do anyway for charging -- AND go find the app and launch it -- all in order to access what is arguably an inferior user experience in the end. That said, I'd check that box if I was doing it again, because I like having all the little tech features even if I don't use them - especially given how cheap it is ($500 in the US). __________________ 2017 Porsche 911GTS - Agate Gray on Black 2009 Aston Martin DBS - Casino Royale Gray on Black (sold) 2014 M5 ZCP - Azurite Black over SSII Full (gone) 2009 M5 - Carbon Black over Sepang Full (gone - not forgotten) 2001 740i M-Sport - Carbon Black over Black (gone - not forgotten)
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02-17-2015, 04:01 PM	#10
VR000M5 10 Rep 246 Posts Drives: 2015 F10 M5 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Canada iTrader: (1)	yeah. in canada here, they offer one year free of internet use.. and its also 3g... i guess its better than the 56k i too like all the tech stuff... but in this case, they price they want doesn't make sense. Last edited by VR000M5; 02-17-2015 at 04:08 PM..
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02-18-2015, 06:05 AM	#11
johntomferg Captain 120 Rep 852 Posts Drives: Formerly drove a 13 F10 M5 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Columbia, TN iTrader: (1)	I never use it. On a related note: I have a Samsung Note 3 and I charge my phone via a separate converter so as to avoid using the car's USB connector. Attempting to listen to music while using the car connector is problematic. For listening to music it is a non-starter. All of my music is on my 32GB micro SD card. Unfortunately, I have not found a way to redirect the car to read from it. instead it insists on only reading from the internal storage and the 1 sample track that Samsung has placed there by default. So to play off the phone's microSD storage, I then connect the phone via Bluetooth. Attempting to stream audio via the connected USB solution lasts for seconds before the car insists on playing the one sample track it finds. So I end up switch to Bluetooth. It's pretty much a Bluetooth world at this point for me in the M5 and that includes all of the degradation that comes with it.
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